Debbie LaChusa

Once you've decided you like the idea of establishing yourself as an expert as a way to market your business, you've then got to decide how you're going to go about sharing your expertise. When I first started my consulting business 8 years ago, I decided to write a marketing workbook and hit the speaking circuit. After I finished writing the workbook (it was short, only 30-40 pages but it gave me a product to sell to my audiences), I identified conferences that were looking for speakers and I started applying. I was easily able to book several speaking engagements and this gave me the start I needed to begin positioning myself as a small business marketing expert.

A few years later when I started 10stepmarketing, I created several information products and I decided to start publishing a weekly e-newsletter. This was another way I could share my expertise and position myself as an expert in the small business marketing field. I also started submitting my marketing articles to online article directories (I've written and submitted over 80 articles to date), and to the local business media. This year, I've expanded and am publishing this blog and I'm recording podcasts. So you see, I've constantly been focused on sharing my expertise in an effort to establish myself as a small business marketing expert. Because it's one thing to say you're something, but it's another to actually walk the walk and act like one. And when you start becoming known as an expert in your field you start attracting new clients and business opportunities like crazy ... it's fun!