So, you aspire to become an international expert in your field, someone known as an authority brand with an outstanding reputation.
Exactly what does it take to become an authority brand? A “go-to” expert for your global target audiences?
If you choose to do it the old fashioned way, it will probably take you years to accomplish this within your field. You will also have to acquire relevant certifications and degrees.
The traditional approach, being time-consuming, is not the most practical, especially for people with busy lifestyles who want to stand out and succeed in business.
Fortunately, there are other ways of getting you positioned as an authority brand.
1. Spending time to write and submit an article to be published in a reputable internationally recognized magazine in your industry is not as daunting as you may think. The moment you accomplished this, you gain publicity, becoming a recognized author in your field. You can write directly to the editor of the magazine to expedite the publication of your article. Once published, your article will be read by a targeted audience who will also now get to know who you are.
2. Start an online platform for you and your global target audiences to discuss prevailing problems and issues faced. This can be achieved with a simple website with a blog. Additionally, you can further emphasize your expertise by posting your published works that may include articles and press releases. You can also use the content on your blog to produce audio or video podcasts and have these uploaded to iTunes or YouTube.
3. Consider speaking for free, at a college or university near where you live. Contact the head or department to come up with a subject that’s mutually relevant / beneficial and offer to speak at a forum put together by that department.
4. Start speaking at corporate events to build your authority brand. A great way to do this is by organizing your own seminars or speaking at top business and industry events. You could also speak during a business lunch / meeting or even after hours at the premise of a local business.
5. Be a member of your trade / industry association and ask to be a regular contributor for their newsletter or magazine. Do remember to subtly promote your own business by including your name and contact information (at the very least have your website address) at the end of your articles. You will get recognized as an expert now that you are a contributor to your industry’s trade publication.
By implementing some or all of the ways mentioned above, you will soon be on your way to build an authority brand for yourself.
Your credentials will become so much stronger once you become a well-known author, speaker and lecturer in your field. And once you are positioned as a global expert, your business will grow as you will naturally attract more customers, both abroad and locally.