One of the key things that will help you get publicity is your expertise.
And I’m sure, it’s also what holds you back.
Why? Because most people don’t consider themselves as experts. You’ve probably said to yourself “other people are experts, but not ME!”
The truth is, if you’re running a business, you’re a knowledgeable expert. You know more about your business than most people and you have a lot of valuable and useful information you can share.
But no one is ever going to come up to you and dub you an expert. YOU have to do that yourself. YOU have to believe that you have the knowledge people are looking for about a particular product or service. That YOU can solve a problem that’s causing a lot of people, a lot of pain and trouble.
Look around at the current “experts” you admire. I can assure you they all had to start from the same place you’re at – before they decided to share what they knew, before they decided to brand themselves as THE expert in their field.
If you still need permission, let me give it to you.
“I, Elena Verlee, a passionate publicity expert, hereby declare YOU an expert. Go and help others with your knowledge. Continue to learn and grow in your field of expertise and serve people profitably with your knowledge.”
So go on. You have no excuse not to take the next step in making your knowledge available to others.
Everyone’s an expert at something. Even you.
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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You rock Elena! Thank you for promoting and encouraging others.
OMG, this post is spot on Elena! I really need to print it out and post in on my fridge. I think one of the biggest challenges I face as an entrepreneur/expert is having a negative “mindset.” Instead of putting one foot in front of the other and taking baby steps I compare myself to those with legendary status and obviously there’s no comparison. I’m really working hard on my self dialogue and changing my mindset and reading posts like this are a fabulous reminder that we do have skills and we all have to start somewhere. Thanks for the great post and for helping folks like me get past their roadblocks!
.-= LizzieB´s last blog ..Learning to Vlog With LizzieB: Lighting =-.
Ros, you’re so great at generating publicity and that’s probably because you have such a great product too! Ficklets make me want to wear glasses (they’re not just for kids right?)
Thanks for stopping by.
Lizzie
Isn’t that funny, because you’re one of the experts I’ve been following! I’m still held back by MY own fears around going on camera so I love being a ‘lurker’ on your vlog! Thanks for stopping by.
Many people believe that to be an expert, they need to write a NY Times best seller. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Just by sharing what it is that they know; via a blog, speaking at seminars seminar, giving presentations, etc… a small business owner can become an expert in their field quickly. Will I ever be the “Stephen Hawking” of my industry? Probably not. But by making my experience and expertise known, I can create a more valuable business than my competitors who are not doing these things.
You’re so right Elena! My business changed the day I said yes I am an expert! It’s like the saying the 4th grader is the expert to the 3rd grader, you’re not going to know everything all the time, but you probably know more about one subject than most people. So important to share that expertise.
Oh Elena,
This post is so awesome!!! Thinking about myself as an “expert” has been such a struggle. I always have this “Who me?” reaction – but you’re right on when you say that we all have expertise and it is up to us to have the courage to get out there and share our knowledge. Thank you for writing this ~ a great reminder for myself to continue to push past my fears and help others.
Jen
Elena, you are absolutely spot on! It’s almost like giving ourselves permission to like and own what we love learning about! I remember when I was trying to figure out for myself what it was that I was “about”, I sometimes felt this tightening in my chest, this deep pit growing in my stomach, like I was a nobody and everyone else was better than me. It wasn’t until I gave myself the permission to truly enjoy what I love learning and then doing it, that I embraced the fact that I was an expert in my own right. It felt good – no – great – to know that I can enjoy teaching, learning and being authentic to myself in my profession. So great.
Another thought – sometimes I wonder if people feel they can’t be an expert if they feel they don’t have it “all together”. My thought on this is that the BEST experts out there are the ones that see themselves first as students and learners, because then they are always seeking the best information out there to give the best to the people they serve. What do you think?
Greg and Jennifer H- so right. Even if it’s just baby steps, even if we know ‘just a bit more’ than the next person, that could be THE tip that they would need which will explode their business.
Jen Powter – I am so excited to see your new site and YOU coming out to share your expertise and knowledge.
Maruxa – I have learned so much for YOUR expertise this year! I am a life-long learner, and I love your insight that I can enjoy teaching what I learn, as I go along!
Thank you Elena for inspiring us! I, like Lizzie, need to change my mind on this topic. We all have our influencers that we follow and admire. They, unlike us have been at it for a long, long time. The key is to have determination and persistence!
Thank you for reminding me that I am starting somewhere and I do have information that many businesses are looking for right now and can benefit greatly from!
Rm – InboundMarketingPR