No one becomes an expert overnight.
Well, anyone can claim to be an “expert” but their ruse is quickly uncovered when it becomes obvious they don’t know what they’re talking about.
Perhaps Abraham Lincoln said it best:
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”
Becoming an expert, in any field, takes time. But it also takes a plan. Rarely does anyone stumble upon the title “expert” without some kind of strategy. Regardless of where you are in your professional life, the following ideas can help you create your own personal branding pathway that leads directly to expert status.
Write Interesting and Engaging Content
Anyone can be a writer. It’s not that hard.
Sure, it’s challenging but anyone with a blog can churn out content. No need for an editor or even credible data (otherwise known as fake news). There are no rules on the internet for publishing nonsense. The only thing you can do is create interesting, engaging and credible content that shows you know what you’re talking about.
Courtney Carver, the founder of Be More with Less, is a self-described minimalist. In her post, How to End the Endless Game of Catching Up, Courtney describes the F.O.M.O. (fear of missing out):
“You want to read every email, blog post, tweet, and Facebook update so you don’t miss anything. Maybe F.O.M.O. is why you watch the news, catch up on gossip and have TV marathons.”
She then describes how to break free from this endless loop. She explains the problem and offers solutions, which is obviously valuable information for her readers. Creating this kind of content is worth much more than ranting about a stressful issue or reviewing a new product. It’s solving your reader’s problems which builds your credibility.
Publish an eBook with a Unique Twist
Anyone can self-publish an eBook. It’s easy and a million writers want to be the next unknown scribe to make it big.
And a lot of it is rehashed content that isn’t that exciting. Here’s an example of what’s popular on Kindle’s Business & Money section:
How to build a business when you’re an “underdog” is cool but has been covered a million times. There isn’t anything special or unique about credit repair. And another list book of success tips isn’t a hot topic either.
But if we look at Business & Money’s bestseller list, the options get much more interesting. Here’s Michael Lewis’s Boomerang (love the title!). It’s about the impact of cheap credit on the United States and injects an interesting twist on a somewhat boring subject.
There are a billion books about money, business, health, fitness, technology and education. So make yours different enough that it cements your brand as new, different and important.
Create an Online Course to Showcase Your Knowledge
People love to follow those that found success doing exactly what they want to do. This simple premise is the basis of every spokesperson in the world. Think of the millions of programs that have been sold because consumers saw someone lose weight using Weight Watchers and wanted to copy that success.
Everyone wants the easiest path to their goals and avoid the most common mistakes that lead to failure. And that’s where you come in. Creating an online course that explains your success, or any aspect of your success, is one of the top ways to cement your brand’s expertise.
Sally Hendrick is the perfect example. Sally started out as an actuary but shifted towards coaching and created a course called Make Facebook Your ATM on Kajabi:
“Through her coaching business, she discovered the power of Facebook marketing. She didn’t think anything of it at first. Then one day, she realized that people were making money teaching people how to do what she did every single day.”
Some may believe that creating an online course is difficult and technically challenging. Try a platform like Kajabi, which is an all in one content delivery system, payment, and marketing platform. The idea is to build your brand and expertise, not devote all your time to managing and marketing your online course.
It Won’t Happen Overnight, But It Will Happen
Becoming an expert and building a strong personal brand will never happen overnight. It takes time, effort and a plan. But it will never happen unless you start now.
This is a long-game strategy. Map out where you want to be in five years and start making steps towards that goal. This isn’t going to happen just because you’re good at your job. You have to make this happen.
And there’s not going to be a better time than today.
