The majority (56.1%) of Visible Experts’ clients say they learn just from working with the expert, but they also experience a variety of other benefits, according to a recent report [pdf] from Hinge.
Per responses from the 220 Visible Experts and 275 clients surveyed, Visible Experts use a variety of techniques to gain visibility, including referrals/recommendations (80.6%), social media (77.7%), speaking engagements (75.8%) and attending networking events/trade shows (69.7%). But what is a Visible Expert, anyway?
The report outlines Visible Expert levels, from Level 1 (well known in your firm) to Level 5 (international expert recognized across industries). The largest share (34%) of the sample were identified as Level 4 (leading expert in your industry). On top of this, the report found that the largest share (41.3%) of their Visible Expert sample identify as “the bridge builder”, an expert spanning two different areas of expertise and connecting ideas from both.
There are a multitude of ways the role can benefit Visible Experts. According to the sample analyzed, name recognition/popularity i.e personal brand (46%) is the top benefit, followed by generating revenue and bringing in more business (41%) and improved credibility/enhanced reputation (38%).
And, of course, those that work with Visible Experts can also benefit. These benefits might be broad, with the largest proportion (56.1%) of clients surveyed sharing that they learn just from working with a Visible Expert. More specifically, clients also shared that Visible Experts can introduce new solutions the client had not considered (55.3%), that they get the job done (37.9%) and have an ability to solve complex problems (37.1%).
Visible Expert marketing can involve a number of techniques ranging in effectiveness, with speaking engagements showing up as most effective (66.7%). Other techniques include writing business books on the topic (61.1%), referrals/recommendations (54.3%), writing articles or blog posts (46.0%) and doing webinars (37.2%).
Read more about visible experts in the full study here.
About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of 220 Visual Experts from a cross-section of professional services.
