One of the fastest and easiest ways to make great money in any given field is by becoming recognized as an expert in the industry.
For most people, gaining authoritative traction in a niche or field takes years of hard work and dedication. However, the truth is you can become an instant expert in your market just by taking advantage of a handful of invaluable tools and resources – all of which will help you build trust, credibility and authority in any niche or genre, within only a couple of weeks!
In this post, you’re going to learn a simple process that will help you become recognized as an expert in any industry in no time flat.
(Note: I did not say you would become an expert, but that you will become recognized as an expert. There’s a big difference!)
For marketing purposes, simply being recognized as an expert is what you really need in order to increase your success in the field and maximize your business income.
This simple (yet ridiculously powerful) process involves using various media forms to get your name in front of the public within your chosen field while exploiting a drop-dead easy platform that virtually guarantees that people will come to know you as the “go-to” person in your market.
…and when you build authority in your niche, you are able to build an empire!
When you have authority in your field, people automatically trust you. People will see you as someone they should listen to because you have proven to be a credible source of valuable information in your field.
And, of course, this will translate into more money for you as people clamor to buy your books, videos, guides, training and other products you create or promote!
So, are you ready to dominate your market by becoming an instant expert? Let’s begin!
The Big Secret
The first thing you need to understand is that most “experts” in a given field actually know very little about the subject – especially when it comes to small niche markets. Yes, there are always going to be true experts out there, but a majority of the websites, in your industry, are comprised primarily of content that has NOT been written by the authority figures that you’ve come to know.
So, where has the material come from?
Is comes from expert ghostwriters in your market!
The idea behind it is a very easy one that is guaranteed to work. Rather than become an expert on every topic in all of the markets that you hope to venture into, you simply outsource the content and product creation to industry experts. These people are not only ghostwriters, but they are personally knowledgeable with the topics you are hiring them for!
For example, if you were interested in creating an authority website within the weight loss industry yet you have never suffered through the emotional and physical pain that is associated to being overweight you won’t be able to provide a genuine, authentic voice that speaks to your market and identifies with their greatest fears and concerns.
However, if you were to hire someone with personal experience within the weight loss market, not only would you be able to stand out from the crowd by positioning yourself as an authority, but you’ll be able to deliver incredibly high quality, valuable information and content to your market that would otherwise be out of reach!
Think about just how much of an impact this would have on your ability to drive quality traffic to your website, skyrocket your SEO score (so you’re able to summon an unlimited amount of traffic and active visitors to your site) while being able to dominate social media circuits, forums, become the “go to” person in your market and ultimately maximize your income, effortlessly!
– All because you were able to create and deliver unbelievably high quality content to a hungry audience of buyers who now trust you because you have PROVEN that you know what you are talking about!
Remember one thing: Although you can become instantly recognized as an expert in a field, you will further cement yourself within the industry if you can learn a good deal about the subject and are able to speak at live events and complete live interviews on television and radio. This doesn’t mean that you have to study the market inside and out, but it is always a good idea to have a general understanding and sense of the market.
Keep a pulse on what your target audience is most interested in, worried about, actively pursuing and buying. Not only will this add a layer of authenticity to your marketing campaigns, but it will also help you to identify potential income opportunities in your niche.
Here are a few simple ways to become an instant expert in your niche:
- Author books in the field. Fortunately, you don’t have to know the first thing about the subject. Just outsource quality material, and then self-publish it through various outlets such as Amazon Kindle, LuLu, Kobo and Createspace.
- Create videos on the subject. Outsource video based presentations that demonstrate your expert’s knowledge of the subject. Videos are powerful vehicles at building authority while spreading your marketing message like wildfire throughout your market.
- Write articles and distribute them to industry sources. These sources can include blogs, magazines and other authority publications. Be sure that your name is listed as the source or author, and if possible secure a permanent link to your website or blog.
- Speak at industry events. This isn’t something you can easily outsource, because you will need to be present in person. However, you can take some solace in the fact that even the President has speechwriters who prepare his presentations. All he does is read them!
- Make appearances on television, radio, websites, blogs and other industry sources. You will need to be very prepared if you’re going to make live appearances, but if you can be assured the interviewer will not deviate from a pre-determined set of questions, you can learn a limited amount of information and still appear to be an expert in your field. Many interviewers are happy to work with you to create a list of questions for an interview, or at least provide you with interview questions ahead of time so you can prepare.
