by Mary Cantando, Founder of The Woman’s Advantage, Guest Contributor

You’ve got a wealth of knowledge in your area of expertise. And every day you add just a little more. But, how do you take advantage of this expertise to gain new customers? One way is by writing and posting articles.

Now you may not think of yourself as a writer, but don’t let that stop you. Just follow my five-step process and you’re on your way.

Five Steps to Writing and Posting a Great Article

1. Decide on your topic.

Start by coming up with about 20 topics on which you consider yourself knowledgeable. Then select one that you think your audience would like…or maybe just one that you’re in the mood to write! (Good biz topics: Making money, Saving money, Finding new customers.)

2. Develop a great title.

Make it easy to understand, not something clever that people have to figure out. “How to (list a benefit here)…” is always a great one.

3. Draft your article.

Just sit down and start to write. Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation. If you don’t know where to start, just record yourself talking about the topic. Then develop your first draft by transcribing your recording.

4. Fine-tune your article.

After you’ve finished your draft, read through to edit and fine-tune it. I generally read through and modify my articles three or four times before they are good to go. If grammar and punctuation are not your thing, hire an editor or an English major to proofread and correct your final draft.

5. Post your article.

This great site (make this a link to http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12838.asp ) lists places to post non-fiction articles.