How to Become an online expert when you're just getting started
No more excuses! It's time to use the skills you have and position yourself as an online expert and monetize that. Around here, we like to build our own income and you can too! Follow these steps to get clarity and quicker results to achieving your business goals!
Own What You're Good At
You have to start with the belief that you're good at something that can help others solve a problem. That's what people pay for-a solution. Many of us walk around thinking we aren't good at anything, which is a lie. We have learned different things in our lives that have helped us achieve a good outcome, such as joy or convenience. Think about what people commonly go to you for or ask you for advice on. Make a list. Pick the one you're most passionate about and can turn into a business. Research places such as YouTube, Pinterest, and even Instagram to see if people struggle/or have questions about what you picked. See if they're trying to acquire a skill you have or get joy in the area you picked. You can position yourself on social media as an expert in solving their problem for them.
Buy Online Courses in Bulk:
Being an online expert in your niche requires professionalism. The rules of being professional on social media are a little lax, (especially if you're building a personal brand), but you still need to learn how create an irresistible and warm client experience for your ideal clients. You still need to treat others with respect, because if you don't, you won't connect with anyone and you certainly won't get paid. You still need to follow a clear process to build your business so that you won't be confused and your potential clients won't be confused on things such as your messaging and how you serve them.
You also want to protect yourself so that potential clients/customers don't take advantage of your time and services (such as asking for premium products/services at a low price point) and protect your money from numerous refund requests because your potential customers don't know if they're a good fit for your product/service or your product/service doesn't deliver what your promised.
There are so many experts out there who teach you important business concepts such as mindset mastery, branding, setting up a legal structure for your business, and more so you can focus on your skills and vision for your business. For some things, such as forming a business entity, it's best to work with an accountant/ tax expert/ lawyer. The legal structure courses would save you from asking them so many questions and maybe even determine what structure you want. You may still need to connect with a professional so they can set it up correctly.
Buying online courses together at a discount helps you save money and most of them are self-paced. You can learn from them whenever you want to and there's no rush to complete it. Many of these programs include ongoing support in the form of a Facebook group so you can ask the members questions if you get stuck. In some cases, the course creator may have too big of an audience to get back to you, so connecting with the grads in the group can help. For others, they allow you to email their customer support team if you have questions throughout the course.
My favorite site to purchase bundles from is thebundleco.com. They sell multiple courses in a bundle for $100! Get on their email list to know when they're releasing a new bundle!
Take Advantage of Free Trials!
If you're just starting out or low on income, this is a great strategy! I've used free trials for platforms such as Easy Webinar and even ClickFunnels, just to see how their features work. I used Easy Webinar to host my webinars in trial mode and it was great to have a professional-looking experience for my attendees. These free trials are best used when you're ready to try and test them out. Don't just sign up and then forget about them. That's a waste! MAKE SURE YOU MARK IN YOUR CALENDAR when the free trial is over and cancel, or you may find yourself paying a hefty price for the premium features.
Collaborate With other Experts or Influencers
You can't build your brand online and wait for people to come to you, unfortunately. Being featured on a podcast or in a live video not only exposes you to new audiences, but allows you to demonstrate your expertise in a natural way. Give as much value as possible so the audience can learn and take action. If the host gives you permission, you can invite the audience to connect with you further on social media or to download your free resource. Try to connect with an expert/influencer whose audience could learn from you to achieve their goals. For example, I've been featured with other entrepreneurs on a podcast to talk about my business. Check out an example here.
Get a Mentor In Your Desired Field
You don't have to pay one to coach you, but it can be a transformative experience. Some people listen to their favorite podcast host or follow their online mentor on social media, who gives them strategies weekly that they can implement in their business/life. Others need a more hands-on approach. You can get so much valuable information from someone in your field by getting on their email list. That's where they share exclusive free trainings or additional resources before the public gets it. Sometimes the public never gets it. Perks of being in the mentor's personal space. These online mentors are there to help you. To be your friend, even if they don't know you personally. They can keep you focused, even when you feel like giving up. Sometimes just seeing them get through their struggles or sharing a personal experience with you can motivate you to keep going. That's what you need. People who will encourage you. Not naysayers who aren't even in your field of expertise.
A word on Imposter Syndrome: Yes, someone is already doing what you plan to do. So don't try to come up with anything new. Your experiences, your story, your perspective will set you apart in whatever industry you decide to go in. You'll be able to create new experiences based off of that. Just take the leap. I did.