From Unknown To Expert: How to Use Clever PR and Social Media to Become a Recognised Expert

By Catriona Pollard

Public relations and social media can be the difference between being a well recognised expert and thought leader in your niche and just wishing you were.

From Unknown To Expert delivers a comprehensive, step-by-step framework that will skyrocket you into the role of recognised expert and thought leader.

Use the proven Unknown To Expert 5 Star System to:
* Increase sales
* Get more paid speaking opportunities
* Win more referrals
* Gain more credibility and exposure
* Enable amazing new opportunities that you never even dreamed of

From Unknown To Expert will give you the confidence and skills to get the media coverage and online community you deserve.

In this vast and competitive media landscape, anyone who wants to be recognised in their field must take ownership of their expertise. From Unknown to Expert captures 20 years of PR and social media know-how into a practical guide to help people gain more exposure, increase sales and enable new career opportunities.

In From Unknown to Expert, Catriona Pollard shares her personal story and the challenges she has faced moving from unknown to expert. From this place of authenticity, she encourages people to take action and have the confidence and skills to be the recognised expert they ought to be. Catriona generously reveals the inside knowledge, tools and tactics acquired over 20 years of helping other people get into the spotlight.

This book is perfect for anyone wanting to move from unknown to expert including: entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, CEOs, topic experts, coaches, consultants and anyone wanting to achieve the role of a recognised expert and thought leader in their field.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GreenTara
• Release date: Apr 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780646925493

Book preview

How to use this book

By the end of this book the goal is for you to move from unknown to recognised expert by using clever PR and social media tactics and strategies.

You should finish with a complete strategic PR and social media plan to help skyrocket you and your role as a thought leader into the spotlight.

Depending on what stage you are at in moving from unknown to expert you can use this book in a few ways. It also depends on how you learn.

As a step-by-step ‘activity program’

Start from the beginning and work right through to the end:

Read through each section which are building blocks for your PR and social media strategy.

Complete each Action Step as you go through the process as they will assist you in applying what you are learning.

The benefit of using the book in this particular way is it provides you with a complete set of tools, strategies and tactics to create and maintain your profile as an expert and thought leader.

Dipping in and out

This book can be used on an ad-hoc basis, meaning you can ‘dip in and out’ of sections and chapters. This flexibility has been created as not every person is at the same skill level and may be at different stages of building their profile as an expert and thought leader.

Read and come back

You can read through the book and then come back to the Action Steps. Please do come back to the steps as they are designed to assist in applying the skills I’ve covered in the book.

However you choose to use this program, I believe you will finish with a sound and valuable knowledge base of tactics that will serve you well in creating a successful and profitable PR and social media campaign for your role as an expert and thought leader.

BONUS Action Steps - No matter what, take action

Throughout this book you will see I’ve included relevant and interactive Action Steps for you to take so that you can immediately start to gain some traction towards your goal of becoming a highly sought after expert.

These Action Steps are absolutely key to you becoming a recognised expert.

You can be sure that other experts at the top of your industry have taken, and still are taking, significant action towards growing their profile as a thought leader.

In other forums you might pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for these Action Steps.

As a special bonus to you, as a reader of this book, they’re yours for free as my gift.

So please, make sure you do them!

Taking action

No matter how you choose to use this information, without action you will achieve very little.

It can be a difficult process moving from unknown to expert. At times you may feel overwhelmed with the amount of work you need to do, and the volume of learning opportunities in this program.

I urge you to move beyond feeling overwhelmed and into action.

Transforming from unknown to expert takes patience, practice and focus. If you do get distracted, overwhelmed, or if it never leaves the ‘to do list’, ask the question, why?

Why do you want to move from unknown to expert? What is your motivation?

Write yourself a note, add it as your screen saver, or stick it on the wall in your office. Read it every time you feel stuck.

I believe in you. I know the world will be a better place with more people sharing their ideas, opinions and expertise. TAKE ACTION.

The importance of you and PR

Public relations and social media can be the difference between being a well recognised expert and thought leader in your niche, and just wishing you were.

Public relations is the art of storytelling. Every person, brand and organisation has stories to tell and amazing stories deserve audiences.

Our stories can be personal stories, professional stories, stories that let people know who we are, what we stand for, what we do.

And when we start telling our stories, they start resonating with people. Those people start developing relationships with us and start influencing and amplifying your role as an expert and thought leader.

But what’s in it for you?

Public relations and social media enhances your profile, reputation and credibility.

When you are well recognised as an expert in your field, your target audience, key organisations and the media take notice of you.

And you know what happens when people take notice of you? Increased sales, more paid speaking opportunities, more referrals, doors start opening and new opportunities you never even dreamed of start falling into your lap.

