{"id":116462,"date":"2019-02-07T18:50:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T18:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=116462"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:24:57","slug":"sound-like-an-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/sound-like-an-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"How to sound like a real-deal subject matter expert in a hurry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Subject matter experts<\/a>, or SMEs, are people who know a subject inside and out. While the OG SMEs might be folks with advanced degrees or decades of experience in a certain niche, being able to write like a pro is a skill you can develop.<\/p>\n

A useful skill that can help you advance your career in writing, marketing, and beyond, developing your expert voice goes beyond faking experience.<\/p>\n

Understanding how to become a subject matter expert boils down to a few key things. You must learn how to do research, write in different voices, and learn to take complex material and spin it into something approachable.<\/p>\n

Here, we\u2019ll look at some of the ways you can sound like an expert even when you feel like a novice.<\/p>\n

How to present yourself as an expert<\/h2>\n

\"expert\"<\/p>\n

Mastering the art of research<\/h3>\n

As an SME-in-training, you\u2019ll need to graduate beyond citing Wikipedia and learn where to find high-quality information.<\/p>\n

In this phase, there are a few things you can do to start talking like an expert.<\/p>\n

Where does your audience hang out online?<\/h4>\n

The first step is learning as much as possible about your chosen niche.<\/strong> Immerse yourself in the conversation by hanging out in the same corners of the web as the actual experts.<\/p>\n

Find online forums<\/strong> in this space \u2014 think Reddit<\/a> pages, online publications, and Meetup<\/a> groups.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also want to join relevant social media groups<\/strong> \u2014 Facebook groups, LinkedIn Groups, follow key experts on Instagram, Twitter, and other relevant platforms. In any case, this is your chance to see what people are talking about in real time, which is far more informative than attempting to Google information and hope that it\u2019s relevant.<\/p>\n

Another good place to look is Medium<\/a>. Here, you\u2019ll find a lot of articles<\/strong> \u2014 which span a wide range of quality \u2014 geared toward every niche you can think of.<\/p>\n

While these sources don\u2019t necessarily have the credibility that comes with say, a scientific journal or reputable newspapers like the New York Times, Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal, they offer a quick way to pick up on industry lingo and trending topics. Spend a lot of time in these corners of the web and you\u2019ll be writing insider blog posts in short order.<\/p>\n

ID industry publications<\/h4>\n

Beyond the social sphere, industry publications<\/strong> are another great source of specific information. Subscribe to all the newsletters and trade magazines you can, and follow the associated social media accounts.<\/p>\n

White papers, eBooks, webinars \u2014 these types of content take a deeper dive than your average blog post.<\/p>\n

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Who are you competing with?<\/h3>\n

Competitive analysis is another great starting point for grasping the language and trends in a new niche.<\/p>\n

You can learn how \u201cthe pros\u201d in the space talk to their audience, what topics matter to this audience, and where you can offer something different or better.<\/p>\n

Take note of the following:<\/p>\n