- Offer coaching, tutoring or other types of training. Through the power of outsourcing, you can easily maximize your income by offering coaching and training services, such as by building a course for websites like Udemy.com or by creating a subscription-based website for those interested in your content.
- Run your own blog, website, social media, etc. Build a strong online presence in as many different areas as possible, leveraging the power of social media to enhance your presence within your market and connect, network and maintain contact with existing authority figures, market leaders and of course, your customer base!
Blogging is a great way to position yourself as an expert, and the use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook will allow you to keep traffic flowing to your blog or website on a regular basis. It will also allow you to interact with other individuals within your field on a regular basis while staying on top of trends and current hot topics.
- Participate in forums & community networks. If there are any large, popular Internet forums in your niche, be sure to join them and engage in discussions. Answer questions, offer help and be polite and professional. Never engage in arguments, but friendly debates are fine as long as you know when to draw the line.
- Siphon credibility from existing authority figures! This is one of the easiest ways to propel yourself into a niche market and become known as an authority yourself. All you need to do is associate yourself with an existing authority figure, a market leader, someone who is already trusted in your market.
You can do this a number of different ways including by guest blogging/posting on their website, running ads through their website, by promoting their products and services and by creating your own bonus products, auxiliary components and training material based around their existing products!
Think of other ways that you can network with existing authority figures in order to siphon credibility to your own business!
The Power Of Books
Books are extremely powerful “authority-builders” for many different reasons. For one thing, they can be very profitable in and of themselves. But they are also a very influential method for attaining expert status in your field.
Writing a book on a subject makes you appear to be very knowledgeable about the topic at hand. After all, authors are looked up to, respected and admired as being experts in their industry.
Even if you aren’t a great writer yourself, and even if you know very little about your subject, you can outsource the writing of your book to a ghostwriter by simply providing them with a basic outline or even just the general subject matter of the book, and allowing them to research and write the material.
You can find quality writers on marketplaces such as:
http://www.Elance.com
http://www.Freelancer.com
If you are short on cash and are working within a limited budget, you will want to consider “White Label Licensing”.
White label licensing is a powerful way of building your product inventory without having to spend a lot of money outsourcing your projects to quality freelancers. In fact, countless “gurus” have gotten their start just by purchasing high quality white label content that allows them to resell and repackage it under their own brands!
Here’s the nitty-gritty on white label licensing:
Experienced writers create a variety of content on various niche markets. You can find white label products in virtually every market, including weight loss, dating, and profitable health markets. This content is market-ready, meaning you don’t have to do anything before reselling it.
When it comes to white label licensing, there are many different content types and formats available including video content, articles, ebooks, reports, audio, images and templates. The key is to purchase only high quality white label content from trustworthy sources because you need to be absolutely certain that you have the right to distribute the content and that the material was created by experienced writers.
Keep in mind that white label content is just as good as content you might outsource, but it is typically available at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing, original/custom content.
Additionally, you can also use public domain content as a basis for your books. This is tricky, because you need to be absolutely certain the material you are using is truly free of copyright restrictions, but once you’ve determined its legality; you can use public domain content freely to develop your own books.
Note: Public domain is an area where you’ll want to change the content significantly. Amazon and other online book retailers will not allow you to publish unaltered public domain content unless you are the first person to publish it, and it is very difficult to determine whether a particular book has been previously published. Many people won’t use the original name of the book when they publish, so there is no easy way to find out for sure whether or not you’re the first.
Publishing multiple books in a single field is a great idea, but only if each publication brings something significantly different to the table.
Let’s say you are operating within the weight loss niche. You can’t just come out with ten different books on how to lose weight with a 1,200 calorie per day diet. Each one needs to be significantly different.
Here’s an example:
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet for Vegetarians
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet for Pescetarians (Only eat fish)
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet for Meat Lovers
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet for Teens
- The 1,200 Calorie Weight Loss Diet Cookbook
As you can see, there are many ways to come out with different versions of the same basic type of information.
Here’s another example, this time for the knitting niche:
- 15 Cable Knit Sweater Patterns
- 10 Gorgeous Knitted Shawls
- 21 Hat and Scarf Knitting Patterns
- 7 Knitting Patterns for Newborns
Once you publish several different books in the same field, people will truly begin to see you as an expert in that field. One book could mean you are a hobbyist, but having several published is much more likely to cause someone to see you as an expert.
A powerful trick you can use to boost your credibility even further is to use your books to promote your other projects within the field.
