If you want to win business, you have to be perceived as an expert – or at least, that’s the way it used to be. Expertise is dead. And experts killed it. Have you ever seen an ad from someone on Facebook (or while conducting a Google Search) that claimed the presenter was an “expert” or a “guru” at some business-related topic?
The Expert Apocalypse
Online platforms incentivize high-quality content by disproportionately promoting and rewarding content that serves as an authoritative take on a given subject
- This has led to an overabundance of self-proclaimed experts
- It’s highly rewarding to be an expert
- If you can establish yourself as a knowledgeable and respected professional in a given industry, you’ll enjoy more leads, a higher retention rate, and even more satisfied customers
- Anyone can call themselves an expert in the digital age
- Visibility reinforces expertise
- Experts force experts to emerge
- The nature of the internet incentivizes echo chambers and misinformation
Consequences of Expertise
Consumer trust is declining
- Terms like “expert” and “guru” are losing meaning
- Competitive differentiation is becoming harder
- Competitors are investing in content marketing and social media marketing to establish themselves as experts, making it harder to differentiate
Thriving in a World Where Expertise Is Dead
Understand and review your competition
- Focus on a narrow niche
- Show, don’t tell
- Demonstrate to your audience how much of an expert you are
- Prove your claims
- Find a way to differentiate yourself
