The fastest way to grow your business is to become an industry expert. This means, you want to shift your focus from landing more sales to sharing your expertise with the demographic your targeting.
When you provide value by way of knowledge and/or freebies (especially if you have a product you can sample) it gives you immediate credibility as a topic expert. This is as true as it is for authors and coaches as it is for major brands.
How to be seen as an expert in your industry: 6 Quick tips
1) Make your website an industry resource versus simply being online business listing:
It’s important that your target market can find you online but don’t limit your business to having a site that only looks good and has your basic business information. Think about making your site a resource.
Dedicate a section of your website to content that provides value. You can even call it a library. Post videos, written articles, and answer the most frequently asked questions in your industry. Take on the job of solving the challenges of your target market.
When your site is a resource, visitors come back often. They learn to build a relationship of credibility and reliability with your brand.
2) Answer questions:
One of the easiest ways to become an expert is to answer common questions in your industry. You can do this on your own site by providing an opportunity for site visitors to ask questions on a contact form. With the inquiries you received you can build an FAQ page.
You can also use services such as Quora. It is a site that connects people who have questions with those with answers. There are thousands of questions that get posted daily. You can browse questions by topic and respond to ones that fit your area of expertise.
There are media outlets that use Quora to find topic experts for articles. It can also be a great platform to network with other professionals.
3) Get active on social media:
Make sure your company is on the following social media platforms:
- Google +
Post informative content that addresses the challenges of your target market. You’ll want to post up to 3 times a week, though you can post as frequently as once a day.
Join communities on LinkedIn and Facebook. Answer questions in those forums. You can also follow Twitter hashtags for topics you’re an expert in, and participate in conversations. Theses days even journalists use hashtags to find experts.
4) Join HARO:
There is an incredible website called HelpAReporter.com. Popular media outlets use it to post queries for topic experts. You can join and respond to the ones that apply to your business. It’s a great way to get exposure.
5) Publish a book:
Prove your expertise by writing and self-publishing a book. It’s direct evidence that you are knowledgable about the topic you’ve written about.
At CWD, we have a book called Digital Marketing Secrets Revealed, where we give away all our secrets. The book helps us share who we are with our customers easily. It establishes immediate credibility and it is proof that we know we know about digital marketing.
6) Give out freebies:
Share your knowledge for free on a regular basis, everywhere. If you have a product that speaks for itself when people use it, then give out samples. People who encounter your brand will want to engage with you often. You’ll be able to build a relationship and of trust and brand affinity overtime.
Speaking of free stuff, if you want more free digital marketing secrets click here to order your free ebook:
