Thought leaders are experts who are recognized among their peers as an authority on innovative ideas within a particular industry. Thought leaders confidently promote their ideas. Most importantly, thought leaders have earned respect from the outside world for their deep understanding of their business, the needs of their clients and the broader marketplace in which they operate.

You can become a thought leader just by writing articles - just like I have. Because I'm found on top websites like About.com Home Business, SiteProNews.com, IMNewswatch and in ezines like John Kremer's BookMarket.com ezine, I...

* Have gained recognition from around the world. For example, I have customers and clients from Australia, Israel, France, Thailand, Taiwan, UK and Greece - and I'm based in the United States.

* Get booked for speaking engagements.

* Have people coming to me asking if I can do article writing and article marketing training programs.

* Have my articles published in hard cover books like "Calling All Authors."

I'm getting all this attention because I'm publishing free content that makes me the authority on article marketing. And, I'm getting these articles published on top, credible websites and not just article directories where anyone can get published as long as you follow the guidelines.

With that being said, are you ready to start writing articles that make you the "authority" in your industry?

Here Are 5 Article Templates to Help You Become a Thought Leader Fast

1. Case Study Article Template - With this template, you prove to your prospects that you are a true expert who has already gotten results using the formula you share within your article. By writing an article that a) explains a problem that your prospects are experiencing b) gives a step-by-step solution and c) reveals an outcome that your prospects desperately want -- you will become the expert in their eyes. You will give prospects no choice but to want to go to your website and get on your list so they can get even more information. For an example of my of a case study article, check out my article: " How to Promote Your Book to the Top of the New York Times Best Sellers List" .

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/yc7caq6

2. Top Mistakes Article Template - With this article template, you take a stand against what others in your industry are doing. For example, one of my new article marketing clients, James Sinclair who runs a restaurant consulting firm recently wrote an article titled: " Restaurant Marketing: How $5 Promotions Are Killing Casual Dining Restaurants' Profits." Using TGI Friday's and some other big name restaurants as examples, he proves to restaurant owners that you should not compete with Quick Serve restaurants by offering the same kinds of promotions that they use! Find out what mistakes are being made in your industry and let your prospects know what is going on, why it's a mistake and what they should be doing instead.

3. Controversy Article Template - One of the best ways to achieve market "thought leadership" status is to stir up the market by taking some gray issues and make them black and white. This is a good opportunity to take current events and provide your expert analysis and supporting reasons why certain issues are good or bad for the market, economy and world.

4. Differentiation Article Template - If you want to be a thought leader then you must show you are different. When we first started ArticleMarketingExperts.com we set our prices at premium levels unseen in the article marketing industry. If we wanted people to invest in our services, we had to show prospects that we are thought leaders in the industry and that we have a different approach when it comes to article submission. That's why we wrote the article: " Choosing an Article Submission Service: 10 Questions You Must Ask Before You Spend Your Hard Earned Dollars."

View the article here:
http://tinyurl.com/ydgynb9

5. Your Questions Answered Article Template - If you want to be a thought leader than you have to be willing to provide top, unique information. And, you have to be willing to answer questions that everyone else is afraid to answer. If you can provide the information that your targeted prospects want that is found nowhere else, guess who will be the expert in their eyes. Guess whose sites they will want to visit so they can get even more information. And, guess whose products and services they will buy. So seek out the questions that your audience is asking that no one is answering. Then answer the questions in a Q & A article template.

If you write thought leadership articles using these article templates, you will become the "expert" in the eyes of your prospects, clients and the media (both online and offline.)

To see how you should organize your articles using these templates, check out my Instant Article Writing Templates Kit at StartWritingArticlesFaster.com