Expert Positioning

How To Position Yourself As An Expert

5 Ways You Can Position Yourself As An Expert In Your Niche

By the WBR team

Have you ever wondered what might happen if people viewed you as the go-to expert within your niche? If people thought of you as the Martha Stewart of your industry? Establishing yourself as a recognisable or authoritative figure within a particular niche can lead to increased credibility and, of course, boundless opportunities for growth.

But how do you make yourself a subject matter expert in your industry? We’re pretty big on expert positioning and leveraging your expertise to get access to numerous opportunities and so, we thought we would share some actionable insights on how to position yourself as an expert. 

Harness your inner French Chef – what does it mean to position yourself as an expert?

On February 11, 1963, a woman who was neither French nor a chef first appeared on public television as “The French Chef”. Nearly 20 years after her debut, she released a cookbook called “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” which was an instant success, selling over 100,000 copies in its first year.

So, how did Julia Child pull this off? It’s pretty simple. She had spent the previous few decades carefully perfecting her craft and positioning herself as an expert in the culinary industry. People recognised her as The French Chef – the culinary connoisseur who was responsible for bringing French cuisine to the American public. 

Being recognised as an expert means that people value your knowledge and skills. They trust your advice and recommendations and are willing to buy what you’re selling because they believe you have the answers they seek.

However, to achieve this, you must possess the three As of expert positioning: adaptability, authority, and an audience.

  • Adaptability: Every industry has its own evolving trends. Are you able to stay on top of these trends and adapt when needed? More importantly, can you guide your community and provide actionable insights that will help them adapt to these changes?
  • Authority: Consumers want reassurance that you know a lot about your industry. They want to see that knowledge reflected in your ability to break down and present information. Julia Child already had this down, thanks to her cooking show and culinary background.

Audience: Experts are experts primarily because other people believe they are. Do you already have a small loyal audience who believe in your message? If you don’t check out our blog on How To Use Disruption To Create A Cult Following For Your Content.

To help you on your way, here are five proven tips on how to become an expert in your field:

1. Start a podcast

In 2022, the number of monthly podcast listeners grew by 6.1 per cent to 125 million listeners. With more people turning towards this content medium, starting a podcast can be an excellent way to position yourself as a thought leader. It allows you to share your insights, knowledge and opinions by discussing topics relevant to your area of expertise and ultimately, build a loyal following of listeners. 

There are also numerous opportunities for growth within this medium. For instance, you can expand your network and further build credibility by inviting influential guests onto your show and getting them to share their unique perspectives on industry-relevant topics.

2. Publish a weekly blog

Publishing a weekly blog offers you a double-edged effect. On one hand, you’re demonstrating your expertise and knowledge by creating high-quality content that adds real value to your audience. Additionally, you’re consistently placing your brand in front of your audience, engaging with them and practically making it impossible for them to forget you.

Over time, you can gain a larger audience and potentially attract new opportunities. 

When it comes to creating value-packed content, you want to answer your audience’s core questions rather than having a brain dump and going down the content rabbit hole. You should be able to provide them with what they WANT to know, rather than what you THINK they need to know. 

3. Be visible to the people who matter

While your blog and podcast can bring you visibility, you want to broaden your channels and ensure that you’re maximising all the opportunities available to you. Dive deep into social media forums and actively contribute to conversations relevant to your industry. 

Furthermore, becoming a subject matter expert in your industry involves collaborating with other experts and authority figures. Attend industry events and conferences to network with organisers and experts. You could even take the plunge by offering to speak at these events. 

4. Tone down the hard-sell approach

As an entrepreneur, the hard-sell approach can be pretty tempting. You want your audience to purchase your services as quickly as possible. But what happens after you persuade them to buy? They walk away and that’s it? 

There’s a world of difference between a salesperson and an expert – hard selling positions you as the former. Sure, consumers may buy what you’re selling but this purchase doesn’t come with the credibility, trust, and authority that expert positioning provides.

On the other hand, when you focus on establishing your expertise and creating value for your audience, you’ll be able to generate leads more naturally and with less effort.

5. Enhance your online presence

One essential tactic for positioning yourself as an expert is by optimising your online presence. People tend to run to social media platforms and search engines to find expert content tailored to their specific needs and questions. The least you can do is ensure that your content is ready to be found by making SEO an integral part of your content strategy. 

Much of this boils down to ensuring that you’re creating engaging, credible, and valuable content for users. Is your content relevant to your audience’s questions and needs? Are your audience at the heart of your content? 

If you’d like to learn more about how you can create value-packed content and establish yourself as an expert within your industry, book a clarity call with us today. 

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