Christopher is the co-founder, head strategist and CEO of The Go! Agency, a full-service digital marketing agency.
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Everybody wants to be considered an expert—and many people consider themselves experts who probably shouldn’t. But those who are chasing the title fail to realize that it takes more than just knowledge. It means becoming someone who nonexperts seek out. To rise to that level, you’ll have to craft thorough research skills, become a pro at networking and maintain unquestioned integrity.
Here’s how I did it.
Be a trend announcer, not a trend follower.
Successful professional experts can broadcast their knowledge not by telling, but by showing it. Here’s something that impresses everyone: being able to say, “I got there first,” and proving it. Here’s how you can: announce trends instead of following them.
Trends don’t “pop off”—they typically begin slowly in small, insular or disregarded communities before picking up steam. By regularly taking the pulse of your industry or area of expertise, you can put yourself in a position to jump on trends and start conversations about them before they go mainstream.
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For extra credit, don’t just discuss emerging trends, but center your discussion around practical uses of said trend. Example: the metaverse. Brands are still failing to figure out what the heck they have to do to make this concept profitable, and there’s more than one kind of prize waiting for the person who comes up with the answer.
Placing yourself at the forefront of the hottest industry trends can elevate you past experts to the level of a thought leader: a sought-after voice in your digital community, potentially with the power to make and end trends.
Take every opportunity to cement yourself as an expert.
Looking to elevate your thought leader status? The key is networking.
Having a platform of your own where you demonstrate your expertise is great, but unless you have unrealistically high production value or a matinee idol’s charisma, audiences won’t come to you organically. That’s just not how the internet works.
Building an audience means putting yourself on other people’s platforms, which means building in-roads with content creators who are talking about your industry. Everywhere you go, you should be looking to shake some hands. It’s good to have friends, great to have partners and best to have advocates.
Forge relationships with podcasters, bloggers, YouTubers, professional speakers and panel hosts. Be pleasant, but never take your eyes off the goal: getting them to invite you on their platform. When you meet someone in a professional setting, they’re not going to be surprised that you’re looking to have your back scratched. You provide value and content, they provide a platform. It’s an honest exchange.
Don’t be obnoxious or overly insistent. If you have to be, then your authority probably isn’t valuable enough to sell yourself on (yet).
At the beginning of your career, assume that you can’t afford to turn any opportunity down. Make time to go on podcasts when you’re invited. Submit articles when they’re solicited. Have a conversation with a new connection even if you think nothing will come from it—because something just might. Being an expert means having knowledge, but to become one that people seek out means having tenacity.
Just speaking from my own experience, I didn’t get the opportunity to write this piece for this outlet because someone gave it to me. I worked to establish myself as a digital marketing expert, and it took a lot of time as just a specialist, along with lots of patience, effort, handshakes and steps up the ladder before publications like this became a possibility.
Never be wrong.
At least, not publicly.
Never step onto a stage, go on a podcast or upload a blog without thoroughly checking the accuracy of your information. It’s a little egotistical, in my opinion, to assume you have “haters,” but as much as people lean on authorities and industry specialists for information, there will always be people who will take opportunities to pick you apart. After all, a good way to position yourself as an expert is to unseat another expert.
With that said, here is my advice to never being wrong: First, double-check information before you broadcast it, and always be ready to pull up sources if someone asks. That’s just good reporting in general. Next, have a fact-checker who can support you by providing an unbiased second opinion and calling out things that might only seem obvious to you. And finally, be transparent. If you’re talking about something that is backed by your own research, say so. If the accuracy of a topic that you’re talking about isn’t widely agreed upon, add that as a caveat. Your status as an expert ends when audiences discover or even think that your honesty might be compromised. So don’t give them a reason to. It’s just like your Sunday school teacher used to say, “Honesty is the best policy.”
If you’re on the path to becoming a professional and recognized subject matter authority, you likely already have the subject matter knowledge that you need. Now, you just need to build up the drive, the networking capabilities, the good reporting skills and the tenacity to make other people understand your value.
With any luck, I’ll be reaching out in a year or so to get your highly valued opinion!
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
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Author: Christopher Tompkins, Forbes Councils Member
