There’s plenty to be said for being an expert on a particular subject. Your knowledge may not seem like anything special to you, but it could have tremendous value to others.
By learning how to monetize it, you could increase your income and broaden your status as a thought leader in your niche.
Six Practical Ways to Monetize Your Knowledge and Expertise
You don’t have to possess a doctorate in a technical field to qualify as an expert. All you need is a little bit more knowledge than the average person.
To a third-grader, a fifth-grader is an expert. Thus, your experiences might be used to educate and teach others who aren’t as conversant in the areas you know something about.
Whether it’s software development, personal finance, golf, or relationships, you undoubtedly have some expertise in certain areas of your life. And if you’re smart about how you present this know-how, you might be able to monetize it with minimal effort.
Here are some of the possible ways you can do this:
Build an Email List
Anyone who has an entrepreneurial bone in his or her body should be building an email list. It doesn’t matter if you have a product or service to sell at the moment; it’s about preparing a captive audience so you’re ready to sell if and when the time comes.
Email list building takes effort, but it doesn’t have to turn into a massive time-suck. If you place opt-in buttons wherever you have a digital presence — social media, website, email signature, etc. — you can quickly build a list of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of followers.
Launch a Membership Site
Do you have content you’d like to sell? A membership website is the perfect place to publish and share content in a monetizable format that adds value for paying customers.
Thanks to drag-and-drop website builders and intuitive membership software systems, you don’t need to have any technical web development skills or advanced skills to set up one of these sites. A relatively small investment of time and money is all it takes to get one up and running.
And if you already have an email list, it’s as simple as pushing the link out to your subscribers and encouraging them to sign up.
Sell an Online Course
“If you have an idea, a skill, a passion, an audience or some content you want other people to see, then create an online course and generate revenue out of doing what you love,” LearnWorlds explains. “All you need to do is offer an answer or a solution that serves a specific purpose to your students.”
You can sell online courses on your own website, or use one of the many online learning platforms that make it easy to reach potential students. A well-developed course that provides tangible value at an affordable price point could generate thousands of dollars in residual income.
Write a Book
Even in an age where YouTube videos, online courses, blogs, and webinars grab most of the attention, books remain one of the most lucrative ways to sell knowledge. If you have writing skills, you can probably write your own book.
Not sure you have the technical chops for that? A ghostwriter is another option.
Offer Consulting Services
For individuals with specific business skills, consulting can be a natural extension of what they do anyway. Whether you coach businesses or individual professionals, ongoing consulting relationships are an easy way to monetize your time and create meaningful value for others.
Pursue Speaking Opportunities
Some of the world’s most successful individuals in their respective fields get paid thousands of dollars an hour to speak at events like conferences, galas, fundraisers, and corporate workshops. Obviously, you won’t be able to command such high fees right out of the gate, but you may be able to find small gigs and build from there.
Put Your Experience to Good Use
There’s no sense in squandering or hoarding your knowledge. By opening up and communicating what you know to other people, you could establish a monetizable marketplace.
Whether you decide to launch a membership site online or write a book, you could take advantage of numerous opportunities to design additional streams of income. Which ones will you pursue?
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash