You The Expert - Positioning Yourself Online

July 11th, 2009, Author: Nathan Hulls, Categories: Home Business Opportunities, Make Money Blogging, Make Money Online

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A very important element of making money online, whether it be through blogging, marketing info products, real products or even using the internet to build your MLM business or home based business, is positioning yourself as the expert in the field.

Online - perception is reality!

So with that in mind, the internet is a fantastic medium to build passive income as it allows you to create a perception of being the expert in the field in record time compared to offline methods.

Now understand that I am not talking about lying or presenting false information, for any regular readers you would know that I am all about operating with the highest levels of integrity and trust, because a business which is built on falsehood will not stand the test of time.

But… the internet give us all a level playing field when it comes to positioning yourself as the expert in the field.

Now if you know nothing about the industry you’re targetting, or the market you’re targetting, then dont even attempt to position yourself as the expert, as it will all come out in the wash. Its for this reason that I promote the online business approach which I call “turning your passion into profits”. This strategy ensures that you are already knowledgable and well positioned to leverage that knowledge and passion about your chosen market or niche, and will then be able to leverage that knowledge to position yourself as the expert.

This doesn’t mean that if you dont feel particularly equipped in a specific market that you cannot position yourself as the expert, its just a matter of leveraging other peoples expertise and then using their knowledge to position yourself as the expert.

So enough of the vague ambiguities lets get down to business about how to position yourself as the expert:

How To Position Yourself Online As The Expert

1. Walk The Walk, Before You Talk The Talk

If you are wanting to make money online in any particular niche teaching, advising or consulting people about any market or industry… walk the walk…

Have experience in the niche before you try and position yourself as the expert.

Its no use to anyone if you want to build an online business teaching people the drums if you dont know the first thing about drums or drumming.

Now as always, there is an exception to this rule - which I mentioned earlier, and this involves you partnering with an expert in the field to build your online business, but that’s for another day.

If you want to teach people how to make money online but you haven’t made a single red cent online, DONT! Until you have been able to achieve the results yourself that you plan on teaching and leveraging from, dont try to fool the market place, there are enough sharks and sheisters out there already.. just dont do it!

So be sure that you have walked the walk, before you talk the talk…

To be quite honest I’m sick and tired of marketers, or would be marketers launching into an online business ‘how to blah blah blah’ and their primary motive is to get rich quick. Its these money hungry jerks who give the industry a bad name and ultimately it will come back and bite them on the bum.

With this in mind…

What are you passionate about?
What expertise do you have that would be valuable to other people?
What can you do and teach to others?
How can you help others solve a problem that might be a universal problem?

2. Develop Your Story

As you position yourself in the field as the expert, whether it be, expert - golfer, drummer, counsellor, business coach, life coach, psychologist, parent, entrepreneur, match making guru etc, have a story to tell.

How did you get to where you are today?
What struggles and hard ships did you go through on the way?
What secrets have you discovered in your journey?
What results are you now achieving?
How has that impacted on your life?
How are you now able to help other people?

All of these questions will help you build your story and help you to position yourself in the minds of your readers and market place that you are the expert in the field.

Making money online is all about finding a need and filling it with a solution, so your story should answer questions that your target market are asking, and help them to identify with you on a personal and real level. They want to hear how you got to where you are today, because that’s where they want to be. They want to hear what results you are achieving, because they want to know what they will achieve through listening to you, reading your blog or buying your product.

Make your story real, make it personal and allow your target market to identify with you.

Another great thing about working online is that it allows you to connect with your market in a much deeper level.

If you consider your perception of movie stars or rock stars, they’re very untouchable, unreachable and even unreal.

By positioning yourself as the expert, but being accessible, real and relateable, your target market can gain a confidence that not only are you genuine, but that there just might be a chance for them to become like you, through reading your blog, subscribing to your list or buying your product.

So start to develop your story…

3. Build Your Networks

Now that you have your story ready, you need somewhere to tell it.

The movement of Web2.0 and social media has created a number of great opportunities for ‘online experts’ to network and tell their story to the relevant target market.

I saw on twitter the other day someone posted a statement that went something like this:

“Your Network is equal to your Networth”

So if that is true, get started and build your networks.

As your network make sure that your online profiles are all telling the same story, painting the picture of “You The Expert” and ALWAYS direct them back to your blog or website.

Some great sites for you to start building your networks on are:

Facebook
LinkedIn
MySpace
Twitter
Industry Specific Forums

Facebook, linkedin and myspace are all social networks where you can post profiles, join groups, comment on forums, build your own groups, chat and message people etc

Get into the online networks and interact, start conversations, ask questions and get to know your audience, and allow them to get to know you.

Twitter is a little different, and as a microblogging service it allows you to have semi real time conversations with your target market. Using the search function on twitter you can do a search for people who are already talking about your niche or topic and join in their conversations.

One key for networking online that I believe is crucial to remember its all about the relationship. Dont be a jerk and just go out to promote your product or your blog or web address. People are over spam and they wont give you a second chance.

Treat online networking the same as you would treat a real life cocktail party. Would you walk up to someone at a cocktail party and say, “Hey check out my website” then walk to the next person and so on…?

Be real, be personable, be accessible, build relationship and provide value.

4. Have a Home Base

Finally… One must have element for positioning yourself online as the expert is the need for a ‘home base’.

Your home base may be a blog or a website… I’m a big fan of blogs, which is clearly why I’m here writing and you’re here reading.

Whether your home base is a blog or a website is purely up to you and may vary from market to market, but you must have a home base.

Somewhere you can point all of your social network profiles to.

Somewhere you have the facility to capture the name and email address of your visitors (like my RSS email subscription - top of my side bar ->>).

Somewhere you can update with new information and draw people to when you provide offers or product launches.

Somewhere that allows you to build your personal brand and gives you the flexibility to change design and layout as you require.

So be sure to get yourself a home base. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, (I can set you up with a simple blog, and a domain name and hosting, for just $97 - let me know if you’re keen).

Follow hese four steps and you’re well on your way to positioning yourself as the expert.

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