Positioning Yourself as an Expert to Grow Your Business
If you are just starting out as an online entrepreneur, you will want to outline and craft a simple strategy to boost yourself into cyberspace. There are many marketers and entrepreneurs who hope to use a blog platform as their method of sharing good ideas and information. Yet once the technical tasks are complete and a list building strategy in place, they get intimidated by the thought of creating a blog post that will be effective and have the potential to boost their business. The secret is positioning yourself as an expert, even though many people take the long way around to discovering the power and effectiveness of this proven strategy.
It’s a sad fact that for some, quantity overrides quality in terms of how they present their message to the public. They’ve been steered wrong as far as how to generate a loyal following, relying on mass use of keyword phrases and rapid publishing techniques instead of a deep desire to help people find solutions that they need.
If the thought of blogging intimidates you, it might be helpful to adhere to a formula of sorts that can serve as a template to guide you in the dissemination of information to your target audience.
Start with a Problem and Solution Slant
The most effective way to think about a blog where you’re positioning yourself as an expert is this: people have problems, and they’re turning to you for a solution. They trust you and need your guidance.
So in everything you write or record for your blog posts, make sure you start with looking at it from their point of view. The average consumer always comes at it from a “what’s in it for me?” position.
It’s human nature. They’re not just there to hear your tale or journey. They’re hoping they can extract useful information from it to apply to their own life and somehow turn things around or make improvements.
This slant is at the crux of every successful blog out there – whether it’s about career success, weight loss, pets – you name it! You might think with something like pets, people just want to be able to give their animal the best life, but it still boils down to the fact that they want to enjoy a stress-free life with their pet, so it still comes back to a focus on their needs.
A problem-solution method of writing can be done regardless of whether you’re writing an informative piece, a how-to entry, or even a product review! All of these give you the opportunity to introduce a problem they may be having in some area of their life, and a solution to fix it.
When you approach your blog entry with a problem-solution technique, it helps your reader find relief and satisfaction that they’re actively working toward a better life. It doesn’t matter if it’s a major life-changing topic like losing 100 pounds or something that may be insignificant to some people, like organizing your closet.
Everyone is different in terms of what meets their needs and alleviates their stress, and if you’re there giving credence to the issue, it provides affirmation for them that they’re not crazy they’re not overreacting, and that it is an important topic that should be addressed.
How Do You Position Yourself as an Expert with the Problem/Solution Slant?
Now, how do you tackle a problem-solution slant? There are four basic steps involved when you write this way. First, you present the problem. If your goal is to recommend a product, work backwards and ask yourself who would be buying this product and why?
For example, let’s use the weight loss niche as our example. You want to promote a treadmill, but you’re writing a problem-solution slant. Who would be buying a treadmill? What problem(s) would they have that would require them to purchase a product anywhere from $300-$1,000 or more?
Right off the top of your head, you can brainstorm that it might be a problem for people to find time to travel to a gym after working all day. Or maybe they have a problem feeling ashamed at a gym, and they want to work out at home. Positioning yourself as an expert on a topic you know about makes sense for all entrepreneurs.
You can find people announcing their problems in comments on product reviews. Here’s an example you could find by going to a treadmill and searching in the reviews for the word “need:”
“I’m a runner and training for a marathon coming up with the weather being as it is currently I needed a cheap way to get in my miles without getting to the gym as I live in a rural community.”
So, there’s a two-fold problem – people needing to train enough for an event and living too far from a gym. Others for that same treadmill spoke about not liking gyms, memberships being too expensive, and so on.
Find the problem, and then introduce it so they can shake their head in agreement and feel as if you “get them.” Then, bring in the feelings. Whenever people are faced with a problem it brings up feelings.
That could be shame, fear, frustration, anger, etc. Tap into it and showcase that you understand how they must be feeling. For example, you might say something about many people hate pouring almost $100 a month into a gym they have to drive to, when they could spend $300 up front and never have to go to the gym again.
Paint a picture for them about the relief they’ll feel knowing they can hop on their treadmill at any time, save money to put toward other things they need, etc. Focus on the emotions and convenience of it all.
After that, introduce the common mistakes people make when trying to find a solution. For example, maybe they try to buy a used treadmill or buy one based on price alone, instead of features.
Let them know why it’s a mistake and what the repercussions could be if things don’t work out. People want to avoid pain points, and if you can convince them to buy the best solution for their needs and avoid disappointment, it helps them make the right choice.
Finally, deliver your best solution to them. You’ve helped weed out the wrong choices, so now’s the time to serve up the top option. Make sure you explain why it’s the best, and add insight into why they’ll think so, too.
Remember, this isn’t just for product reviews. It works the same when you’re urging them to change a habit or initiate a strategy of success in other areas of their lives. You can talk about how failure will wreak havoc on their life, and motivate them to take your advice to change things. Positioning yourself as an expert can be you super power as you grow your online business.
I’m bestselling author, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.
Leave a Reply