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10 Tips <strong>to</strong> Become the ‘Go To’ Expert in <strong>Your</strong> Niche<br />
<strong>LinkedIn</strong> = You Don’t Have <strong>to</strong> Look F<strong>or</strong> Clients, they Come <strong>to</strong> You<br />
<strong>LinkedOut</strong> = You are Constantly Looking f<strong>or</strong> New <strong>Business</strong><br />
If you w<strong>or</strong>k <strong>LinkedIn</strong> well, you will find that you attract people <strong>to</strong> your profile almost like a spider in a web.<br />
This section is all about positioning yourself as an industry expert, the person people go <strong>to</strong> when they need<br />
a specific skill, product <strong>or</strong> service. The m<strong>or</strong>e you can climb the niche ladder the better, the ladder contains 4<br />
descriptions, and it’s about moving yourself from being in with the crowd <strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>p of the tree, once you get<br />
there you can charge m<strong>or</strong>e f<strong>or</strong> what you do and compete with less people.<br />
Generalists<br />
Many people who do what you do are generalists, along with about 70% of the market, these people cut<br />
prices <strong>to</strong> compete, and they are fighting <strong>to</strong> win new clients claiming <strong>to</strong> be everything <strong>to</strong> everyone. These<br />
people earn the least amount of business and will always be struggling financially because they have no<br />
defined niche <strong>or</strong> expertise. This may be you, <strong>or</strong> not, either way the quicker you move out the generalist<br />
space the better.<br />
You find generalists in every sect<strong>or</strong>, from Recruitment <strong>to</strong> Accountancy <strong>to</strong> Printing <strong>to</strong> Marketing. Think about<br />
who you compete with and also analyse your own business are you one of hundreds of generalists? If so<br />
you will find it harder <strong>to</strong> stand out on <strong>LinkedIn</strong>.<br />
Specialists<br />
The next bracket up is what are known as ‘Specialists’, these are people who have chosen <strong>to</strong> specialise in<br />
a particular area and consists of about 25% of the market. F<strong>or</strong> example, there is a Financial Advis<strong>or</strong> that<br />
both of us know, who specialises in helping families with children who have special needs. He is the only<br />
person in Ireland who specialises in this challenging field and knows how best <strong>to</strong> help families who need it,<br />
he is able <strong>to</strong> get grants, apply f<strong>or</strong> funding and ensure that the children have a brighter financial future by<br />
w<strong>or</strong>king with the parents. As a result he has a name in the market, is referred on a regular basis and is<br />
becoming a go-<strong>to</strong> expert locally on this subject.<br />
By having a <strong>LinkedIn</strong> profile that reflects your speciality you are going <strong>to</strong> come up first in specific searches<br />
and have significant credibility against your competition, people who specialise can gain significant market<br />
share in their space. What could you do <strong>to</strong> specialise m<strong>or</strong>e?<br />
Auth<strong>or</strong>ity <strong>or</strong> Expert<br />
When you become an auth<strong>or</strong>ity on a particular subject then you can start <strong>to</strong> really ramp up your visibility<br />
and credibility, there are only a small percentage (3-4%) of people in your field who elevate themselves <strong>to</strong><br />
this level. There is no co-incidence that the w<strong>or</strong>d ‘auth<strong>or</strong>ity’ has the w<strong>or</strong>d ‘Auth<strong>or</strong>’ in it! If you want <strong>to</strong><br />
become an auth<strong>or</strong>ity <strong>or</strong> be seen as an expert in your field, then the best activity you could w<strong>or</strong>k on is writing<br />
a book.<br />
You will see that your credibility skyrockets, you will attract people <strong>to</strong> your profile on <strong>LinkedIn</strong> and other<br />
social media sites, and you will be booked m<strong>or</strong>e f<strong>or</strong> both consultancy w<strong>or</strong>k and speaking opp<strong>or</strong>tunities if<br />
you are considered an Expert <strong>or</strong> an Auth<strong>or</strong>ity in your chosen line of w<strong>or</strong>k.
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