Experts vs. Innovators
With the growth of ideas, DIY tutorials and things like Pinterest I’m wondering if we’re seeing a social shift from an Expert to an Innovator. I no longer dial my electrician, mechanic or plumber before I head online to see if this is something I could easily, painlessly and cheaply do on my own.
You even have DIY builders. We’ve all seen the sites, been enamored with the things you can accomplish when someone else is giving you the information for free.
This begs the question – what are you? And how does this affect your online identity? As a writer/blogger? Social media company?
Bloggers used to brag about being experts on all things (pick your niche) and now – we’re a dime a dozen. What sets us apart and how are we keeping the lines between “Them” and “Us” bold enough to differentiate?
It’s not enough, anymore, to add your voice to the loudest conversation in the world. You have to figure out a way to be the one holding the mic. How do you do it?
Personally I think being an Innovator is key to some kind of success – with longevity. Being an expert does great things but there’s constant change in this industry. Being an Innovator though is a huge time commitment. Often writing non-stop some times to keep up with the Innovation you might be creating. It’s a toss up and give and take for me. Do I push hard now and sacrifice personally (family, kids etc) or do I take it in stride and trust that when I’m ready … the industry will be too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. …..
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I feel that most niches still need some level of basic expertise in them. I believe that we can build our innovations up on top of the basic expertise to set ourselves apart. Making sure our ideas are based in reality and our opinions are formed from facts when presenting those twists to our readers is the key to stay credible.
For my blog, I know the basics of cooking and recipes and freezing foods and am willing to learn. However, I take those proven methods and use them to create a lifestyle for my family that blends many ideas together to support our busy life on a budget.
For a sewing blog, they can have all the crazy, fun and innovative ideas in the world, but if their creations are falling apart in the pictures because they don’t know how to properly construct the item, their creation might not translate properly when the quality of sewing is where it should be.
Innovation will set you apart, expertise is simply the foundation on which to create your vision.
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jodi Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Sarah, I LOVE your insight. Well put. Thank you for adding your thoughts to the topic
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How about being a connector . . . a curator of information. Someone has to sift through all the babble out there.
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Stacey Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Love that Wendy! Connector!!!
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jodi Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Hadn’t thought of this! I love it
Curator of information … a very good thing to be.
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