The Power of Becoming a Visible Expert

Here’s something everyone intuitively understands.

If you create a strong presence in your market and become recognized for your expertise, you’ve got a platform for growth.

What’s less obvious is how to create that platform.

I just read the newly released report, Visible Expert Research Study: Management Consulting Edition, by researchers at Hinge that sheds light on how consultants can create a platform for growth.

The Hinge Research Institute studied more than 530 professional services firms to understand consultants’ challenges and their top marketing priorities. The results point the way for firms that want to grow.

The Hinge Research Institute studied more than 530 professional services firms to understand consultants’ challenges and their top marketing priorities.

The study focuses on what Hinge researchers call “visible experts.” These are people with high market “visibility and acknowledged expertise who can command influence within a specific target audience.”

The report outlines the impact of visible experts on a consulting practice, how buyers find them, what tools they use to raise their market visibility, and how consultants can accelerate their progress to becoming a visible expert.

Three of the report findings stand out.

First, when buyers of consulting services were asked how they learn about consultants, they said that they checked out the consultant’s online presence.

That’s not earth shattering news by itself, but here’s what’s striking. The use of online searches by prospective buyers seeking to learn about consultants has “eclipsed more traditional methods such as recommendations.”

The use of online searches by prospective buyers seeking to learn about consultants has “eclipsed more traditional methods such as recommendations.”

Wait. What?

To be precise, prospective buyers use a variety of sources to find a consultant, but a firm’s online presence keeps growing in importance.

The takeaway: Consultants who view their web presence as a necessary evil, not the foundation of their lead generation strategy, should rethink their marketing approach.

Second, the report shows what individual visible experts do to generate leads for their firms. Speaking, books, and social media top the list of lead generation tools for visible experts.

read more: http://www.managementconsultingnews.com/the-power-of-becoming-a-visible-expert/