As a services company you want to brand your business as the go-to expert. Market leadership is not merely won with SEO and top rankings in the SERPs. It is about earning the image and credibility as the expert in your niche. It is an exercise in branding and marketing fundamentals.
What is an expert? Simply calling yourself an expert doesn’t make you one. You need to be able to demonstrate skill, judgment, wisdom and problem solving skills in a specific area. To be a recognized expert you demonstrate your expertise publicly in your market niche.
Why be an expert? When you brand your business as a recognized expert, clients will seek you out because they trust you. New clients are much less price sensitive which means you can command higher fees. When you brand your business as the expert, it is much easier to attract top talent into your business.
Brand your business or yourself as the expert? Smaller businesses will at least start out with a single expert that the business is built around. There is much more strength when there are multiple experts and you brand your organization as the expert.
Ways to Brand Your Business as the Expert
Building your expert brand.
- Assess: What are your expert skills and how good are they compared to others in your industry? What do you want to be known for? What are your credentials. What makes you unique and how can you use that in your expert branding?
- Focus: Narrow your focus to a specific area. Target a specific audience and market niche. Your expertise must be aligned with your central business purpose.
- Participate: Be visible and participate in your market. Speak at events. Be active online. Put on webinars and seminars. Join industry associations and be active. Become a visible leader. Create a quality online brand be visible in social media.
- Create: Don’t just be a follower, be a leader. Create new ideas and new ways of doing things. Create content, blogs and videos.
Want more information on expert branding? Check out this eBook by Hinge Marketing: Becoming a Visible Expert