A thought leader is essentially a trusted resource. And, in an information economy, a trusted resource is extremely valuable. It doesn't matter what industry you're in - whether you have a Fortune 1000 company or a bakery in a small town - thought leadership will propel your business in ways that you could never imagine. For example, here are three benefits of becoming a "thought leader"…

Why You Want to Become a Thought Leader

1. Prospects will prefer you. The more expensive the products and services, the more prospects will want to seek out recognized leaders. They want to know that the provider is well established and can demonstrate expertise. They want someone who can provide reliable answers and someone who will continue to solve problems and provide cutting-edge information long after the purchase.

2. You will be recognized as a central source of information. When customers, prospects and the media need to know something that involves an industry, they'll think first of the company or expert they perceive to be the thought leader. People invite thought leaders to speak at high-profile functions, present at trade shows, get interviewed and write articles, opinion pieces and books.

3. Dominate the search engines: Incoming links are one of the key ways to increase search engine optimization. Thought leaders who take advantage of online opportunities such as article marketing will develop a following, increase their company's online visibility and at the same time improve their SEO.

If you write and submit articles the right way - you can become a thought leader fast.

So, how can you become a thought leader fast?

Top 7 Tips to Help You Become a Thought Leader Just By Writing and Submitting Articles Online

1. Write articles on a consistent basis. To be a thought leader - you need to consistently articulate and convey insightful information that listeners and readers value. This means, you should be writing articles - if not on a daily basis - then a weekly basis. These articles should be used for article submission. They should be on your blog. They should put into an auto-responder series. And, they should be turned into products.

2. Give away your best tips and advice. Truly insightful information is a rare commodity. So, if you reveal some of your best secrets that no one else is sharing, you will automatically become a "thought leader." Plus, if the information you're sharing is hot, prospects will think, "Wow! If he's giving away this information for free - I wonder what I will learn if I get his products or consulting services!" They'll be drooling to get onto your list, learn more about you and your offerings - and most importantly - buy from you. So, if you want to be a thought leader is then you have to be eager to give information away.

3. Be motivated by generosity, not self-interest. People are more likely to follow altruists - and they instinctively know the difference. Don't ruin your article marketing efforts by writing an amazing article - and then try to sell them in the bio box.

Earn your prospect's respect first by telling them how you can help them - and then invite them to get a free special report or other call-to-action that reinforces the fact that you are a thought leader. Then focus on selling them.

4. Be different. If you are writing the same thing as everyone else, just using different words - how does this make you the expert? It doesn't! Build a foundation of expertise. Quantify you experience. Record what you currently know about your industry that others in your industry may not know. Imagine that you're a mentor writing a long letter to a protégé. Focus on uncommon expertise and wisdom.

5. Use proven article templates that will help you write articles and content that prove you are a "thought leader." For example, a case study article template will help you write an article that shows prospect that you are the expert - and that have you gotten desired results. An example is my article, "How to Promote Your Book to the Top of the New York Times Best Sellers List".

6. Submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and blogs! Most people focus their article marketing efforts on sites like EzineArticles.com. Submitting your articles to article directories like EzineArticles.com is good for building links and improving your search engine optimization. But it sucks at helping you become a "thought leader!" Anyone can get published on article directories (including kids) as long as you follow their editorial guidelines. This doesn't make you stand out at the expert, does it? Get your articles published on top, credible websites. For example, my articles can be found on sites like About.com, SiteProNews.com, MarketingProfs.com and hundreds more.

7. Turn your articles into videos and submit them to the top video sites like YouTube and Viddler. As a thought leader, you want to get your message out to as many people as possible in as many formats as possible.

If you follow my advice, you will become a thought leader and make more money online.

To get started, check out my free article writing templates at http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com . These templates will help you consistently write articles fast so you can become a thought leader in your industry.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to experience the benefits of becoming a thought leader in their prospects' eyes. Now, you can get 3 of his favorite his instant article writing templates that will help you write thought leader type articles in 30 minutes or less. Get it now: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com