Get known as the expert in your industry

Get known as the expert in your industry
By InBusiness

Everyone’s an expert these days…

Doesn’t it annoy you? You’ve been scrolling through your LinkedIn or Twitter feed and you can feel the blood rising. The same 2 – 3 accounts keep coming up. They have a staggering amount of followers who are highly engaged and it leaves you baffled.

They say they’re “The Expert” in your field, and yet you know they may as well have got their certification on the back of a cornflakes packet. Meanwhile you <<insert appropriate phrase here>>: studied for 5 years / have researched for 3 years / served 1000 clients / travelled / got decades of experience before they were even born, etc.

So who is the expert here? You or them?

What makes an expert?

An expert, according to dictionary.com, is a “person who is knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area”.

You go and seek them out because you have a perceived value about their expertise and anticipate that it will benefit you in some way. They bring with them a level of esteem and credibility, and you’re prepared to compensate that expert in exchange for their skills or knowledge.

Not just an expert, a known expert

Social media has added a new dimension to the notion of being an expert.

An expert on social media terms — is a person you become aware of — that is knowledgeable in a particular area.

They’ll become the Go-To person, or your expert, because they’re the first person you think of when you need what they offer. It’s all according to the Law of Recency, it’s because the thing most recently learned is best remembered.

Who better to prove this then Donald Trump? Love him or hate him – he’s played his cards right in becoming the known expert. With no political or military background, his ascension to POTUS (President of the United States) level has baffled most of the world.

“Trump is not just an instant ratings/circulation/clicks gold mine; he’s the motherlode,”said Ann Curry, a US TV news anchor. Using social media to “recruit and energise supporters”, he used Twitter as a “gigantic amplifier” with his 7 million followers (Guardian).

We see it on a local level all the time too – health ‘experts’ with no medical training health giving advice (just think of Belle Gibson fake cancer blogger), popular photographers with no training, chefs with no experience, business advice with no business… the list goes on.

The one thing they do have – is polish, personality and persistence. And people keep coming back.

Become KNOWN as the expert you are.

So my question to you is – are you a known expert?

It’s the classic case that if a tree falls in a forest and no-one hears it. Did it really happen? If you have great expertise and no-one knows about it, does it really exist?

Yes of course, you say. Well why don’t you get out there and claim that space? Use polish, personality and persistence – and the added piece – credibility. Imagine how you’d stand out then. Otherwise, you could be missing out on a bucket load of opportunities. Is that what you want?

3 quick tips on how to get known  as an expert

1. Start creating quality White Papers

A White Paper can mean different things to different people. In essence I mean a persuasive in-depth report that presents a problem and provides a solution. The way to present yourself as the expert is for you to BE the solution.

Your WP will be a door opener. When meeting new clients or prospects, the white paper becomes an introduction to you and a validation of your expertise. It demonstrates your credibility and captures attention.

How do you create a great one? Brilliant article on Lander Blog gives great tips to knock out a top notch white paper. The key focus area is to write well, promote broadly and make it easy to find. Put the effort in to the presentation also. I recently surpassed Word to use Canva.com with simple drag and drop features – and the result was very polished. Take a look at my Business Guide for Leaders.

2. Write a Blog

One of the simplest and most effective ways is through a blog. Your blog is not a personal journal, today a business blog is like your own personal news channel to demonstrate your thought leadership. Whether you call it a blog or insights or whatever – there are lots of reasons for doing one.

It’s your platform, so a great way to position your expertise. Make sure it serves your audience and speaks to their problems or interests, not just as a product flog. It will improve your website ranking through SEO, and when coordinated through social media will provide a perfect tool to connect with your existing clients. It also helps to attract new clients and the interest of media, industry and other interested parties.

3. Consistent social sharing

The best approach is a combination of content that you have created (that shows your personality and life in real time) and content that you’ve curated (which means scanned, scheduled or shared) from other sources that are helpful and of value to your audience.

Check out my previous posts about best content to post on LinkedIn for ideas.

The aim of the game here is to be consistent. If your best post was 3 months ago, you’ll be forgotten about. Your consistency will be the main driver in demonstrating your expertise in the minds of your audience.

Turn Motivation into Action

So the next time you feel frustrated when you see ‘Experts’ without substance — why not let that motivate you in to action?

Imagine if you consistently shared and created meaningful, helpful and compelling content that was not only consistent but also credible? It wouldn’t take long until you were standing out as the expert brand in town.

Come on, the world needs your expertise. Go do it.

ABOUT KIRRYN ZERNA

Kirryn Zerna has worked with small and large businesses to create remarkable brand communications for over a decade, and now she builds that capability into the organisations that she works with. She combines her deep experience of corporate communications and copy writing with the latest research of social media management to deliver a tailored approach for her clients. Kirryn was recently awarded The 2017 Kerrie Nairn Scholarship by Professional Speakers Australia to assist the development of an emerging speaker to become an outstanding professional leader.

Need help? Get great results on social media in just 4 weeks by joining Stand Out on Social Bootcamp. Find out more.

 

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