By Evan Vitale
Becoming an expert in your field or industry will help your company receive more attention, more leads and ultimately more sales.
The great thing about earning an “expert” title is that it’s easier than you think. Fortunately, it’s not about gaining long-term experience or attending night classes for another degree.
Here are a few steps to follow in order to be considered an expert:
- Make yourself more visible in the community. You need to meet people and be seen. For example, attend local Chambers of Commerce events and other networking activities. Join and become active in your local Business Network International (BNI) Chapter. Attend business luncheons.
- Update your LinkedIn profile and be active every day in LinkedIn by posting updates.
- Write daily blog posts and include your photo, byline and bio with every post.
- Write articles for the local business and daily newspaper. Most publications are starving for fresh, local content and they don’t have the staff to generate new stories.
- Make yourself available to the local media. For example, if a cold snap is coming, a local heating and cooling company can call the local television stations to remind them what home owners need to do in order to make sure their furnace doesn’t break down. That’s a free story for the local media and now you’re the heating and cooling expert.
- Be a speaker at local events, trade shows and conferences. Speakers are immediately known as “experts” and this puts you in front of an audience of people who have your undivided attention.
- Be active in Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks.
Overall, be patient and be positive. Take advantage of every opportunity to promote yourself and your company.
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