How to Position Yourself as an Expert
The Momentum Files #32
How to Position Yourself as an Expert
Think of a recent time when you needed an expert. Maybe you needed career advice, a mechanic, a nutritionist or someone to tame and organize your cluttered closets.
Who did you turn to? How did you decide who you would trust? Did you ask friends for recommendations? Did you do endless Google searches and read pages of reviews?
You eventually hired someone.
What was it that made that person stand out as the go-to expert?
Now let’s flip this around.
What’s your expertise? What’s your ONE THING that you do better than anyone else?
Who is out there right now looking for someone who can do what you do?
How would they find you?
How do they know that they should drop everything and hire you immediately?
As I’m sitting here writing to you, people are searching for someone with your expertise. Your experience. Your knowledge.
But if you’re not actively and consistently increasing your visibility and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your field… they’ll never find you.
Let’s make sure they do.
First Do This: Identify your expertise.
This might seem like an obvious and unnecessary step, but it’s the most important one. This is when you get very, very specific about what you do. The more specific you get about your area of expertise, the more clear you get about who you serve.
For example, I could say that I’m an Executive Coach.
It’s the truth, but it’s a little vague. I wouldn’t be painting a clear picture for someone looking to hire someone with my expertise.
I could get more specific and say that I help established professionals reach their career goals.
This is also true. But it might not be enough for someone to say, “That’s exactly who I need!”
Here’s what I want my ideal clients to know:
I help high-achieving professionals reach their career and business goals by getting clear on who they are, what they want and why they want it. My clients describe me as a Coach who brings humor, heart and solid action to our work together - helping them reach their goals faster and easier than doing it alone.
Now we’re talking! And now it’s your turn.
Write down your area of expertise. Then go deeper and create 1-2 sentences that describe what you do in a way that gets your ideal client or customer to say, “That’s exactly who I need!”
Then Do This: Start positioning yourself as the go-to expert your ideal target company or customers need.
It’s time to share what you do, why you love it, who you help and why hiring you is a no-brainer. Consider these recommendations (understanding that some might be more effective than others depending on your industry/niche):
⬛️ Update your personal brand or marketing message (think your email signature or LinkedIn headline).
⬛️ Write about what you do (keeping the focus on who you help!).
▪️ Post to your social media platforms.
▪️ Create blog posts.
▪️ Pitch to online publications (either to write an article or be featured as an expert in someone else’s article).
⬛️ Teach what you know in a way that allows people to ask questions and learn more about you.
▪️ Social media videos.
▪️ Zoom sessions.
▪️ Facebook Live events.
▪️ Volunteer for a committee or organization that could benefit from your expertise.
⬛️ Build a mastermind group or be a guest expert in someone else’s mastermind.
⬛️ Complete or enhance your LinkedIn profile using strategic keywords and targeted skills.
⬛️ Attend networking events (online and in-person).
⬛️ Send high-value emails to your network list.
⬛️ Build a personal website.
⬛️ Develop (and practice!) a concise and strong personal brand statement.
⬛️ Use platforms like Medium and Substack to reach new audiences.
⬛️ Offer to give recommendations on LinkedIn, and then ask for one in return.
⬛️ Get on podcasts that are popular with your ideal audience!
⬛️ Join industry groups on LinkedIn or social media and share what you know.
"We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are."
--- Mister Rogers
The more you share your gift – your expertise – the more you establish your reputation as a trusted authority. You’ll increase your professional value (people want to hire the best!), gain exposure (people want to learn from and work with the best!) and open yourself to exciting opportunities.
And, of course, when more people trust your expertise, the more people you can help.
When you identify the thing you do better than anyone – and consistently position yourself accordingly – people will find you. They’ll learn from you. They’ll trust you. And they’ll see you as the go-to expert they need.
Are you struggling to identify your area of expertise or feeling unsure about what makes you unique? I can help you to stand out from the crowd! Reply to this email, and I‘ll send you a trick to help you easily and quickly get insight into what you are best known for.