The online world is full of hundreds of thousands of people struggling to become an authority and gain popularity among Netizens. If you are among those still looking for ways to establish yourself as an online expert, here is a quick guide on how to earn a place in your niche within 30 days. (You can execute all the steps at your own pace.)
Day 1: Create your blog
Most of you reading this article would already have blog/websites. If you don’t, you must get one now. How can you be an online figure/personality without any online presence?
To use this guide effectively, you must have a professional blog with some good content. So even before you start following this guide, get yourself a fantastic blog.
You will need a domain (try GoDaddy, Namecheap), hosting and WordPress (free). You can find awesome WordPress themes to suit your blog’s niche in WordPress theme repository for free. Use PhotoShop/Gimp to create a basic logo/header for your blog.
Delete the dummy content and pages. Your site is now ready for adding content. Now, make sure to add a long and detailed about me page with your picture. It must establish your credibility in the niche as an expert (or a keen observer and learner).
Day 2: Identify best websites, blogs and forums
When you enter a niche, you must know your peers and the existing ecosystem. Make use of online directories and Google to explore your niche. Here are five easy ways to compile a list of best resources in your niche. You can simply bookmark the sites and organize them in a bookmark folder.
- Check Technorati’s blog directory to find popular blogs and websites
- Use your country-specific blog directory to find some more blogs
- Google most popular keywords in your niche to discover website
- Use Google’s blog search and news search to find more new sources
- Discover forums by searching for “Your Niche Name” + “Forum”
Subscribe to the mailing lists of these website and blogs. Join the forums.
Try to explore around 50 ideas in your niche for your blog posts/articles. You can also do this over a period of time without affecting your article publishing schedule: two 1,000-word articles daily.
Day 3-10: Connect with experts
Once you have been able to compile a list of websites, blogs and forums, it is time to know the influencers in the niche.
Follow the blogs and website and identify the main people behind them. Leave meaningful comments on blogs and try to get visible as a serious reader. Use a common identity (Eg. Pritam @ SpeckyGeek.com) in comment’s name field.
Meanwhile, you can compile a list of websites/blogs, their key persons and their email/Skype/contact details. Also, identify the sites that accept guest articles.
Be active on the forums and join meaningful threads. Show your eagerness to learn and share your own knowledge with others.
Publish 1-2 interesting articles daily. You will write and publish these blogposts/articles on your blog daily. Make sure to publish one article (preferably 1,000 words or more) with images (use Pixabay.com or OpenClipArt.org for copyright-free images).
If you don’t want to write, get a freelancer (find one on places such as Fiverr.com, Elance.com, Freelancer.com and ODesk.com) to write 40-60 articles on different topics given by you (or let them suggest the topics as well).
Day 11-20: Submit guest posts
So far you have a professional-looking blog with 8-16 long articles in your niche. Now, it is time to go to the next level while continuing our blog commenting and forum posting routine.
Write articles for popular blogs/websites. So far you have written 1-2 articles a day for your website. Now, you will write at least one article for offering as guest article on other established blogs/sites daily. Of course, you continue to publish at least one article on your own blog as well.
Identify at least one website/blog for guest blogging and write to the owner/blogger introducing yourself as a fellow blogger. Tell them that you like the blog that they maintain. Give them reasons why you like their blog. At the end of the mail, offer them your article (100% original article) as a guest post.
Don’t forget to include the article below your mail and as an attachment in Word or HTML format. (Preferably, format the article with links, headings, etc. in WordPress post editor; go to the HTML mode and copy-paste the HTML in a text file.)
You must also include your author description at the end in the article along with a link to your blog. Make sure to make it interesting enough to draw attention.
Not all blogs will accept your articles. If a guest post is rejected by one blog, send it to another one.
Day 21-30: Interview personalities
You have now reached the last step of the process. In this phase, you continue doing the tasks mentioned in the previous phase: blogging, commenting, forum posting and guest blogging.
In addition, you will now interview established bloggers/expert and forum owners in your niche. Contact as many hotshots as you can over email, Twitter, Facebook, Skype or via phone. You can ask them for email interviews by sending them a questionnaire (with 5-10 questions, no more). You can have a recorded Skype session for audio/video interview or use phone for audio interviews. Pick the method that is convenient for you.
In these 10 days, you should interview at least 10 people and publish the interviews as blogposts/podcasts on your blog.
Okay, you have just completed 30 days of this plan to gain authority as an expert in your niche. Do you have a fan following now? Do people see you as a professional or an expert in your field? Has you Twitter following gone up?
I am sure you will find that a lot of people know you in the niche. You have at least 10 established experts as your friends/acquaintances. Some of their readers would also recognise you. Good start, right? Don’t stop right now. Continue the exercise till you gain the kind of authority and recognition that you want. Best of luck!