Business Journals Leadership Trust is an invite-only network of influential business leaders, executives and entrepreneurs in your community. Original article posted here.
Many professionals aspire to establish themselves as experts in their respective industries, and with good reason. Being recognized by others as an expert can bring positive exposure to both you and your business, ultimately boosting the bottom line.
This task is certainly easier said than done, but with the right strategies in place, you can position yourself as an expert in your field. Not sure where to begin? Try these nine practical strategies recommended by the members of Business Journals Leadership Trust.
1. Get involved in professional organizations.
Active involvement in professional organizations helps to reinforce your credentials as an expert. Ironically, the pandemic has presented new opportunities to showcase expertise through virtual presentations at webinars, monthly meetings and workshops, sponsored by professional associations, that make the most of our limited time. – Elie Araj, Applied Sciences Consulting Inc.
2. Share your expertise on social media.
Use social media wisely — share your expertise in a consistent and purposeful way. Spend time developing what you want your personal brand to be and consistently represent yourself in that way. Then do your research. Stay up to date on the latest trends and share your thoughts using your expertise and experience to highlight success. – Shannon Laine, HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis
3. Hone in on your existing strengths.
Start building your brand today by honing in on your expertise! Laser in on your strengths and be consistent, and success will follow. Start creating your original content, then build a website and maybe start a podcast. The most important thing is to start building your brand today. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
4. Pursue speaking engagements.
You can best position yourself as an expert or a thought leader through sharing your knowledge at speaking engagements as well as in publications. Continue to put out well-composed and factual information about the ongoing activities in your industry or trends you see coming. – Robin Throckmorton, strategic HR inc.
5. Create testimonial videos.
Use testimonial videos to highlight your experience. Testimonials allow your partner to share with others how you were able to help their company solve business issues. When a potential customer visits your site, goes to their specific industry page and sees that testimonial video, it allows them to get unbiased information from someone they can relate to, all while immediately boosting credibility for you. – Scott Scully, Abstrakt Marketing Group
6. Blog or vlog about your work.
Talking about your work in the form of a blog or vlog is my favorite method of establishing credibility. I’ve found that items that are obvious to me are highly valuable and useful to those who are not in my business sector. It’s fun to engage with comments from my blogs on social media to keep the conversation going! – Kimberly Lucas, Goldstone Partners
7. Increase your LinkedIn activity.
With more B2B on social media, regularly post short thought pieces on a business platform like LinkedIn. Don’t try to sell anything, but share something others may not know — expand on the latest news in your field with insightful commentary, or congratulate a colleague’s accomplishment and say why it’s important. A little effort can yield big results in building your street cred. And it’s free. – Daniel Serfaty, Aptima, Inc.
8. Answer questions on Quora.
Show your expertise on Quora. The site has become one of the most popular destinations in the world for sharing educated opinions on a wide range of topics, from politics to business. My company has earned new clients and partnerships because of my visibility on Quora. It does take a time commitment and is not for everyone, but if you try it and like it, it could be the perfect vehicle for you. – Scott Baradell, Idea Grove
9. Teach others about your areas of expertise.
Using education as a tool is a great way to position yourself as an expert. Whether you are teaching your peers or presenting as a subject matter expert to novices, when you are educating others about your niche, you can gain personal expert recognition while bringing exposure to your company. – Rachel Namoff, Arapaho Asset Management
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