The ‘Training Industry’ defines a subject matter expert in this way.

 

Establishing yourself as an SME on XOTV

When it comes to creating your channel on the XOTV.me platform, you might wonder why you should want others to consider you as an SME because not every channel is informative or instructional like ‘Yamaguchi Life TV’. On this channel, Melissa and Billy Yamaguchi teach their audience how to implement a contemporary Feng Shui lifestyle into their living space and daily lives. These experts bring credibility to their channel through their apparent knowledge of the subject and their work outside the XOTV platform. 

 

When a viewer engages with your content, they want and expect you to offer more than they already know. They crave the things they know to be presented in a more informative, entertaining, or exciting way. And they will come back, follow, and subscribe to your content when their expectations are met. So, how do you establish expertise?

 

First, another way to view a subject matter expert is to think of them as someone who has enough knowledge on a subject to meaningfully interact with and bring out the best knowledgebase in featured experts on their show.

 

Take the ‘Jo and Danny Show,’ for example. The hosts of this videocast do a great job of knowing enough about their guests’ expertise that they show up as having expertise in many subjects and industries. And as SMEs within the space of kindness, compassion, and authentic living.

 

Second, if you do not have an expert body of knowledge in your channel subject like “seasoned actors” Cisco Reyes and Malik Barnhardt — the hosts of ‘Actin’ Up Podcast’ on XOTV.me, do not worry. 

 

If you are unlike Cisco and Malik, who have impressive lived experience through more than 200 film and television credits, you can still flex your expert muscles with credibility.

 

‘Culturs Global Multicultural TV’ on XOTV.me has collective expertise through its leadership, staff, contributing writers, and interview subjects. And it is an online, digital, and print magazine with more than a million readers in 200 countries. This channel had instant SME credibility right out of the gate.

 

So how do you create expertise when you do not have a team of experts, a body of offline credentials, or are starting in a new creative space?

 

Here is how we did it on ‘WhitewaterTV’.

 

When we started this channel, our Producer/Creator and Host — Antionette Lee Toscano, MBA, was not an expert in whitewater paddlesports or adventure sports. She was a former Information Technology executive and currently works as a full-time freelance writer. But what she did have was a passion for promoting an adventure sports lifestyle worldwide, emphasizing centering marginalized athletes. These are the steps taken by WhitewaterTV’s host to establish their expertise in a new area of focus.

 

 

Choose an area of focus for your channel. Select a niche that you already know well. You do not need to be viewed as an expert. Then, begin your research. Antoinette Lee Toscano spent seven years as an adventure sports enthusiast, and spent seven months researching the subject, reading, talking with experts, interviewing athletes, instructors, and industry leaders.

 

 

Solicit invitations on other platforms to talk knowledgeably about your channel’s focus. WhitewaterTV’s host posted about paddlesports on social media two to three times a week, participated in Zoom discussions about the topic and appeared on industry podcasts.

The industry also invited Antoinette Lee Toscano to consult, speak, and write about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in adventure sports in general and whitewater paddlesports specifically. Antoinette was featured as an SME in magazine articles and blogs that focus on the channel’s topic.

 

WhitewaterTV’s host — Antoinette Lee Toscano is now a sponsored athlete, paddling team member, and established brand ambassadorship for herself and other marginalized athletes featured or soon to be featured on the channel. This was accomplished within four months since beginning the channel on XOTV. You can learn how Antoinette accomplished this in the last edition of ‘XOTV Weekly’.

 

 

WhitewaterTV began creating content that positioned its host to promote diversity in paddlesports effectively. The SME positioning was achieved by partnering with experts, professionals, and athletes to deliver in-depth industry content.

 

From newbie creator to subject matter expert is possible in three easy steps if you are willing to put in the work.

About the Author:

Antoinette Lee Toscano, MBA is a former IT executive, blogger at the New Normal Big Life blog, Contributing Writer at Culturs magazine, a public speaker, the Producer of WhitewaterTV, and co-founder of Diversify Whitewater.