Small business owners that want to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace can do so by positioning themselves as the expert in their field. Experts are not viewed as salesmen/woman, instead they are perceived as having a vast knowledge about a particular subject. Expert advice and opinion are often respected and trusted and consumers are willing to pay more for an experts product or service offerings. It would behoove a small business owner to position themselves as the expert within their niche in order to; gain a following, request premium compensation, and experience multiple streams of income. So how does a small business owner effectively position himself as the expert? 

Get Published

Write about what you know. There are several ways to publish information including blogs, books, eBooks, newsletters, white papers, write your own column, write for a trade magazine or local newspaper. But who actually has time to write a book? I agree that small business owners have a lot on our plates from paying bills, to advertising for more customers, ordering inventory, hiring employees, and everything else in between. But there are ways to handle all of your normal tasks and publish information that will position yourself as the expert. One option is to start out with an eBook these books are typically packed with information about a particular subject typically ranging from 30-100 pages. If you think there is no money in this think again, but let’s not loose sight of our focus which is becoming an expert. A small business owner can partner with a company such as Hyperink and publish an eBook in six weeks. Hyperink gives you the option to write your own eBook or write an eBook with the assistance of one or their journalist who will assist with the research and formatting (for those that are not natural writers but have the knowledge). The best part about Hyperink is that there is no fee to sign up, you write your book in five to six weeks and they assist with the marketing and promotion of your book they don’t make a dime unless you do. In addition to having an eBook a small business owner should also have a blog and or a newsletter at the very minimum and you’ll see why in the next step.

Promote, Promote, Promote!

Once small business owners completes their eBook it is now time to let the world know. Promote yourself as an author —the expert. Yes, I did mention that Hyperink will assist with promoting your eBook but you should also be proactive with promotion as well after all it’s really to benefit you in the long run. Promote your eBook via your website, newsletter, blog, and social media networks. Find speaking opportunities geared towards your targeted audience and speak about area of expertise. The audience will view you as an expert instead of a salesperson, those that are interested in your topic will often request more information by signing up for your newsletter or blog posts, purchasing your eBook, or even purchasing other products or services from you. Also guest posting on other blogs that cater to your niche can assist with promotion. When guest posting do NOT sell your products, service, or eBook (as this is self-serving and the purpose of guest posting is to inform others about your knowledge that can help them). However in your bio mention that you are the author of (the title of your eBook) and include hyperlinks to your website and/or eBook.

Get media attention

Now that you are a published author it will be much easier to garnish media attention. You have positioned yourself as the expert on your topic by writing about your expertise and it is very possible that you can land a feature story in your local newspaper or perhaps a write up in a national magazine. You can also reach out to T.V. and radio stations for more exposure, where you will get an allotted amount of time to speak about your expertise.

Wa-laa, there is one way a small business owner can quickly position themselves as the expert at what they do and begin generating multiple streams of income (selling original product or service, selling eBooks or other published material, paid speaking opportunities, etc). Business owners that have more time may want to take the traditional publishing route or even self-publish. Whatever avenue you take just be sure that you have valuable information to offer and it is presented in a professional way. Remember people love to buy from an expert that they respect and trust, on the other hand they are not so crazy about buying from a merchant or salesperson. Lesson here: become the expert and your customers will find you instead of the other way around. When they come looking for you, that means you have made yourself valuable and now you can justifiably charge more. Additionally adding author to your title adds an additional income stream.

Are you a small business owner on the path to becoming an expert? What methods are you using in order to position yourself as expert? Please share your small biz diamonds in the comments section below.

Have a successful day!

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