For example, you can include links to your blog, your other books and your social media profiles. Put this information in your “About the Author” section or at the end of your books.
The Power of Videos
People are turning to video content more than ever, especially when they want expert help on a particular subject. YouTube is the most popular location for finding expert videos, but there are many other video sites that get good traffic as well.
The biggest thing to consider when creating videos is the fact that they aren’t going to help you be seen as an expert nearly as much if you aren’t actually in the videos. At the very least, you will need to ensure your voice is featured in the videos. Otherwise, people aren’t really going to connect you with the videos, even if you claim to have made them.
This, along with any type of live video or audio appearances such as television, radio and webinars that use voice, are method that require a lot of personal face time. This doesn’t mean you have to be an expert in the subject to look like one, but you will more than likely have to be comfortable being seen on camera.
There are several effective types of videos that you can use to help establish yourself as an expert. You can use any combination of these that fit your chosen field, however DO NOT just throw together a 30-second slideshow with some music and expect it to be effective.
Remember: Your goal is not to simply draw traffic, but to establish yourself as an expert. Thus, your videos must be formatted as though a true expert in the field made them.
Here are a few different types of video formats you can use:
- FAQs – Frequently asked questions are important for pretty much any type of media you can think of. Websites, blogs, books, and even videos can make use of this format to present information to visitors. If you need help figuring out what types of questions people in your industry have, you can visit forums and use social media to devise a list, making note of which questions are asked most often. You can then use this list to create a series of videos that answer these common questions.
- Tutorials & How-To Videos – Tutorials and how-to videos are extremely popular, and they are a great way to establish yourself as an expert. Anytime you can teach someone how to do something they didn’t previously know how to do, they will instantly see you as having more credibility than the average person.
- Demonstrations – Demonstrations are similar to how-to videos, but don’t necessarily teach anything step-by-step. For example, chefs regularly make appearances on television cooking recipes, but they don’t always tell the audience the exact quantity of the ingredients they are using or how long to bake the dish.
- Interviews – It doesn’t have to be you being interviewed. You can also invite other people within your field to be interviewed by you. You can create a list of questions in advance so both of you know upfront what will be discussed.
- News – Anytime there is important news breaking in your field it is a good idea to report it via videos, your blog, social media, etc
- Knowing the latest developments in your field is a great way to show your expertise in the field. An easy way to stay apprised of the latest information is to set up a Google Alert at: http://www.Google.com/Alerts
There are many different video sites to submit your videos to:
Depending on your niche, there may even be specialty videos sites within it, so be sure to check.
Live Appearances & Public Speaking
Live appearances and public speaking engagements do require some knowledge and preparation, but you don’t necessarily need to know your field inside and out. Even the President of the United States has speechwriters who prepare what he will say in advance, and he spends time learning specific subjects before he makes live appearances.
Almost all live appearances involve specific subjects. Let’s say you get an interview on a daily news show to talk about weight loss. More than likely you won’t be talking about general weight loss methods; you’ll be there to talk about one very specific topic within that niche. For example, you might go to discuss a new weight loss pill or a new fad diet. In this case, all you have to do is study up on that one very specific topic before you go.
Live speaking engagements are even easier. Typically, you’ll have a speech prepared before you take the stage, and once your speech is done, you will exit the stage and your time will be over.
Occasionally there will be question-and-answer sessions after you’ve spoken, but this is relatively rare and you will almost always know ahead of time whether this will be included in the format. If it is, you can decide whether or not to accept the engagement.
Don’t forget that even if you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to; you can easily make a simple excuse. There isn’t an expert alive who knows absolutely everything there is to know about their given field. Simply say you’re not entirely sure and you’d rather just be honest than to give incorrect information.
Training & Coaching
Just like professors are often regarded as experts in their subject areas, people who offer any type of training, coaching, tutoring or mentoring are perceived as experts. This is especially true if you offer live, one-on-one training, but this doesn’t always have to be the case.
There are many effective ways to offer training and coaching without making it a live, one-on-one process:
- Create educational training programs. All it takes is a few guides and/or videos to create a great educational training package that you can sell online.
- Offer coaching by email. All it takes is giving people an email address to contact you anytime with questions, and you can easily look up information and create your response before you send it.
- Hire others to teach. You don’t have to be the teacher yourself unless you specifically tell buyers you will be. Simply putting your name on the program, especially if you’re already established as an expert in your field, will be enough. Just make sure the people you hire to teach are properly trained and qualified, otherwise they could ruin the reputation you’re working to hard to build!
