How to pitch yourself as an expert

When you run a business it’s worth considering whether pitching yourself as an expert might help drive sales or open up new doors.

If you’re a service-based business – a PR agency or coach, for example – building your personal brand is essential, but even if you have a product-based business, we all know that ‘people buy from people' so showcasing the person behind the brand can be a real strength.

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Social media plays a huge part in this and you’ll see more and more business owners 'showing up' on their Instagram profiles with behind-the-scenes content and talking stories.

Get your house in order and make sure that your social media also says that you’re an expert; your biog and content must tell people who you are and what you do at first glance, so don’t worry about clever or complicated words - just make it clear who you are and what you specialise in.

As well as your social channels, you can also start to build a profile through good PR, too. Here are five ways that you can gain credibility in your industry and start positioning yourself as an expert.

1) Get quoted in press releases

If you’re sending out press releases – or having someone doing it for you – make sure that it includes a quote from you. There’s a tendency for business owners to hide behind the scenes, but you want people to start recognising your name and the more coverage you get, the better it is for your own SEO.

2) Put yourself forward for media opportunities

There are lots of great media opportunities out there; whether it’s interviews and comments on what’s currently in the news or looking for business profiles in magazines and online, seek out ways to get your name (and face) into the media.

A good tip: search for #journorequest on Twitter and you’ll uncover a whole world of opportunities.

3) Write blogs on your specialist subject

Writing blogs on your specialist subject is a great way to showcase your expertise (ahem, practising what I preach!).

Even better if you have a strong opinion on a specific subject, as controversy always gets people talking! Put these posts on your own website too, as well as exploring guest blogs on other people’s websites.

4) Enter awards

Entering industry awards, not just for your business but for yourself, is a brilliant way to give yourself credibility as an expert. Obviously, look at your industry awards, but also wider business celebrations that can help put you – as a business professional – in the spotlight.

5) Share other people’s content

And, as an added bonus, my final piece of advice is to share other people’s content. Yes, it sounds weird but aligning yourself with others across your industry is another brilliant way of building your own profile, especially when they share and repost your content!

Positioning yourself as an expert is a simple, yet effective, part of a marketing and sales strategy. That’s why joining Enterprise Nation as an adviser is a brilliant way to build your credibility.

Connect with Tara and request a free discovery call!