by Tony Vidler
Every professional should aspire to being an Authority to their chosen audience in my view.
The ideal is you have top-of-mind-awareness with your target market of course, but more than just being the first person they think of when a particular issue arises, you want to be positioned as their only viable choice if they want it resolved properly.
That is the ultimate marketing position: Becoming the only viable choice for your ideal customers to turn to when the issue arises in which you are the acknowledged expert. The challenge for many professionals is figuring out how to become that authority.
The pathway is relatively straightforward, although not easy or swift. Before outlining that pathway though one thing we should understand is that becoming an authority figure in a specialist area is extremely difficult to do if one is focussed on being a superb all-rounder. For the general practitioner who has mastered a diverse knowledge set and has wide ranging skills it can be difficult (though not impossible) to position as an authority whilst also delivering holistic a wide ranging services. This means that for many professionals there will come a time where a fundamental career choice must be made:
For those who wish to become an acknowledged authority we can take a lesson from the academic world. Professors don’t get tenure until their expertise is clearly acknowledged and accepted for example. Their pathway to that position obviously begins with learning and mastering their subject matter area of course, but once mastery of the topic is attained they still have a way to g before being acknowledged as an authority. Their next steps are “get published”. Conducting research and publishing the results and new thinking that arises from that research; publishing technical content for their peers; and then being seen as an expert in that area whom the general public or wider industry turns to for guidance or opinion is their pathway.
So it is with any professional if we think about it. This is where todays most effective marketing strategy intersects with professional aspirations: Content Marketing.
The path to becoming a thought leader in your field is through a combination of volume, or regularity, of content produced together with increasingly specific content. The beginning though is simply establishing a presence and becoming known in the wider world. Over time the content created and delivered should be increasingly focussed on your chosen area of expertise, with a particular emphasis upon demonstrating your mastery of the topic area. The volume of generic material will decrease in time as content becomes more specific to a target market need or specialist skill area. However the depth of the content produced in terms of its thoughtfulness and its potential impact on both your audience and the wider market will increase in magnitude.
At its most simple one could summarise this pathway by saying:
Over time the type and volume of content you will produce will change, the key lesson though is that publishing content is the link between professional aspiration to be an “authority”, and actually getting to be one in the eyes of the marketplace.
© 2020 Tony Vidler. All rights reserved.
All materials contained on this web site not otherwise subject to copyright of other parties are subject to the ownership rights of Tony Vidler. Tony Vidler authorises you to make a single copy of the content herein for your own personal, non-commercial, use while visiting the site. You agree that any copy made must include the Tony Vidler copyright notice in full. No other permission is granted to you to print, copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, upload, download, store, display in public, alter, or modify the content contained on this web site.
© 2018 Tony Vidler - Business Adviser. All rights reserved. Design by neromotion_
Succession planning for Advisers (May 2017)
Next Adviser Opportunity: The Robo Practice (February 2017)
Amateur Era At An End (September 2016)
Is it time to let some clients go? (MDRT)
Don’t worry about the Regulators (June/July 2016)
Dig deeper on annual reviews (May 2016)
Do Prospects really care why you do what you do? (MDRT) (May 2016)
What would Steve Jobs do? (February 2016)
Kiwi’s buy services differently now (August 2015)
The story advisers should be telling (July 2015)
Does a diversification strategy fit with a planner’s fiduciary duty? (December 2014)
Is this why clients question fees? (November 2014)
How Social Media Fits in your financial adviser practice (October 2014)
The future value proposition for financial planning (Sep 2014)
Clients don’t want an adviser – they want a planner (July 2014)
Behaviour in the spotlight (July 2014)
Insurance Must Be Sold, Not Bought…Right? (June 2014)
The untapped power of pro bono (May 2014)
Understanding the High Net Worth client (April 2014)
What is the most valuable aspect of CFP certification? (February 2014)
The missing ingredient in attracting clients (February 2014)
Avoiding Regulatory Rigor Mortis (January 2014)
Key TASKS for 2014 (December 2013)
Crystal ball: Where to for NZ Financial Services? (part 1) (November 2013)
Crystal ball: Where to for NZ Financial Services? (part 2) (November 2013)
Are we losing sight of the good we do? (October 2013)
Why sales skills matter more than ever (August 2013)
In this time of creation (July 2013)
Why nobody takes us seriously (July 2013)
The changing face of advice (June 2013)
Replacement business – what’s the issue? (May 2013)
Advice Without Value- Perhaps the Client’s fault (April 2013)
Consumers really DO value expert advice (March 2013)
How do you get a 30 percent pay rise for your career (February 2013)
Why should anyone choose you as their adviser (January 2013)
What if the game changed overnight (December 2013)
How low can you go (October 2012)
Considering client risk capacity (September 2012)
Are you aiming to thrive or just survive? (September 2012)
The elephant in the room (August 2012)
What type of advice is needed? (July 2012)
Your best defence (June 2012)
Why no one should care how you’re paid (May 2012)
Master the dragon (February 2012)
Expecting Success Has a Cost (Distraction-Proof Advisor Idea Video #254) buff.ly/3BWjDAn
About 4 minutes ago from Tony Vidler 🇺🇦's Twitter via Buffer
goals...keep 'em simple I say: pic.twitter.com/RhafVJEob2
About 49 minutes ago from Tony Vidler 🇺🇦's Twitter via Buffer
A Crisis of Disconnection: Three Workplace Trends Slowing Business Growth [New Data] buff.ly/3ghu9Mi pic.twitter.com/QAhSeX0BRq
Comments (2)