Chapter 2
Develop Expertise
Are you an expert?
The answer is yes! Yes, you are. You're an expert. On what? I don't know. That's what we need to figure out. The truth is, everyone is an expert at something . . . even you. And whether you realize it or not, thousands of people are searching for your expertise to improve their lives or build their businesses. My first book, Make Yourself Useful: Marketing in the 21st Century was all about being an expert and providing value. In today's information society, you need to carve out a little slice of the universe and claim it as your own. You need to decide what your specialty is and become an expert in that field.
A common phrase in Internet marketing circles is “go an inch wide and a mile deep,” referring to the importance of a clearly focused specialization. Search engines such as Google love narrow little niches that people dominate with massive expertise. Pick a specific topic and become an expert in that field! In a 2004 article published in Wired magazine, Chris Anderson coined the term “long tail” to describe this same idea. He was referring to the advantages of exploiting super specific niches on the Internet. He later elaborated on the idea in his book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More (2006, Hyperion).
This process of establishing your qualifications as an expert involves the following steps:
1. Pick a narrow specific topic.
2. Acquire massive expertise.
3. Present yourself as an expert.
