{"id":10951,"date":"2020-10-15T18:24:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T18:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jboitnott.com\/?p=10951"},"modified":"2020-10-23T15:35:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-23T15:35:28","slug":"how-to-know-if-an-online-marketing-expert-is-actually-credible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jboitnott.com\/zh\/how-to-know-if-an-online-marketing-expert-is-actually-credible\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Know if an Online Marketing Expert is Actually Credible"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Internet is filled with information \u2014 but only some of it is accurate. The rest of it ranges from unsupported opinions masquerading as fact to outright \u201cfake news<\/a>\u201d from fraudsters who claim to have expert advice with credible data.\u00a0In some cases, these sources are obvious in their lack of credibility, but others are more challenging to identify, thanks to slick websites and \u201cdeepfake<\/a>\u201d visual technology. That\u2019s just the issues consumers face trying to discern what they should and shouldn\u2019t believe. Perhaps you’ve met an online marketing expert who fits this description.<\/p>\n

When entrepreneurs and business people seek advice about aspects of their business, such as online marketing, they might not know where to turn. There are so many blogs, articles, ebooks and webinars from those claiming to be the most experienced digital marketers out there. How can you distinguish valuable information from worthless advice?<\/p>\n

It can be confusing to know who to listen to and who to ignore. Here are some ways to tell if an\u00a0online marketing expert\u00a0deserves your attention or not.<\/p>\n

Quality, not quantity<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to let go of credibility factors that don\u2019t really convey skill. This can include number of years the expert has been in business or company size. Many agencies have been able to stay in business by selling low-quality marketing services and recycled advice.<\/p>\n

You will need to do a deeper dive into a company\u2019s history to assess online marketing expertise.<\/p>\n

Does the online marketing expert have solid reviews, references and client testimonials?<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t just look at their recommendations on\u00a0LinkedIn. Look for reviews that span the\u00a0digital marketing\u00a0expert\u2019s history. You can also ask directly for references and contact companies that are listed on the marketing firm\u2019s website to learn more about their capabilities and results. Checking these real-world examples of expertise will yield a better picture of whether or not the marketing firm\u2019s advice resulted in positive change for its clients.<\/p>\n

Try to contact a few clients to see a pattern in the results, whether it be content marketing,\u00a0social media marketing,\u00a0search engine marketing, email marketing,\u00a0Facebook\u00a0marketing or any other strategy. There might\u00a0be one or two dissatisfied clients who do not accurately reflect the online marketing expert\u2019s expertise. The more companies you can check with, the better sense you can gain of the provider\u2019s expertise and credibility.<\/p>\n

Thought leadership delivery<\/h2>\n

If you have the opportunity to see the online marketing expert present at a conference, event\u00a0or webinar, take the time to listen to their delivery and the meat of their message. Note whether they’ve been a keynote speaker, especially at a reputable summit or conference.<\/p>\n

Additionally, look for their online content published in the form of blog posts, presentations, ebooks, podcasts or\u00a0YouTube\u00a0videos. Once you\u2019ve read through or watched this content, evaluate it with the following questions:<\/p>\n