- Host webinars. Webinars are terrific, because the individual participants (and not just you) can create a lot of the content. All you need to do is create a base theme for the webinar along with some content focused on that subject, and then the participants can add to the discussion within the webinar.
Participants will be able to ask questions, but it doesn’t always have to be you who answers. Other participants may answer questions as well.
- Build Training Sites & Resources. Make money offering high quality training videos in lucrative markets, such as WordPress. With thousands of new users looking to learn the ropes and gain a better understanding of WordPress so that they can use it in their own online business, building a tutorial-based website could be the easiest way for you to venture into one of the most profitable markets online while building authority and credibility as a qualified trainer and expert!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. There are countless other methods you can use to create training programs and coaching systems that will get you recognized as an expert within your field.
Social Media & Forums
By now, nearly everyone on the planet is aware of the existence of Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. However, while the average individual is using these services to share photos of what they had for dinner and who they saw at the mall last night.
Smart marketers know there’s a lot more to social media sites than that! General socialization is fine, but these sites are also invaluable tools that can increase your traffic and make you recognized as an expert in any niche almost overnight!
Social Media
There are many different types of social media sites. Sites like Facebook are designed to allow a wide range of activities from sharing photos and videos to chatting and even interacting though various applications, or apps. Microblogging sites like Twitter allow individuals to post their thoughts in a short, controlled format.
These sites are perfect for establishing yourself as an expert within a niche, because there are huge groups of individuals who gather into groups, making it easy to find people who are interested in your field.
One of the most powerful ways social media can get your name out there is through sharing. Whenever you post interesting content, others who follow you are likely to share your content with their friends. This posts the content to the walls of everyone they are friends with on the social network, allowing your message to spread quickly, even among people who have never heard of you before.
Forums
Don’t forget another classic type of social media site – forums. They’ve been around since before the Internet, as we know it, even began. True, there was an Internet many years before the general public got to use it, but before the public got to access the Internet as a population, there were Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs). BBSs were set up to allow people to use their computers with modems and regular telephone lines to call and connect to other computers.
Some BBSs had only a single phone line, so users had to wait their turn to access it. Others had 64 lines or even more. These systems had live chat rooms, games, databases, downloads and even message boards where users could post messages and receive responses. These message boards are still in use on today’s Internet, now typically referred to as forums.
Forums in many niches have thousands or even millions of active users. By posting regularly, answering questions and interacting in other ways you can easily establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Remember to avoid forum politics. Never get into heated debates. Friendly discussion is fine, but if someone starts to argue with you in a negative way, don’t be afraid to bow out of the conversation. No one wins forum arguments. People succeed only in harming their reputations.
Blogging & Article Distribution
Blogging has become one of the easiest ways to become widely known in any field quickly. Where else can you make a name for yourself so quickly?
Blogging, on its own, is extremely powerful. But when you combine it with social media like Twitter and Facebook, it can explode your name into the stratosphere in no time!
Not only can you use your own blog to publish your content, but you can also send your articles to other blogs, websites and even print publications. By submitting your article for publication elsewhere, you can make sure your name gets in front of as many people as possible.
Remember, you’ll need to publish unique, high-quality content that demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the topic if you hope to get published in a magazine or even a well-respected blog. Don’t just rehash content you’ve posted on your own blog or elsewhere. Make each article really stand on its own. Each article could generate a lot of positive publicity for you, so make it count!
If you outsource content for other publications, be sure you check it carefully for factual and grammatical errors. Submitting articles that are poorly written or factually incorrect will only do more harm to your reputation than good. So save the $5 article writers for other projects and hire only the best.
Conclusion
Remember, many industry experts in any field are using these same techniques to increase their visibility within their fields. It isn’t a new thing, nor is it dishonest as long as you never say anything misleading such as “I have twenty years of experience in this field” or “I have a Master’s degree in this field”.
Almost every major industry you can think of has its share of so-called experts that know little to nothing about the field they are in. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. As long as they are providing quality, accurate information to their customers and aren’t misleading everyone, it’s fair.
It’s all about perception. You don’t have to tell anyone you’re an expert in your field in order for people to believe it.
Using these techniques in tandem will cast a wide net that will eventually get your name in front of a very large number of people within your chosen field. In a very short span of time, your name will start being recognized all over your industry, giving you all of the profitable benefits that go along with your newfound expert status!