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Today, I’m honored and more than a little humbled to be part of an amazing group of expert bloggers who have come together to offer an online blogging conference packed full of must-have information for any blogger. For the full lineup of sessions, visit the BlogHop Blog Conference at Home 2011 at Blog Conference Newbie.
For my part, I’m going to be discussing how you, as a blogger and social media user, can become known as an expert in your field through the use of your blog and social media network.
Why Should You Become Known as an Expert in Your Field?
Being known as an expert in your field can have some obvious advantages for your business. After all, who doesn’t want the very best veterinarian, pet trainer, pet groomer, etc. for their dog or cat.
As an expert in your given field, you earn a degree of credibility that non-experts simply do not possess. And this credibility provides an advantage to both you and your business in attracting new clients and dealing with existing ones. Though the focus of Social Savvy Pets is on pet businesses, this is equally relevant for almost any other business as well.
Can Blogging and Social Media Really Help Me Become an Expert?
If you write about what you are knowledgeable about, yes. Social media and blogging can level the playing field and provide access to an audience that was impossible to reach without using “traditional” media such as television and print until recently. No longer do you need to become a television celebrity or write a best-seller to become well-known. By using your blog and social media network correctly, you can access a targeted audience and establish yourself as an expert by simply turning on your computer.
Okay, it’s not quite so easy as “simply turning on your computer.” It does take time, patience, persistence and work to create a successful blog and put together an effective social media network. But the potential rewards are far-reaching.
Using Your Blog to Become Known as an Expert in Your Field
You can easily use your blog to position yourself as an expert by finding out what sorts of problems and questions your readers experience and blogging about them. Answer the questions that are common to your field. Where possible, provide solutions to common problems.
For example, as a veterinarian, my chosen niche is pet health. Some of the questions I hear commonly from my clients are things like “how do I know if my cat has leukemia?” and “what vaccines does my puppy need?” So, I’ve made a point of answering these and other common questions on my blog. I’ve provided expert answers to the questions that I know pet owners need to have answered on my pet blog, Pet Health Care Gazette. Where possible, I’ve provided guidance on how to solve common problems that pets experience, increasing the value of my blog by doing so. By providing this information, I’ve been slowly but gradually positioning my blog as the place to go for answers about pet health questions. I’ve also been positioning myself as one of the “go-to” people in this field.
Establishing a Social Media Network and Becoming an Expert
The first step in establishing your status and becoming known as an expert through social media is to find out where the people who need your expertise are “hanging out.” This may vary depending on what your area of expertise is. For me, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have been very useful. But don’t forget smaller social media sites (like the BlogPaws community) or forums as potential areas to connect with people of similar interests also.
Use the search functions of the various communities to find and listen in on conversations. Try to identify the thought leaders in the groups and engage them in conversation. When you do find a discussion which you can add valuable information to, do so. Again, you’re trying to answer questions and solve problems. This is not the time to try to sell your products or services.
With time, patience and persistence, you’ll find that you’ve developed a sizable network of people that will look toward you when they need advice or assistance within your field. You’ll also find that others are linking to your blog and referencing your posts and links. In other words, these people will see you as the expert in your field.
About Lorie Huston, DVM
Lorie Huston is a veterinarian, pet health and pet care expert, professional writer, blogger, social media and blogging consultant, and SEO strategist.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I never think of myself as an expert in anything. This is a great post, thank you!
You’d be surprised what others consider you an expert in if you’re willing to talk to them about the things you know. Most of us know a lot more than we give ourselves credit for
Thanks, Lorie. Will share. How important do you think having a niche is, or can an expert diversify without appearing as Jack-of all-trades? I’m an intuitive life coach and cat maven whose blog tagline is: to enlighten and entertain cat lovers. My expertise in feline behavior/communication is interwoven with humor and my photographs, but I’m not a vet so we have a vet Q&A and book reviews/interviews for added content.
Hi Layla. It’s wonderful to see you here. I recognize you from the CWA
Thank you for sharing! And I’m glad you liked the post.
You’ve asked a great question, one which inspired a separate blog post. You’ll find that post (and hopefully the answer to your question) here: How to Find a Niche or Niches to Specialize In Online
Great article! I believe there can be some major ways to use blogs and social media to become a recognized expert. These include choosing a niche as specific as possible, immediately start publishing the content which is original, setting up social media channels and making it easy to follow them, relevant keywords phrases needs to be researched and writing blogs on them and being aggressive in relationship building.
All great ideas, Khalid. Thanks.
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