Advice Network Founders Blog

So you think you know your stuff? Well, that’s important, but it is much more important for other people to think that you know your stuff. You may be as smart as Einstein, but without the right marketing and well-directed communication you don’t stand a chance of getting the money you deserve on the internet.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an already established real-world professional or whether you’re a university student looking to start a side project. The internet is a new place where you have to earn your respect just like you would have to do anywhere else.

The World Wide Web is a great place to make money. If you already own a company there are numerous benefits to adding your products and services to cyberspace. By bringing your business online, you open up your market from being limited by regional distribution to being an unlimited international corporation.

While the potential is there to make big money, there is still the need to put in big effort. In this way, it is a lot like starting a new company. You might already be well known in you region for being one of the best in the business, but now you’ve got to earn that reputation online as well.

Here are five tips to becoming an expert online. If you follow these, you are sure to gain a reputation that will allow you to expand your business and bring in new sources of revenue.

1. Website – First off, you need to have a website that describes who you are, what you do, and what sets you apart from your competition. Your website is the main ingredient to your online success. Not only do you need to present yourself in a professional manner, but you also need to have it set up for easy navigation, ordering, and communication.

What to do: Hire a professional to build a website for you that not only allows you to sell your product, but also enables you to sell yourself.

What not to do: Slap together a website in a hurry just to get your name online.

2. Social Networking – Sure, everybody already has a social networking profile – and they aren’t raking in the dough. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make money through this extremely popular method of communication. If you haven’t used Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, or another social networking site for business purposes then you’re missing out.

What to do: Create a business profile and build up a network of friends. Try to stay active so that you’ll build relationships that will eventually turn into business down the road. Not everybody needs to be a customer, but if they like you then they might just recommend you to friends who could use your services.

What not to do: Don’t mix your personal profile with your business profile, especially if you’re bound to have pictures and comments put up about your weekend of partying. Keep it professional!

3. Press Releases – The internet is packed with information about other companies like your own. If there isn’t any information about you out there already, make sure to use press releases to build awareness of any of your business news. Internet users won’t see you as an online expert unless you are actually, well, online!

What to do: If you have a communications officer, get him or her to write up articles about newsworthy events going on in your business. Release these articles using PR Leap, PR Zoom, or another press release service. If you don’t have a communications specialist, then hire a professional freelance writer.

What not to do: Don’t get your kid brother to write up a report that has fifteen spelling errors and a newly created grammatical structure.

4. Message Boards/Forums – Participate in message boards that are centered on the topic of your expertise. By becoming a key figure in this community, you will gain the respect of other online users and eventually earn some business. If you’re already active in several online communities, this will come more easily than if you’re a brand new internet user.

What to do: Post thoughtful messages that demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter. Focus on building relationships and learning from other experts in the field.

What not to do: Don’t spam message boards advertising your new company website. Not only will people never use your products or services, but they will also be turned off by your approach. The purpose of participating in message boards is to build relationships and let the business trickle in. People want to know you, like you, and trust you before they start buying from you.

5. Write – In order to be recognized as a true expert, you need to get articles published on the internet. It’s a good idea to run your own blog to provide tips and tricks that people could use. However, a better idea is to write advice articles published through numerous websites that can guide your readers through simple problems that your company deals with. When they learn to trust you with the little things, they will come to you for the bigger things!

What to do: Write, write, and write some more. You can never write enough online content. The more advice you give to others, the more they will see you as an expert (if you give good advice). With every article you publish, you are bound to be reaching new readers that can potentially turn into future customers.

What not to do: Don’t throw out as much content as possible for the simple purpose of Search Engine Optimization. While the bots might like your stuff, it won’t appeal to the people that really matter – your readers.

Those five tips will help you become better recognized as an online expert. There are many other ways to build your reputation on the internet. The main thing, however, is to gain visibility and build new relationships every day. While this isn’t a get rich quick scheme, it is sure to grow your business dramatically in the long run!