There’s so much marketing content out there it could make your head spin. You could spend your entire life reading blogs from one expert or another, or signing up for endless courses that promise to tell you the secret of a successful business.
The great thing about all of this is that you can find the answer to virtually any question. You can also find people who are expert in their field to teach you what you need to know. The downside is that it can put you off putting anything out there yourself.
It’s natural to compare yourself to others, but it’s not healthy if it stops you from making progress. You look at all of these experts and think “I don’t know as much as them. What could I possibly have to say that will help anyone?” Great question. The answer is – loads.
You are unique
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Whatever stage you’re at there will ALWAYS be someone who knows more than you about something. There will also be people who do things differently from you. I’m part of a community of writers and there are endless discussions about different ways of working, dealing with clients or managing time.
The truth is that there is more than one answer to every question. Even if you’ve only been in business for a month, you might have an approach to a problem that’s different from everyone else’s. There may also be skills and knowledge that you’ve developed that give you a unique perspective. Even if you don’t think of yourself as being an expert, you have the expertise that your customers need.
Start at the beginning
If you doubt that you’re an expert, go back to basics. Think about your first day in business and what that felt like. What have you learned since then? Even though I could write when I first started, I’ve learned more about how to structure my content, writing good headlines and the sorts of content my audience like. I cringe a bit when I look at my early blogs, but it shows me how far I’ve come.
If your business is still at a very early stage, go further back. If you had a career or a series of jobs before, what did that teach you? You might be surprised.
You are an expert
If you still doubt your own expertise, go and talk to your customers. You might have to be a bit brave to do this, but they’ll help you to see your business through their eyes. Ask them why they chose to work with you. Find out what they like about your products or service. Whatever their reasons are, ask them whether they could do what you do themselves. I’m willing to bet that if you provide a service, people use it because you can do what they can’t. Even if they’ve been coping with a DIY version of your service they’ll have chosen you because you’re much better at it than they are. If you sell a product people buy it because they can’t make it themselves.
When you look at it that way, you are an expert in someone’s eyes, even if it isn’t your own. Someone out there needs what you do and it’s your job to go out there and find them. If you aren’t creating content that talks about your knowledge and expertise, the likelihood is that you won’t be found.
So, what are you going to do next?
Further reading
If you need a confidence boost here are 10 great tips from Forbes.
I know that motivational quotes aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if they’re yours, here’s 55 of them for you.