Today’s consumers want to be educated, and here are 6 ways you can become an industry expert who is ready to help.
Marketing has changed so much In the last few years, that now it doesn’t matter what size your business is, or how many customers you have. In order to compete in today’s market, customers want to know that you are an expert at what you do. It doesn’t matter if you are a local plumber or own an upholstery shop. It is no longer enough to just try to sell your services, you need to convince them that you are the expert that they need.
Consumers are now proficient at researching their purchases online, whether they’re looking for a doctor for a specific medical problem or a shoe store for the best price on hiking boots. Customers are checking out all their options online. They’re looking for data to help them make a decision and when somebody provides information they’re looking for, the customers consider that person an expert on the subject. People may start out just looking for advice on a subject, but when it does come time for them to purchase something, the person who helps them is the first one that comes to mind.
Every field has room for more experts, even for local businesses. There are six basic ways to become an industry expert.
Learn about what’s important in your industry today and become current in it. Every niche has one or more trade magazines, so get a few of the back copies and read them from cover to cover. You need to especially take note of the editorials because those topics are what’s currently on the minds of the industry leaders and you should thoroughly understand and be able to discuss intelligently those issues.
Choose a specialized niche. Instead of seeking to become known as an expert in “Upholstery” for example you can narrow your area of expertise and differentiate yourself from other experts by proclaiming yourself as an expert in, say, “Automotive Upholstery”. In this way, you will likely get more traction by branding yourself as a specialist for a very specific need.
Create a website and a Blog. You need to begin to communicate with your market, discussing industry issues and creating an open forum with you as the expert. You can use this medium to highlight your involvement within your industry and if you are a local business, within your community as well. You also can establish your credentials by publishing your materials including press releases, articles, and so forth.
Public speaking about your industry is another avenue you can use to establish yourself as an expert. You can offer to speak at a local college at a forum run by a professor or department head on a subject that is relevant to you and their interest group. In addition, you could offer to speak at a local club, association, or service organization on subjects that are relevant to both of you. In this way, you can start getting your name out in the community as someone with expertise in that subject.
If your industry has a national trade organization you need to join it and then perhaps offer to write a monthly column on interesting aspects of the industry for the organization’s newsletter or magazine. Make sure that your article at least includes a by-line with your web address. Once you’re writing a monthly column for an industry trade magazine, you will be considered a respected expert.
Writing a book may be the next step for you. After you’ve gotten into the habit of writing professionally within your industry, you may be able to tackle a problem/solution book project. This is where you can delve deeper into issues you may have already written about. You would essentially outline a problem within your industry and offer up a solution. This does not have to be a long book, in fact, it is better to offer it in a form that is easier to consume by your customer base, such as an e-book. Completing this type of project will give you instant authority status.
Once you are considered an expert in your field a lot more opportunities will be able to open to you as far as expanding your business, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Start learning everything you can about your industry and get current on all the issues that affect it. Choose a specialized niche to position yourself as an expert in. Offer your professional speaking services to local colleges and associations and continuously develop your professional writing portfolio to help set yourself up as the expert that you are. When your customers start researching or looking for advice, you will be in the perfect position to help