When you first start your own business, it can be scary and even seem impossible. It’s the old riddle of how you can get experience without having experience.
Blog Regularly Toward Your Audience
Start a blog on your website and post directly to your audience with many forms of content, discussing many issues the audience is having. It’s a great way to get traffic, but it’s also a great way to demonstrate expertise.
Write a white paper on a problem
A white paper is a long report that addresses a problem and then offers solutions to the problem. By writing an article or two about the individual problems your audience is having, you’ll be able to showcase your expertise even if you’re just getting started.
Publish an eBook about your experience
Writing an eBook and authoring it is always a great way to showcase your expertise. Direct the book at your target audience and answer any questions they may have. Take on a problem and solve it and then you’ll get more respect because you know what you’re talking about.
Make checklists to help your target audience
If you know the types of things your audience has questions about, you can create helpful checklists, cheat sheets, or tip sheets that are available to view or download on your website or blog.
Share responses freely on social media
Social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and even forums and message boards are great places to answer other people’s questions in a way that highlights your expertise.
Become a Contributing Writer
Blogs, websites, newspapers, and magazines want more content and will accept well-written, expertly presented articles. Some of these will even pay you for the content. Write originally for each one and rely on their bio to send traffic your way.
Entering a speech circuit
Create a couple of presentations that you could easily make public speaking fodder. Practice putting that information on video on your blog, YouTube, and other places that record video.
Create a dedicated YouTube channel
Many people have become famous thanks to YouTube, and you can too. Use YouTube as a way to demonstrate your expertise on topics of interest to your audience.
Host a Free Webinar or Teleseminar
Technology allows you to do a lot to spread your knowledge and expertise. You can make “how-to” videos, tip videos, and more to show the world, and more importantly, your audience, what you know.
These ways of showcasing your expertise when you first start out don’t require you to have a huge client list, or even a following just yet. Doing them will help you gain a following, improve search engine optimization (SEO), and help you build your business.