How to become your audience's go-to expert
I hire the person I know 9 times out of 10. You most likely do too.
Let me give you an example.
I need to book a moving company this week, and I’m going to call the one I used back in 2020. Are they the most efficient or the cheapest? No idea, but shopping around sounds time-consuming and annoying, and I just need to get it sorted.
My son needs a haircut and I know I’ll book in with Garcia down the road. Could I find a better deal elsewhere? Maybe, but Garcia is great with my boy.
If I need a plug re-routed I’ll be on the phone to Harrison. Is he the best electrician in the area? Unlikely, since he’s actually a plumber who does electrics on the side. But he’s really nice and reliable and I already have his number.
Why am I bringing this up?
Because all of these people had to get on my radar to become my go-to. And they stayed on my radar so that when I needed the service they offered I thought of them rather than hitting Google and starting from scratch.
97% of your audience are not ready to buy at the moment they first interact with you. But one day, they will be part of the 3% who are, and the person they will buy from is the person who they already understand to be the expert.
So how can you make sure this is you?
Connecting at scale: simply put, 3% of a large audience is going to pay your bills much faster than 3% of a small audience. Think about how you can connect with that large audience regularly - is it by running ads to get your message in front of more of the right people? Being a guest on podcasts? Speaking gigs? Spending time on outreach in the DMs each day?
Consistency: showing up on social media regularly and posting content that positions you as the expert in your field helps you stay front of mind. Remember that even if the people you want to reach aren’t actively liking or commenting on your posts, it doesn’t mean they aren’t seeing them and squirrelling away the knowledge that you’re great at what you do.
Case in point, earlier this year I worked on a social media strategy project for an agency I had connected with a year before and had had zero interaction with before they messaged me to ask for a chat. They were watching, but I had no idea.
Repetition: only a tiny fraction of your audience will see your content each time you post, so don’t be afraid to talk about your offers and how you help your clients regularly. If it feels like you’re taking about yourself an uncomfortable amount, you’re probably just about doing it enough!
Omnipresence: you know how when you engage with someone’s post or ad you feel like you suddenly see them everywhere? This is deliberate (and done with some clever ads targeting)! The more your audience sees you the more front of mind you’ll be when the time comes. So don’t be afraid to email your list regularly alongside posting social content - different formats like these all help build a reassuring picture of who you are, what you do and how you can help.
How are you staying front of mind with your audience?