We all spend a lot of time reading about how to position ourselves as experts online. Anytime anyone writes an article about writing an ebook or a website, this issue comes up. Expertise is a big deal, and we work to demonstrate it day in and day out. However, we don’t think about the language that goes with it. The language of experts is inherently lofty. We talk about marketing collateral, tribes and label ourselves as gurus and mavens, all so we can show other people how smart and practiced we are.

The problem is this: in the best case scenario, the language of experts is confusing. People know what business cards are, and probably have no idea what marketing collateral is. At worst, it’s unintentionally off putting. Words like guru and maven have a bad rap on the internet these days, and some people will be turned off just by seeing those terms on your site or your social media site bio. Really though, the problem is at the heart of the thing: the language of experts only speaks to other experts, not to your clients or consumers. By using this language, you’re getting caught up in the language gap and not meeting your audience where they are comfortable.

So, how can you prove that you’re an expert without talking the talk? Simplify, and teach. Go back through your website or your ebook, and try and break all of the big concepts down.  Get rid of the fancy marketing terms, the technical industry terms, and everything else that isn’t immediately accessible. Now, go back through and try and explain them a different way. Many people (myself included) find that they can’t actually clearly define the terms they work with every day.

Once your terms are clear and written down in non-expert language, think about how you can teach these same principles to your fans and followers. Think about keeping the language simple, and making it dynamic and funny. Humor is frequently the best teaching tool in your arsenal. In addition, writing to educate people will help you figure out where you are getting stuck.  If you can’t explain it or teach it without the big scary terms, then you probably need to think about it more.

In the end, this isn’t about dumbing down the terms, it’s about making your writing accessible. We haven’t all read the same books or blogs, and we don’t all follow the same people. And really, when you get down to it, that’s the point of writing. We need to communicate, and educate, rather than continue to use a type of language that accidentally excludes people. The more people who can directly relate to your brand of expertise, the better off you and your business will be.

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