Being viewed as an authority will make your career bullet-proof. It will set you apart as you move up the career ladder. Experts and authorities are valued more by their employers and likely to be paid more.
And if selling is part of your job description, it will make it easier for you to connect with prospects. In fact, they will seek you out.
It also gives you independence. If you are hankering to set out on your own, you need to be an authority in something.
Why you should become an authority
Companies are always looking for expertise. Even in the deepest recession. Just being good at what you do is not enough. To be really successful, you have to stand apart as being a go-to resource for a particular topic.
If you are an authority, your friends and your extended business network will refer opportunities to you.
When strangers are searching for experts on LinkedIn, you will come up higher in their search results.
If you really commit to it and publish more widely than on LinkedIn, when people search the topic on Google and YouTube you will come up.
It doesn’t matter what level of experience you have or where you are in your career, you can be an authority on something.
You don’t have to be the next Gary V, but you can become recognized as an expert in something you are passionate about in your field.
It doesn’t matter how narrow your subject matter is. One of the best examples of this is Shannon Roddy. Shannon is an authority in helping merchants sell better on Amazon.
A few years ago, he was a web designer working for someone else. He was given the task of helping a client rank better on Amazon. This turned into a passion, and he has become a recognized expert by focusing on learning as much as possible about the topic. He posts about the topic, writes articles, speaks at events, and creates videos.
He has committed to being a recognized authority on the topic. In the last few years, he turned this passion into a training business, and he is taking off like a rocket.
Find your passion
What is one thing that you are professionally passionate about? Can you identify what you know a bit more about than your peers? What can you teach others? What do you love to learn more about?
Whatever this is, you can become an authority on this. It’s then about becoming even more expert in this, sharing what you know with your network, and above all, earning the right to be considered an authority.
Set yourself a daily challenge to learn something new about this topic and share it.
Tip
Start sharing posts and write a monthly article about your (business) passion on LinkedIn if you only do one thing.
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Other Relevant Links:
- Making SEO a Culture In Healthcare Marketing
- Content & SEO – Positioning Frequency
- Effective Communication for Brand Marketing Optimization
- The Use & Benefits of ABM
- How Sailing Taught Me About Social Media and SEO
- How To Engage Influencers To Build Your Authority
Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash
Originally posted on LinkedIn.