What Makes Someone an Expert?

When you are first introduced to expertise marketing it can be hard to imagine that there are experts hiding within your organization. We tend to think of experts as a small group at the top but in reality that is just the tip of the iceberg. Across teams and departments there are people with the knowledge, skills and experience to contribute to meaningful conversations with your audiences.

These individuals may not always carry the title of expert but their perspectives can help explain complex issues, contribute to research and shape the content your organization produces. When their expertise is recognized and supported it can help build trust with key audiences including media, industry partners and prospective clients.

The challenge many organizations face is knowing how to assess expertise in the first place. To identify these hidden experts and understand the role they can play in an expertise marketing program it helps to start with a simple question.

What actually makes someone an expert?

The 7 Attributes of Expertise

By definition an expert is someone with comprehensive or authoritative knowledge in a particular area of study. While formal education and certifications can be important starting points many fields do not have a clear set of criteria that determines expertise.

In practice expertise develops through a combination of training, research, professional experience and real-world application. It is also shaped by the level of trust and recognition someone has earned within their profession or community.

When evaluating expertise across your organization it is important to consider the different roles people can play. Many individuals have invested years developing deep knowledge in their fields but not everyone is interested in speaking at conferences or appearing in the media. That does not reduce the value of their expertise. Many contribute through research, insights and content development that support broader visibility for the organization.

Here are several attributes that help define expertise and the roles people can play within an expertise marketing strategy.

1. Authority: Has a reputation with an audience as a trusted source of insight and perspective.
2. Advocate: Demonstrates a commitment to advancing a professional community or area of practice.
3. Educator: Teaches and inspires others through lectures, presentations or classroom instruction.
4. Author: Develops articles, commentary or thought leadership that expands their reach and influence.
5. Researcher: Generates new insights through research, analysis or field work.
6. Practitioner: Applies specialized knowledge in a professional setting by delivering services or solutions.
7. Graduate: Has formal education or professional training that demonstrates proficiency in a subject area.

Understanding these attributes helps organizations see that expertise exists across many roles. Once those individuals are identified the next step is determining how their expertise can contribute to broader visibility and engagement.

The 4 Levels of Expertise

Understanding how to promote expertise is an emerging discipline for many organizations. Unlike traditional career paths expertise does not always follow a predictable hierarchy.

When we consider which experts are most visible to audiences it becomes clear that visibility is not always tied to seniority or authority within an organization. Professionals at many stages of their careers are now sharing insights through social networks, industry publications and personal platforms.

This means that a senior researcher with decades of experience and a younger professional actively sharing insights online could have a similar level of visibility.

Because visibility is influenced by personal motivation and interest in public engagement many organizations recognize the need to better identify and support experts across their teams. Doing so helps ensure that valuable knowledge is not overlooked and that more voices can contribute to meaningful conversations.

The framework below can help organizations take inventory of their expertise and develop a path for individuals who are interested in contributing content and building visibility with key audiences.

Now that we’ve provided a broader picture of what expertise looks like, it’s time for you to ask, “How does my organization stack up?”

Bench Strength: Taking Stock of Expertise Across Your Organization

Expertise is in high demand. Audiences are looking for credible voices who can provide context and insight on complex issues.

For organizations, this means it is critical to understand how their collective expertise can be channeled into meaningful conversations with their audiences.

As you review the attributes and levels of expertise outlined above you may begin to recognize individuals within your organization who have valuable knowledge but may not have been considered visible experts before. Identifying these individuals is an important first step but recognition alone is not enough.

Mobilizing expertise marketing requires support and investment from leadership across the organization. Senior leaders will want to understand the value of elevating internal expertise and how it contributes to reputation, visibility and opportunity.

The organizations that succeed are those that recognize expertise as a strategic asset and take deliberate steps to surface it, support it and share it with the audiences who are actively searching for it.

The Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing

For a comprehensive look at how expertise marketing benefits the entire organization and drives measurable return on investment, follow the link below to download an industry-focussed copy of ExpertFile’s Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy