What the heck is a “real time” expert? It’s an expert who continuously communicates advice, questions, challenges and thoughts with their audience or customer. A real-time expert doesn’t publish a book and walk away. They feed their audience with their views on current events, industry news, shake-ups, best practices and epiphanies. They produce a stream of content and distribute it daily. Their expertise isn’t a past time…it’s in real time.
If you’re considered to be a “thought leader” or an expert in your industry, now’s the time to claim that expertise and gain the online clout you deserve. Still have a static website that simply “tells” people about your expertise or only features marketing copy? Hire someone to develop a professional blog and then step up to the screen and start showing your stuff! Sharing your content regularly and whole-heartedly can be an awesome part of your marketing arsenal. If you own your business, it’s becoming mandatory.
Get Over Yourself. I Dare You.
Think you’re not an expert? Think you have nothing to say? If you truly know your stuff, I dare you to do one thing: Get out of your own way! You have an expertise. You have a passion. Own it. Create content around it. You actually have an audience out there that will eat it up.
Ask yourself:
- What did you RAVE about last week? Perhaps a client demonstrated the perfect use of your product or service. Or, maybe a vendor finally released a solution to your clients’ problems. Did you read an article about a new development in your field that had you singing its praises? Share it and give your take on it!
- What did you RANT about last week? Did you rant about a new bit of legislation that will affect your industry? Did you spout on and on about a competitor’s faulty practice? What made you mad? Many professionals don’t think it’s acceptable to “rant” online. Not so. In fact, your rant only positions you as a more passionate leader in your space. It’s uncomfortable at first. But, it’s real. In case you haven’t heard, “Real” is the golden rule of blogging and social media.
- What epiphany did you have? Those “aha” moments are big in your readers’ minds. Epiphanies, no matter how small they seem to you, show that you’re forever thinking about your business or industry. Word to the wise: these “aha” moments usually hit in the shower or in the car. Have a pad of paper or audio recorder nearby and write it down immediately!
- What question did you answer for the millionth time? Find yourself giving the same shpeel to the same questions at trade shows, meetings and on client phone calls? Write a blog post highlighting the answer for Pete’s sake! Not only will it win you credibility, it can become an easy link to send via email, Twitter and Facebook. Think of the time you’ll save!
- What top-10 or top-5 list can you rattle off? Readers love lists (like this one)! Interview yourself. What advice can you recommend to prospects researching services related to yours? What are the top “tips,” “rules,” tools” and “trends” that you can rattle off. Seem trivial? To your info-hungry audience, it’s gold.
- What information-filled email did you write last week? Did a customer ask you for your input on something? Did you write back with a detailed explanation of a complex process? Can you edit that content slightly to create an article or blog post? Tada. You’ve got content.
- What did you learn last week? Real experts are constantly learning and sucking up new information. Share what you learned. Keep it brief. You’re more qualified to research your expertise than your audience. Share the knowledge.
I could go on..and probably will in a future post. The reality is that content creation is MY expertise and content coaching is my passion. Turning my clients and audience into content machines excites me like you wouldn’t believe. What makes me crazy are those who don’t think they have anything to share or write about.
Give me 10 minutes. I’ll give you 5 blog posts you can write right now.
Create your buzz online about your business or brand by sharing your brain! Hmmm…that’s my second dare….say that last sentence three times fast!
