How to Become Known as an Expert in Your Niche
Getting started and building an audience.
A lot of online creators have become known for "a thing." Jay Clause runs Creator Science. Matt McGarry is The Newsletter Guy. Katelyn Bourgoin is The Buyer Psychologist. These people, and many others, have carved out a specific niche and they are the go-to people for information on those topics.
Of course, setting yourself apart in an enormous sea of online voices is no small task. Over the past few years, I've worked to establish myself as the person who talks about tools and provides operations advice for solopreneurs.
And while I'm still in the audience-building phase, I see signals that I'm becoming known for "a thing." This confirms what I suspected: I needed to define a clear and unique niche.
Based on my experiences and what I've observed from top-notch creators, here's what you need to do.
1: Figure out "your thing"
What, specifically, do you want to be known for?
I spent a few years publishing content online with no specific game plan. I shared anything that popped into my head, anything that I felt I could speak about authoritatively. I have a background in product management and running a customer success team... but I realized that sharing stories on those topics wasn't doing me any good. I wasn't appealing to a specific audience.
I started to narrow my focus and in 2024 I underwent a major project with a brand designer. In addition to a visual identity and brand assets, we identified some key phrases and my overall core message. Then I updated my website and social profiles to consistently reflect what I want to be known for: solopreneur operations. Lots of people talk about freelancing or running a one-person business, but I want to be known as the person who talks about what happens behind the scenes.
First, you have to know who you're talking to. Who are they? What do they do? What are their pain points, and how can you solve them?
Then you have to sum up who you are in just a few words. Sit down and write out a bunch of short phrases, no more than two or three words. Try different combinations until you land on something you think will resonate with your audience.
2: Talk about your niche more than you think is necessary
Once I narrowed in on a topic, I worried that if I talked about it too much, people would find me repetitive.
The truth is, most people only see a tiny fraction of your content. You're one fleeting post in a never-ending feed. Unless they're specifically getting notifications on a social platform (like LinkedIn's bell feature), they're not going to see everything you post.
You can also identify a few key pillars within your niche. For example, I talk about tools, automation, and freelance project management (along with other topics). They all fall into my overall category of solopreneur operations, but it keeps my content interesting. And my pillars are all closely related to my overall niche.
Some people worry that talking about one topic too much will become repetitive. The truth is that most people only see a fraction of your content. Unless they're specifically getting notifications from a platform like LinkedIn, they're not going to see everything you post. Construct a narrative about who you are and what you do.
I plan my content calendar around these topics, mixing various content types such as text posts, carousels, videos, and images. I'll also sprinkle in other topics I care about (like remote work) because I enjoy talking about them. Even though I know that I need to focus on content in my niche, I want people to see different sides of my personality.
Anna Burgess Yang
3: Show up in communities
In addition to social platforms, you should participate in communities where your audience hangs out. I'm in several Slack communities and Discord groups.
Communities serve a dual purpose. You can essentially "listen" to your audience talk about specific pain points. And you can share your knowledge by commenting and connecting with people.
I spend a little bit of time each week hanging out in different communities and participating where I see an opportunity. I connect with people from these communities on LinkedIn (which is my main social platform). I also keep track of relationships in a personal CRM, especially if I think there's an opportunity to collaborate with someone in the future.
4: Build authority on other people's platforms
Building authority is critical for standing out in your niche. It's not just talking about your ideas — it's building social proof that people trust you because of your knowledge about your niche.
One way to do this is to be a podcast guest so you can talk about your niche. You're also accessing a new audience of people who might not otherwise find you.
Find podcasts that are related to your niche and pitch them. I've had a lot of success finding podcasts through LinkedIn and Threads when hosts share the episodes. Some hosts will have a form on their website for potential guests. In other cases, I'll interact with the host's social content and then send a pitch via DM. Many hosts are happy to get a pitch because it gives them additional content (assuming your niche is aligned with their audience).
As a bonus, you can also repurpose podcast content as social posts or creating a blog post based on the conversation.
If podcasts aren't your thing, you can also pitch to write guest posts on blogs. Guest blogging can be trickier, since a lot of companies/people won't accept guest posts. I'm most successful when I have a good working relationship with someone and then ask if we can collaborate in some way (like offer to let them write a guest post in return).
5: Give away a ton of free knowledge
A mistake I see all the time is people who put their knowledge behind a paywall of some kind.
"I've been really successful doing XYZ. Pay for my course to learn more!"
You may know that you're an authority on your topic. And you've seen success. That doesn't mean that other people will pay you for that information.
You establish credibility and demonstrate your expertise by giving away your knowledge for free. A lot of knowledge. Even to the point where you think, "People should be paying me for this."
By giving knowledge away, you're building trust with your audience. You are showing them results.
I share a ton of information, and then have free resources on Gumroad. If people want to learn more, they can download a resource. Gumroad also captures the person's email address so I can stay connected to them through my newsletter and other offers.
6: Listen to feedback
Are you getting signals that you're reaching the right audience? Keep track of comments and other interactions. Maybe someone says, "You are my go-to person for XYZ" or "Thank you for sharing this information!" These signals tell you that your message is being heard.
In the beginning, this minimum viable audience — a small number of people interacting with you based on what you share — confirms that you're doing something right.
Screenshot any signals and save them in a folder you can refer to later. You should also keep track of any questions people ask you. Feedback and questions will help you further refine your message or might spark new content ideas.
(Plus, when you save the screenshots and review them later, you'll smile because people have said something nice to you!)
You can also invite your ideal clients to a video call. During the call, ask them pointed questions about their pain points and what would be helpful to them (that you're not currently providing). You can use this information to craft paid offers based on a combination of your expertise and what your audience needs/wants.
Rinse and repeat
Put your ideas on a rotation. Talk about your different topics throughout the week or over several weeks' time. Re-share assets you've created, such as webinar recordings or blog posts. Remind people about your free products. Share the content across multiple platforms.
The end goal is that eventually people will buy from you. Maybe they don't have the specific pain point today, but they will eventually. And when that time comes, you'll stand out in their minds as someone with a coaching program, course, or digital product that can solve their problems.
If you put in the work to become known as an expert, you'll leave a lasting impression.
Check out my free eBook — a guide for creators looking to better manage their time and content across multiple platforms.
