The basis of a successful online business rests on developing a profitable niche. Your niche allows your company to become known to a particular part of the market as being the place to go for a specific need.
Part of your marketing efforts should focus on becoming an expert in your niche market and one of the best ways to accomplish this is to get quoted by others. It not only establishes as you an authority, it provides extra link juice and increases niche exposure of your company to drive additional traffic.
Here are some suggestions for getting quoted and making it count.
Write Articles
Share your expertise by writing articles relating to your business niche. Make them informative; give viewers a reason to read it through to the end by providing tips, advice, or a unique insight. The better your content, the more likely it is to be quoted in other people’s blog posts, websites, social media profiles, and bookmarking sites.
Articles can be submitted to any number of directories, such as EzineArticles, and tagged with your name and credentials at the bottom. You can also offer your articles to various blog owners who maintain a blog on a related subject. Be sure to submit the content to social bookmarking sites, too, in order to receive maximum exposure.
Another way to use articles is to join an aggregate site, such as eHow or About.com, and become a writer or expert on your topic of choice. These sites get a lot of traffic and they allow you to include a short bio blurb that directs visitors to your website or blog.
Join Forums
Another way to get quoted is to join a forum and become known as an expert in your field. Start out by posting as a member, then approach the forum owner with an offer to become a moderator. The more you post and the more you include links to your published content, the more quickly you will become viewed as an authority.
Become A Guest Blogger
The best way to make this work is to become a regular contributor on someone else’s blog with a weekly guest post. The longer you do this and provide valuable information, the more subscribers will return to read your posts on a regular basis. Be sure to advertise your guest appearances. This is a win-win situation for both you and the blog owner as it creates additional links, and drives traffic to both sites.
Social Media
Don’t forget about social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. These are great places to get noticed, and get quoted. Use the hash tag function on Twitter to create a buzz about your topics.
Videos
Online video content is most likely to go viral. Use the same concepts and topics you would to write articles and create a short piece you can post on your website and sharing sites like YouTube. Say something relevant and you are very likely to get quoted.
The key to getting quoted is to be viewed as an expert and say something of importance, whether it is in written or spoken words. Provide information that your target market needs or wants and ensure it gets posted throughout the internet. You will soon be viewed as an authority and increase the likelihood of being quoted.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the great tips on becoming an expert in your chosen niche. I think that being an authority in your niche is all about having the knowledge and the skills to help people in some way.
I think that by being a contributing member on social media sites, forums, blogs etc and sharing your knowledge; people will automatically start to look to you for help and answers.
I guess the more we put ourselves and our work out there; the more likely we are to get quoted and be seen as an authority in our niche.
You got it in one Jazz….put yourself out there
I agree with Jazz here. I don’t see the point in building your knowledge and skills unless you can actually help others. What is that going to really accomplish in the end.
If you are willing to participate in the wider ‘community’ and share your knowledge – I think that will put you in a much better position than just keeping everything to yourself.
Helping others by passing on your knowledge is what it’s all about in my opinion as well Cemil. The great thing is that it is also a win-win situation, your readers benefit from the information, and you get personal satisfaction from helping others while building your online reputation.
Sharing your knowledge, providing valuable information on your niche topic is the best way to establish yourself. And that is not limited to my blog but includes all “outlets” out there on the world wide web.
Sometimes that feels a bit overwhelming I have to admit, but one step at a time I am sure I will get there!
That’s great stuff Sean! I have decided on an expert title for myself which I have just uploaded on my Witty Sam blog:
The Humor and Laughter Expert
What do you think?
I like it Samantha, suits you to a tee
I like it too Samantha, We can never get enough laughter and to be an expert in that category would be cool.
Just wondering to be quoted by someone, do they need our permission? Not that I would mind at all as it would mean they value what I have said and consider me as an expert in my niche. Finding topics to write articles about is my biggest problem but have found reading forums has helped me with subjects to write about.
Hi Sean
I want to promote myself as an expert in my niche market. The information given here shows me how to do this. I see that it is going to take a lot of effort and time but this can be achieved by planning and goal setting, timetabling, and chunking tasks down to small peices.
Writing articles, guest blogging and making videos sound more like good fun than actual work. I can be really passionate about doing all of those things. Thanks Sean