Nowadays, you are who Google says you are. Therefore, as a small business owner, it’s important to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Why? Because most people turn to Google when they are looking for a solution to their problem. Due to the information age we are living in, we tend to research everything before buying anything.

So what are some easy ways to do this?

Write articles.

When you are passionate about a subject, you probably have a lot to say about it. Writing articles are a good way to share your knowledge. You can either publish these articles on a blog or share them on various platforms such as Medium, LinkedIn or Executive Lifestyle. What this does is allows people to get to know you through the articles you write. It helps Google to find and identify you as an expert on the topic and if you play your cards correctly, allows your target market to locate you when they need help. Remember to always have a link to your website or have a call to action with every article. This makes it easy for anyone who comes across your articles to find you.

Speak at events.

Another way of becoming known as an expert is to speak at events. The easiest way is to start small. Look for events that are well attended by your target market. Approach the organisers to find out if you can speak at their next event. For example if you are a business coach, look for events for business owners. Remember to speak on a topic that is relevant to your audience and make sure you practise before going to speak. Be well prepared with good slides or handouts for the audience and be sure to do research on any statistics or case studies you are presenting. There is nothing worse than a speaker who is not confident about their topic and comes across uncertain when presented with questions. Share your presentation or key points with your audience after the event and you may publish a simplified version on the internet as well. It helps you to build credibility as an expert.

Participate in discussions.

There are loads of forums and communities online that are formed around various topics. Look for the ones relevant to you and start participating in them. Don’t charge in and become a know it all. Instead, contribute by providing valuable advice and insights on what you know based on your wealth of experience. Participate with the intention of sharing your knowledge instead of selling. People like genuine helpfulness and you will find them reaching out to you when they need more information.

Start becoming an expert by doing the above and you can look forward to more people reaching out to you for solutions to their problems.