Content Marketing: Why Should you Be an Expert?

Do You Have What it takes for Real Internet Marketing Success?

The question always comes up. What’s the big deal about being an expert online? Why do I need to use quality, top shelf content? Why do I need a content marketing strategy to build my business? You hear a lot about it, I talk a lot about it, and people often wonder why do I have to be an expert if I’m just going to be an affiliate internet marketer? I just want to drive traffic, sell affiliate products and pick up some ad money. I don’t need to become an expert.

Sometimes, that’s exactly right. If your business plan is to simply drive traffic and pick up a little bit of daily money through affiliates and ads using tactics like stealth sites, then the need to become an expert may be a little lower. Don’t get me wrong, this is a viable business model and there are many successful people that have made a good living doing this. This is a set it and forget plan.

Then, there is another class of businesses online that are looking for something a little different. They may want to simply challenge themselves and want something a little more than just driving traffic. Something that they can put their heart and soul into, so to speak.

Everybody is out there with some kind of information to offer. It could be about a hobby they have such as photography, gardening, dog training, or showing dogs. Or, it could be related to their regular 9 to 5 “JOB” where others come to them to get answers to their questions or to find out how to do something. Younger people coming into the your field would be interested in learning what you have learned over the course of your career or experience.

It’s in these types of situations where becoming an expert becomes more important. You content, your content marketing strategy, could make or break your business efforts online.

So let’s talk about that.

How Do You Know if you have the makings for an Information Product?

Let’s say that you have been in a field for a certain number of years. Your immediate peers and friends know you, they know what you’re talking about, and they trust your information. You may have people coming to you and asking the same questions over and over and over again. That’s your first clue. You may be able to put together a book, ebook, training product, or webinar series about that information which others would be willing to pay for.

This concept is not new. Back in the day there was an apprentice and mentor relationship. We’ve lost that kind of relationship to an extent. But with the internet, you can be sitting in your home in Kansas and teach someone clear across the world about what you know. Your reach and influence breaks all border and barriers. That’s really exciting!

Here is Where Your Content Marketing Strategy Comes In

As an example, let’s say that you are that person sitting in Kansas and you have great information about how to make money investing in real estate. You put together a book or a training course to sell online. As a potential customer reviews their product the first thing they are going to ask themselves is “Why should I listen to this person?” The next thing they are going to do is “Google” you. If you are not “Google-able” and are nowhere to be found online then your potential customer will question your credibility.

Remember, you are asking them to invest time and money in you and your information. They don’t know you; they are not your friends. Your information could be right on the money and accurate, but if you don’t have any quality top shelf content to “back your play” then you may lose that customer.

So What Do You Do?

Simple. Use the best quality top shelf content and implement a content marketing strategy so that when someone is checking you out they discover 2 things:

You are “out” there in the way of forums, blogs, articles, videos, etc.
What you are saying makes sense. Your articles, content and comments are relevant.

Face it, if someone reads something your wrote and it’s gibberish, or just keyword stuffed content, they are going to think, “Why should I listen to this person…they can’t even put a sentence together!”

Again, this concept is not new. Experts sought to be published through print media in order to get noticed and gain credibility. Today, you can get published in a much easier way.

When you are published, people see you as an expert. When you are seen as an expert, people begin to listen to you. When they listen to you they have determined that you are credible and when it comes time to ask them to purchase a product that you created, they will be much more likely to pull out their credit card to invest both their time and their money into what you have to offer.

Product Development with Information is Like a Trade School

Your niche focus helps your audience target the things that they want to learn right now. Most people have some sort of niche information worth sharing and there is gold in those niches!

If you would like to find out if there is some niche gold locked up in your brain, contact the team at: http://www.YourResearchDiva.com While you’re there, pick up a FREE Article Marketing Blueprint (no opt-in required) and find out more about Content Marketing Strategies.