It’s competitive out there. No matter which industry you’re in or what business or service you offer, there are a huge amount of options your potential employers or clients can choose from, both in a domestic or international market. The internet has facilitated this kind of environment where you can easily reach the right talent from anywhere in the world, so positioning yourself as an expert, or the person or business that is highly knowledgeable, skilled, and best suited to your prospects is so important. If you aren’t seen as a leader or expert in your field, you can get passed over for other candidates or be unable to find and keep clients. Both of these outcomes can be detrimental to your career.

So what’s the secret to getting people to notice you? Your authority and the way people perceive you as an expert, that’s what. Once you are seen as an expert, others will seek you out in hopes of working with you. In order to be seen as an expert, you need to position yourself as one, so here is a guide on how to reach expert-level status.

Earn your credentials

People want to see proof that you know what you’re talking about. Aside from experience and case studies, it’s also important to have proper credentials and expert-level knowledge of both the fundamentals and the current trends and best practices. Experts are seen as having a wide breadth of knowledge, so constantly learning and expanding your skills and knowledge will help elevate you to expert-level status.

Getting your bachelor’s degree, master’s or MBA, or even your PhD can immediately push you ahead of others who may not have the same level of education. If you’re concerned about taking time off from work and pausing your career to go back to school, there are other ways to study and earn your degree. Suffolk University has online MBA programs that offer flexible scheduling and remote study so you can work around your schedule and continue working while you earn your degree.

If you already have a degree that puts you at the top of your field, consider looking into some certifications you could get. There may be some related courses, like how to use software programs, how to manage specific types of teams or employees, and other new or emerging trends you should be keeping up with. If you’re staying current and up-to-date in your industry, people will notice that you’re in the know.

Write blog articles

You have two avenues here: you can start your own blog, or you can write for authority websites and blogs. If you have the time, doing both is the best decision. Starting your own blog will let you share valuable insights and knowledge to your audience, which is a practice that helps gradually position yourself as an expert and build up credibility. Having your own blog content also gives others the opportunity to share your content with their network if they find it useful and valuable.

Guest blogging for other platforms of authority can help raise awareness for your personal brand and expertise. Start by making a list of the most popular blogs and websites in your industry where your target audience regularly visits for information. Get in touch with these websites and ask if you can become a guest contributor (you may need to submit some of your other articles in order to be considered). Most of the time, these websites are on the hunt for quality content, so if you’re offering to write some they will take you up on it.

Optimise your social media profiles

Being active on social media is important in itself since it’s one of the most popular places people go to learn tips and tricks or gain industry insights from experts. To take it to the next level, consider creating a specific Facebook page or Instagram account for your professional brand. It’s different than having a personal profile, and can let you connect with your target audience while sharing your quality content. Plus, it gives you more social proof when you have tens or hundreds of thousands of followers, because it proves to other people that you are worth following and listening to.

Having a professional page also lets you tap into the advertising opportunities Facebook offers. You can then specifically target your audience and show them the right content that they want to see, thus driving them back to your page. When you build your following, more people will recognise that you are a leading expert.