Why 2014 is the Year of the SME in Online Marketing

The writing is on the wall. It is clearly stated by Google, Facebook and other top marketing sites. Subject matter experts will be more at the heart of social media, SEO and organic inbound marketing in 2014 than ever before.

In 2014, people will realize that it is no longer enough to have an inexperienced employee doing your content. Companies now need a real expert to produce high-quality material that correctly represents the business. That is why in 2014 the inexperienced social media specialist will either be replaced by a subject matter expert, support the subject matter expert by enhancing distribution or they will need to become one themselves.

How the SME Influences SEO and Social

As we can see, the subject matter expert is at the heart of the blogging and social media strategy. This in turn influences the way the web interprets the website, which of course heavily impacts SEO.

Here we see a basic chain of content creation involving the SME. Please note, there are many other responsibilities for the SEO and social media specialist outside of what is represented here.

 

The SME can also play a role in building quality content on the website. This person is in charge of ensuring that whitepapers are up to date and easily accessible, case studies are available, individual web pages offer the best content, internal linking is correct and infographics are easy to find and ready for distribution. The SEO supports this by making sure everything has proper optimization.

SME and Onsite Content

Here we see the role of the subject matter expert in managing onsite content.

Overall, the role of the subject matter expert is one that will expand in 2014. It is a new term, but a needed one.

Previously, many people overlooked the true expertise needed to create content for an online business. It is critical that an agency deliver true subject matter experts to best represent their client’s blog, social media, onsite content and other inbound efforts online.

At Ignite Visibility, we work with a highly skilled team of SMEs to ensure each client SEO and social project is a success.