Why Every Marketer Needs to Leverage Subject Matter Experts for Massive Audience Growth

As an online sales and marketing expert, I‘ve seen firsthand the power of leveraging subject matter experts (SMEs) to supercharge audience growth and engagement. By collaborating with respected experts in their field, brands can create content that‘s more credible, valuable, and impactful than they could ever produce on their own.

But while many marketers understand the high-level benefits of working with SMEs, most are missing out on the full potential of these partnerships. Done strategically, SME collaborations can be an absolute game-changer for content marketing success.

In this in-depth guide, I‘ll share why SMEs are so essential for audience growth, along with actionable tips for finding and partnering with the right experts for your brand. If you‘re looking to take your content to the next level and build a loyal audience of engaged followers, this is for you.

What Exactly Is a Subject Matter Expert (SME)?

First, let‘s define what we mean by a "subject matter expert." An SME is an individual with deep knowledge, experience, and credibility in a particular topic or field. They‘re the go-to authorities that others look to for insights and opinions on their area of specialization.

Some common examples of SMEs include:

• A cybersecurity executive with 20+ years of experience protecting Fortune 500 companies
• A renowned sales trainer who has helped thousands of reps sharpen their skills
• A PhD researcher pushing the boundaries of their field with groundbreaking studies
• An author or keynote speaker who is a recognized thought leader on a specific business topic

What all SMEs have in common is that they‘ve dedicated their careers to mastering a particular discipline. Their expertise goes far beyond surface-level knowledge – they have an intimate understanding of the nuances, challenges, and opportunities in their field.

In a marketing context, an SME could be an external expert that a brand partners with to create content, or an internal employee with specialized knowledge. Many brands have SMEs within their own teams, such as product managers, executives, data scientists, or customer success managers.

The key is that SMEs offer unique insights that a general content marketer likely wouldn‘t have. They bring a depth of expertise that makes content more substantial and trustworthy to audiences.

Why SMEs Are a Marketing Goldmine for Building Audiences

So why exactly are subject matter experts so valuable for marketing? There are three core reasons:

1. SMEs help you create standout content that cuts through the noise.

In the battle for audience attention, subject matter expertise is an incredibly powerful differentiator. By featuring unique insights from SMEs in your content, you can make it exponentially more valuable and interesting to readers.

Think about it – in a sea of generic, surface-level blog posts, an in-depth piece featuring analysis from a renowned expert stands out like a beacon. Readers are hungry for content that goes beyond the obvious to provide advanced insights they can‘t get elsewhere.

SMEs help you deliver that "wow" factor by sharing knowledge and perspectives that only come with years of experience in the trenches of your industry. They can provide:

• Unique case studies and real-world examples that illustrate key concepts
• Insightful analysis of market trends and future predictions
• Tactical tips and frameworks based on years of trial and error
• Contrarian opinions that challenge conventional wisdom
• Explanations of complex topics in easy-to-understand terms

This is the kind of insider information that audiences crave. According to a study by Mantis Research, 60% of people are inspired to seek out a product after reading expert content about it, and 92% prefer brands that provide content from industry experts.

When you integrate these expert insights into your own content in a cohesive way, it becomes incredibly valuable to your target audience. You‘re providing readers with knowledge and analysis they‘d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, positioning your brand as an essential resource.

And as your audience comes to associate your content with expert insights, they‘ll keep coming back for more. Your brand becomes their trusted source for the most relevant, cutting-edge information in your industry.

2. Collaborating with respected SMEs amplifies your brand‘s credibility and authority.

Partnering with subject matter experts also gives an instant credibility boost to your content and brand. When you feature insights from a respected expert, you benefit from their authority and reputation in your industry.

Essentially, having an SME contribute to your content acts as an implicit endorsement of your brand. Readers see that a recognized expert trusts your platform enough to be associated with it, which makes you appear far more authoritative by proxy.

This is backed by data – according to Nielsen research, expert content lends brands more credibility. 85% of people regularly seek out trusted expert content when considering a purchase.