How does it work?

Every expert has so many stories to tell that will interest influencers and the media.

The trick is to identify your stories and then see them through the eyes of the editors and program directors. When packaged in a way that the media expects, you have a much better chance of getting the media coverage you need to promote yourself.

Anything from an innovation, new book, to a childhood memory has news potential if it’s packaged correctly. And it has absolutely no news value if it isn’t released to the media or shared online at all!

This book will give you all the tools and knowledge you need to help you develop your PR and social media skills and successfully achieve the role as a recognised expert and thought leader.

My story (well, one of them!)

We all have stories to tell. This is one of mine.

I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to sleep. I had moments where I was on the precipice of panic. It was 8 November 2010, and the next evening I had to walk on stage and present to 100 people on how to use PR and social media.

So filled with panic and anxiety, I had gone to the venue in the afternoon so I could practice on the stage. I thought: If I can just get up on stage before everyone is there, I’ll be able to imagine myself presenting to the audience. I’ll be able to manage my nerves.

It made it worse.

I ended up in tears, wanting to cancel the whole thing. Now I was even more nervous and deeply believed I couldn’t do it. I just didn’t know how I was going to manage my nerves and I wondered if the audience would think I didn’t know enough about PR and social media.

Months before this night, I had known I wanted to put myself into this challenging position. I wanted to change a theme of my life.

I am an introvert. I’ve always been unwilling to be in the spotlight. Public speaking was one of the biggest issues I had never been able to overcome.

My sister gets up in front of people for a living; she is a corporate trainer. One time she booked me into a presentation skills course through her work. I lasted about 10 minutes, dashing from the room in tears, leaving my sister to go and rescue my handbag and put me in a taxi.

That was just one time. There have been countless situations throughout my life which I ran away from or said no to because I had to stand in the spotlight: school head prefect, job promotions, speaking at conferences…so many. It was a theme in my life. And it was time to change it.

9 November 2010, 6:30pm was a pivotal moment in my personal history.

At 6:00pm the room started filling up. People were walking into the room full of expectation, wanting to learn about PR and social media. They came to hear me speak, to learn from me.

I knew some of the people in the audience. Many came because they knew of me through social media and wanted to hear my presentation. I felt an enormous pressure to perform.

I looked at my watch. It was 6:25pm. Do I run or do I stay? I knew it was time to change the theme. But could I do it?

At 6:30pm I walked up the stairs with the microphone in my hand, trying to not let my hand shake. I walked across the darkened stage and... into the spotlight.

I looked at the light shining from the spotlight. There was absolute silence as the audience waited. I looked out to the crowd. I took a breath and I began to speak.

And do you know what happened?

I realised that I deserved to be in this very spotlight. I wanted people to hear me speak.

I wanted a voice that would carry across the room into the hearts and minds of the audience.

Do you know why?

Because I had something to say. I had so many things to say.

What I had to say could change their business, could help them get more customers, build relationships with interesting people and help them build their profile. What I had to say could do so many wonderful things for so many people.

Who was I not to stand in the spotlight? Who was I not to share expert information? Who was I not to have a voice? Who was I not to be a shining star?

And so I opened my mouth and the words and sentences were perfectly formed. It was the start of my journey to becoming a well-recognised and highly regarded expert and thought leader.

Within just 12 months of that first nervous and exciting step into the spotlight, everything changed.

I now get asked to speak internationally. (Seriously! I can’t believe it myself sometimes). I have received millions of dollars worth of media coverage, I’m listed in the top 100 PR people to follow on Twitter, have an award winning blog and am placed in the Top 5% of people using social media.

How it all started

As a PR professional I spent over 20 years putting other people in the spotlight, and didn’t even think about myself being there.

But I got sick of saying no. I wanted to change a theme in my life. I wanted to say yes to more ‘spotlight’ opportunities.

So I made a clear decision to start building my profile as an expert and thought leader. I intuitively knew it was my time to step into the spotlight.

I have to tell you it wasn’t easy for me. So let me share with you what I found, so it’s easier for you.

My suggestion to you before you start on your journey is to do two things:

Stand in your power.

Explore your motivation about why you want to develop your profile.

1. Stand in your power

The first thing to do before starting to build your profile is to stand in your power. Before I started my thought leadership journey I had self-limiting beliefs about telling my story:

Did I know enough?

What if I get up on stage and forget everything?

Do I know more than the next PR person?

Am I really an expert?

I had to back myself, believe in myself, and stand in my own power.

I had to believe that I am truly an expert, and be prepared to tell people I was.

And so do you.

2. Explore your motivation

The second element is to explore