If you have been in social media or online marketing for any amount of time, chances are that you have heard people talking about “branding yourself” or “building your value”. You’ll find, especially in social media, that the amount of perceived value you provide to those following you is what will determine your success and growth in your industry. So, how do you build your value and brand yourself as an authority?
1. Continue To Grow
So, you might be saying, “how can I be a Leader in my niche if people think I don’t know it all already?”. NO ONE knows it all already. There are different levels of expertise, but for every level of leadership you are at there is a mutual group of people not quite where you are that is looking for guidance. Your job is simply to research your niche and learn as much as you possibly can. Attend webinars, read the blogs by your mentors, and dig in! By adding knowledge to your skill set you are building the amount of value you have to offer.
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in learning is by attending live conferences in your niche. For example, October 15-17 should be booked on your calendar to attend the BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2009 in Las Vegas. Sometimes you just have to get away from the distractions and the mundane tasks to get inspired by the experts! (If you can register tonight before midnight you will save 20%.)
2. Share What You Learn
It really is your experiences that are valuable to others. Everyone is on a road leading somewhere. I can tell you from experience, that drive from Palm Springs,California to Phoenix, AZ is not an interesting one. You travel through miles and miles of barren desert where every mile looks the same as the last. I can remember the first few times making that trip that I kept wondering if I had gone the wrong way or taken a wrong highway and kept checking the map. Now that I’ve done it a few times I am confident and can tell people what to expect and what it will be like so they are prepared and don’t fret as I did.
It’s the same thing with learning something new about your niche or industry. Now that I have my blog set up and running, I could tell someone how to do it from scratch..how to buy a domain, pick a name, install WordPress, which plugins to use, set up an auto-responder, and so forth. That stuff used to boggle my brain and send me into fits of exasperation! So, now I share what I have learned. Whatever it is that you have learned, whether from your present experiences online, or from past employment…you possess something very valuable: your experience.
3. Don’t Hide Your Mistakes
Even your mistakes are valuable, because you can save someone else the time & confusion you went through to finally solve your challenge. Be authentic and share your silly goof ups once in a while. It makes you human and relatable. I love to make people smile…even if it’s at my mistakes. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your success. Your mistakes aren’t really mistakes at all, they are just lessons that teach and test you. The faster you learn what you were meant to learn from them, the faster you can move on.
When I read a blog or story of someone that is laughing at their mistakes and sharing how they got out of their mess, I get this feeling of relief to know that I am not the only one! Don’t you? Some of the best comedians base their whole act on life’s little blunders. By sharing how you fixed your dilemma and being open about it you are opening the door for loads of comments from others that relate to you. Comment love is a good feeling, especially when you know you just provided value to your readers. 
Remember that every time you learn a new skill set you are adding value to your “value bank”. Be a source of knowledge and information to your niche or industry. Get out there and learn, grow & share with other people. The only people that ever create any kind of success are those that are willing to step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves. This is how you build your value and brand yourself as a source. Invest in your own self and your own education, so get out there and start making those deposits!
So after reading this post today, how are you going to work on building your value this week? What specific action steps are you going to take? Please share them below within our little community… I always love reading your comments!
To Your Success,
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