Industry thought leaders and experts have often spent years building up trust with an audience through their work and ideas. When you align your brand with those respected voices, you‘re telling readers that you‘re a credible player in the space.

This is especially powerful for brands that are newer or less established in their industry. Collaborating with known entities accelerates your own authority building and helps you gain a foothold with your target audience much more quickly.

Even well-established brands benefit from the halo effect of partnering with SMEs. It‘s a signal to your audience that you‘re committed to advancing the conversation in your industry by bringing in the most knowledgeable voices.

Over time, consistently working with subject matter experts positions your brand as a true thought leader – a destination for the most important ideas and discussions in your field. You become a hub for industry expertise.

3. SMEs help you reach new, relevant audiences.

Finally, subject matter experts can be a tremendous asset for growing your audience and reaching new segments of potential customers. When an SME promotes a piece of content they contributed to, you gain exposure to their own followers and networks.

Many SMEs have spent years building their personal brand and cultivating a loyal audience. By tapping into their existing reach, you can attract a surge of new readers who are interested in the expert‘s insights and perspectives.

Let‘s look at some data on the audience reach of SMEs:

• Influencer marketing platform Collective Bias found that influencer posts yield a 6.9X higher engagement rate than brand posts
• A 2019 report by Influencer Marketing Hub found that businesses earn an average of $5.20 for every $1 invested in influencer marketing
• According to Convince & Convert, 49% of people say they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchase decisions

While not all SMEs are considered traditional "influencers," many have substantial followings that represent untapped potential audiences for your brand. And because these people actively follow the SME, they‘re likely to be highly engaged and interested in the topics the expert covers.

When an SME shares your content, it acts as a strong endorsement for readers to check out your brand. You can reach thousands of new potential customers with a single post or shout-out from a respected expert.

Even better, you know these audiences are highly relevant to your brand because they‘re coming from an authority in your specific industry. The SME is essentially doing the work of attracting your ideal personas and funneling them to your content.

As you build relationships with multiple SMEs and feature them throughout your content efforts, you‘ll be able to exponentially widen your audience and reach untapped pockets of potential customers. Your audience growth is turbocharged by the networks of experts.

Real-World Examples of Brands Excelling with SME Content

To further illustrate the power of SME collaborations, let‘s look at how some major brands are putting this into practice in their content marketing.

HubSpot

HubSpot‘s blog is known for featuring contributions from a wide range of subject matter experts across marketing, sales, and customer success. The brand publishes in-depth, tactical content written by practitioners with first-hand experience implementing the strategies they teach.

Some of HubSpot‘s most popular posts featuring SMEs include:

• "How Atlassian Built a $10 Billion Business by Avoiding a Sales Team" – Written by the former Chief Revenue Officer at Atlassian
• "How We Increased Our Organic Traffic by Over 100% in 6 Months" – Shared by the Director of Marketing at Rocketrip
• "The 5 Step Process HubSpot Uses to Optimize Google Ads" – Penned by HubSpot‘s own Senior Marketing Manager

By leveraging insights from SMEs both within the company and at other organizations, HubSpot is able to provide unique case studies and advanced tactics that go far beyond generic marketing advice. This has helped solidify the brand as the go-to resource for all things inbound marketing.

Salesforce

Salesforce highlights the success stories and innovations of industry experts through its "Trailblazer" community spotlights. These in-depth case studies show how marketers, sales leaders, developers, and other professionals are driving results with Salesforce products.

Some standout examples include:

• "Inside Coca-Cola‘s Digital Transformation" – An interview with the company‘s Global Head of Digital Sales on how they‘re using Salesforce to reshape the customer experience
• "How Accenture Automated Its Data Pipeline for 95% Faster Processing" – A technical walkthrough from Accenture‘s Senior Manager of CRM Solutions
• "The Sales Coaching Playbook Used by Square‘s Sales Team" – Tips shared by Square‘s Global Head of Sales on how to build a culture of coaching

By showcasing the expertise and accomplishments of its customers, Salesforce is able to provide highly valuable content for its audience while also demonstrating the impact of its products. The SMEs‘ stories serve as powerful social proof.

