How to be seen as the go-to guide in your niche

Okay, so entrepreneurship is usually one of two things: the coolest thing ever, or the most stressful.
 
Anyone agree?
 
Here’s the thing — being an entrepreneur, especially a photographer, is just one of the most special things you can ever, ever do. Being able to build a business *and* capture people’s memories and brands through a lens? There’s nothing better than that.

 

But, there’s also a lot of pressure that comes with being an entrepreneur. It’s easy to weigh yourself down with it, too — with expectations, with anxiety, and with the fear of failure. However, how about we turn that on its head? How about instead of putting so much pressure on ourselves to be everything to everyone, we just focus on one thing? 

Why don’t we just focus on being a go-to guide in our niches through authenticity, kindness, and connection?

Isn’t that so much better than feeling like the weight of the world is on our shoulders all the time? 

(Because, it’s not. Our jobs are important, but they aren’t everything. And we have to remember that.) 

So, if you’ve been feeling weighed down by the pressure and the do-everything-all-the-time mindset, I want you to take a step back. I want you to remember why you got into this — and ask yourself: why do you do what you do? That, right there, is what matters. That’s it. 

Now here’s how to show up — the right way — as the go-to guide in your niche:

3 Ways to Be Seen as the Go-To Guide in Your Niche

When you’ve defined your niche (which you probably already had a good idea of in the first place), you can work towards being one of your niche’s experts. The only expert? No. There are people who will always be great at the same things you’re great at, and that’s okay — that’s great, actually. There is room for everyone. However, you *can* stand out as the go-to guide for the right people in your niche. 

Here’s how:

  1. Create content that shows off your expertise: Building a content strategy is truly one of the most effective ways for people to see you as a guide — especially when you’re sharing really, really great content that educates or inspires your audience. There are a ton of ways you can create content for your niche, and you can actually download 17 content ideas fo’ free right here. And, no matter how you create your content — whether it’s videos, a podcast, or blog posts — always just check these boxes:
  • How will this piece of content educate or inspire an audience?
  • Did I connect with my audience?
  • Did I offer truly valuable content that can help?
  • How can I continue building on this?
  • Did I share it on social media?
  1. Elevate your position with personal branding photography: Personal branding photography is my favorite thing for so many reasons — after all, it’s *my* niche — and it can be wildly powerful in helping to position you and your brand as a guide. With professional photography that shares your mission and gives a face to your business — and also lets you have beautiful imagery that you can continually use in everything from your website to your social media collateral.
  2. Connect with your audience any chance you have: So much of becoming successful in any arena of life — especially if you want to be known as a go-to guide — comes down to building relationships any and every chance you have. By focusing on genuine, authentic connection with the people in your audience, you can continue to build your own brand while creating honest, rock-solid foundations for people to want to keep learning from you.

It’s simple, really — building a business that positions you as an expert doesn’t have to be this massively stressful thing. Instead, intentional choices, kindness, and a focus on connecting with people will get you there. Every time.

So, I want you to remember: no matter if you’re a fellow photographer or if you own an Etsy shop or if you’re a professional organizer, you matter. Believe that, hold it close, and let the rest happen. You’ve got this, and putting so much pressure on yourself to be an expert isn’t as necessary as you might think it is. I promise.

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Jess Kornacki

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January 1, 2022 2 Comments