I am involved with one of our local boards, the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. One of the great percs that DAAR has is an agreement with the local paper, the Loudoun Times Mirror to print articles written and submitted by local members of the board. These articles are brief, approximately 250 words. I have been able to write several of these articles over the years (previously the agreement was with another paper).

Here is a link to one of my articles that was recently published (both in print and on-line): Go Green in Three Easy Steps.

I love to write and I love free press...what could be better?

With the challenges of the economy, we are all trying to think of ways that we can get more exposure for our business with less money going out the door. Obviously, we are all out here on the Internet, but not every potential customer is on-line as often as some of us (me) are!

Working with local papers, television stations and radio stations is a great way to advertise your business to audiences that your other forms of marketing might not reach. One of the best things about writing for a paper is that you often get the benefit of your article appearing in print--and again on-line.

Sometimes the 'old fashioned' ways can work surprisingly well and be a great differentiator in this competitive market place.