American Express

American Express‘s OPEN Forum has long been a destination for expert insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. The platform features contributions from a rotating cast of subject matter experts, including startup founders, executives, and consultants.

A few top SME-driven articles from the site:

• "I‘ve Interviewed and Hired Thousands of People. Here‘s What to Keep in Mind Before Offering the Job." – Advice from the CEO and founder of Comparably
• "This Founder Turned Down a 6-Figure Salary to Start Her Own Business. Here‘s Why." – An entrepreneur‘s story of leaving the corporate world to launch a DTC brand
• "A Seasoned Freelancer‘s Guide to Winning (and Keeping) Clients" – Tips from a successful freelance writer and content strategist

American Express uses SME contributors to provide its audience of business owners with highly relatable, insightful content to help them tackle their biggest challenges. By aligning with experts, the brand has become a trusted resource for professional growth.

How to Find and Partner with the Right SMEs for Your Brand

Inspired to start incorporating subject matter experts into your own content? Follow these steps to find and build relationships with SMEs who can help you engage your audience:

1. Identify the key topics and skill areas that are most important to your audience. Look for experts who specialize in the subjects your customers care about most.

2. Look for potential SMEs who have already built credibility and an engaged following through their work. Pay attention to people who are active in your industry via social media, speaking, publishing, etc.

3. Evaluate experts‘ communication skills in addition to their knowledge. Great SMEs are not only smart, but also skilled at expressing ideas in a clear, compelling way. Read their content and watch videos to assess.

4. Reach out to potential SMEs via email or social media. Keep your pitch concise but personalized, expressing why you admire their work and how you think your audience could benefit from their insights.

5. Propose specific collaboration ideas, whether it‘s a guest post, interview, webinar, or ongoing contributor role. Be up front about your expectations and what‘s in it for them (exposure, content ownership, etc.).

6. Once you secure an SME partner, work with them to come up with content ideas that will resonate with your audience. Let the expert take the lead in sharing their knowledge, but provide guidance to keep it on-brand.

7. When the content is published, promote it extensively and be sure to highlight the SME‘s involvement across all channels. The more visibility you provide them, the more likely they‘ll be to share with their own audience.

8. Continue nurturing relationships with SMEs over time. Keep them in the loop on content performance, and look for ongoing opportunities to collaborate as you build your library of expert content.

The most important thing is to find SMEs who are genuinely a good fit for your audience and brand. Don‘t just chase the biggest names — prioritize experts who have insights that will resonate with your specific customers and who align with your company‘s values and vision.

By putting in the time to find the right partners and build lasting relationships, you‘ll be able to produce a steady stream of expert content that educates, inspires, and motivates your audience for the long haul.

Driving Audience Growth with Subject Matter Experts: Key Takeaways

Leveraging subject matter experts in your content program is one of the most effective ways to grow an engaged, loyal audience for your brand. By tapping into the knowledge and credibility of respected leaders, you can create standout content that rises above the noise.

The benefits of SME collaborations are clear:

• You can produce content that‘s more in-depth, authoritative, and valuable to readers
• Aligning with trusted experts enhances your brand‘s own reputation and credibility
• SMEs help you expand your reach by promoting content to their engaged followers

Partnering with the right SMEs should be a priority for any content marketing team that wants to build a devoted audience. When you make experts an integral part of your strategy, the rewards are more qualified leads, higher conversion rates, and lasting customer relationships.

Start identifying potential SMEs that can elevate your content and reach out to start building those partnerships. With the right approach, collaborating with experts will unlock tremendous opportunities for audience growth and engagement.

The world‘s most innovative brands are already harnessing the power of SMEs in their marketing. It‘s time to join them and start tapping into the expertise that will transform your content and grow your business.