This is post 4 in a series of 10. You can read the first 3 posts:
1. 5 Reasons You Should Use Facebook Ads
2. 7 Ways to Get More Followers On Social Media
3. 10 Ways to Build Your Credibility on Social Media
Become The Go-To Person In Your Industry On Social Media
For many of us, when we think of a particular niche, industry or topic, a specific name will come to mind. Perhaps Lisa Sasevich is your go-to gal for learning how to close sales. Or maybe Ali Brown is your go-to gal for growing your business.
These are the names that transcend their own small group of followers to the point where they become internet celebrities. These are the most trusted authorities on the net and when we have a question relating to their niche we will often look to them to answer or at least to provide their opinion.
The question is: how do you reach that point? How can you become the go-to person in your own industry? How can your name be the one that others think of when looking for help with a niche, industry or topic?
It's quite a challenge. But, someone has to succeed, so it may as well be you!
Consistent Quality
The single most important thing to do is to make sure that you are providing consistent quality information. This means you should be sharing the kinds of insightful tips and advice that people don't get anywhere else.
This is one of the reasons that in-depth blog posts are so popular.
Honestly, you can find millions of generic short posts on a topic. And most of them sound very similar. And it's not necessarily because people are copying each other. I think it's because they're all reading the blogs of ‘internet celebrities' and sharing what they've read. Which is great, except they're leaving out the part about what they thought of it. Or how it works in their world. Or maybe they're trying to be ‘safe' to keep from expressing the ‘wrong' opinion or viewpoint. I know, some people don't want to be, or appear to be, controversial. But they're missing out on one of the reasons for blogging – to showcase your thoughts and your experiences with a particular niche, industry, topic.
It's the bloggers that take the time to really dive into a subject, to pick it apart, that offer the most value. If you promote your content using social media and you make sure that you are offering something that your visitors can't get anywhere else each time they find you, then you'll find that they start actively seeking out your opinion. (Ask me sometime how I became the go-to gal for how to find things on the internet).
To get to this point takes time. The search engines (mainly Google) are watching your every move and recording your online activity. Google especially is interested in noting how often you share about a niche, industry or topic (keywords) and where you're sharing it. The search engines associate your name with the keyword(s) so that when a searcher is looking for answers or information your name appears in search results. This is why it's so important to be consistent when blogging and sharing on social media.
Be Approachable
It is really important that you come across to your readers as a real human being. It's best to write at the level of your audience. In the news industry, because the audience is ‘everyone', they publish content that an 8th grade student can easily read. While in a specific industry, such as project management, the content is a bit more formal. Words matter. Structure matters. And while we all like to think that ‘text book writing' isn't a good thing, that's not true for the academic audience.
Don't be afraid to show some personality because it helps to show you as a real person. I know a Data Architect who, in person, is as dry and monotone as you can get when speaking. But when he writes a blog post about his work his sense of humor comes out. And when he writes articles for the industry, you can ‘see' him. No, it's not a fun read for people not in the industry. But that doesn't matter because they aren't his audience. He is very approachable to those in his industry, because he thinks, talks and writes like they do. Therefore, he is a trusted source.
You can do the same. You can inject your humor into posts, your viewpoint into an article, your experience into an ebook. Because it's you, your reader will see it and eventually come to know you and trust you.
Align Yourself
Finally, make sure you align yourself with other trusted authorities in your niche, industry or topic. The ultimate goal is to have others vouch for you, giving you immediate credibility. And while you're working on getting that to happen, mentioning them in your writing helps, too. It helps your reader see you as associated with those people and boosts your credibility.
A Bit About Me
Now, you may wonder where I fit in all of this.
I am an Information Professional – someone who knows how to find information online and offline. Sometimes called a researcher or a search expert. I am curious and ask questions about pretty much everything, but I'm also an advocate of you learning. That's why I provide training, consulting and guidance. I firmly believe that knowledge is power – you cannot do anything until you know what needs to be done. It is that simple.
Yes, this character is me. I'm known by this character and have been told that I'm not allowed to change her. Well, I won't but I will be adding variations along the way. I'm not just a researcher, you know.
This series of Social Media posts is based on my own experience and what I'm seeing online that works. I know that if you want to succeed in business you must understand how to become an authority using social media. I've done it for one industry and am in the process of doing it for another. I wrote an ebook, Social Media Authority, so that you can do it for yourself.
