Featuring experts in digital media is a great way to provide knowledge and value to your audience. It can also help build your brand —especially in specialized industries like 3D product configuration, where trust and technical authority matter.

There are best practices to follow when featuring experts in digital media. Here are eight to keep in mind.

1. Establish credibility and authority with your audience

The most obvious reason to feature experts in your content is to establish authority and credibility with your audience. When you feature an expert, you’re effectively borrowing their authority and expertise to bolster your own reputation. 

This is especially important when you’re just starting out and don’t have much credibility built up with your audience yet. By featuring experts in your content, you can quickly and easily establish yourself as a credible source of information in your industry.

2. Determine the best format for their expertise

Now that you’ve identified what they’re an expert in, you’ll want to determine the best format to showcase their expertise. This could be an interview, a guest post, a whitepaper, a webinar, a speaking event, a video or something else.

The format will depend on the medium and the message. For example, if you’re looking to feature an expert in a blog post, you might want to conduct an interview so you can pull quotes and insights from the expert. If you’re looking to feature an expert in a video, you might want to conduct an interview and then edit the footage to create a short clip.

When determining the best format, you’ll also want to consider how much time the expert has to give. If an expert is busy and can only give you 30 minutes, you might want to do a podcast interview. If an expert has hours to give, you might want to do a video interview and then edit the footage to create a longer video.

3. Don’t make them the face of your brand

While it’s great to have experts included in your marketing content, you don’t want to build your entire brand around them. This can be risky if you’re using a celebrity or influencer as the face of your brand, because if they do something to damage their reputation, it can also damage your brand.

Instead, use experts as part of your brand’s overall story. This way, you can still leverage their expertise and authority in your industry without putting your brand at risk.

4. Find experts that align with your brand

Just because someone is a well-respected expert in their field doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for your brand. If you want to use expert interviews to build trust with your target audience, you need to make sure you’re choosing experts who align with your brand’s values.

Before reaching out to potential experts, do some research to learn more about their background, their work, and any causes they’re involved with. This will help you determine whether they’re a good fit for your brand and your target audience.

5. Make sure they’re a good fit for your content

You don’t want to just feature any expert in your digital media. You want to make sure they’re a good fit for your content and your audience. This means they should have expertise in the subject you’re covering and they should have a good reputation. For example, if you’re featuring experts on marketing tools or affiliate programs, you could highlight best Wix referral apps that help businesses grow.

If you’re featuring an expert in a video or podcast, it’s a good idea to have them on for a pre-interview to make sure they’re a good fit for your content. You can also ask them for their bio and any relevant links to include in your content.

6. Get them to promote their appearance

If your expert is well-known, they probably have a following of their own. Encourage them to share the article, podcast, or whatever form of content you’ve created with their followers. This is a great way to get your content in front of new eyes and extend the reach of your brand.

Tagging the expert in your social media posts is a great way to get them to share your content. You can also ask them to share it in your initial outreach message, which should be sent from a pre-warmed email account.

7. Be a good host

When you have a guest on your podcast, YouTube show, or webinar, think of it as if you’re having a dinner party. You are the host, and they are your guest.

Make sure you’re introducing them properly, asking them questions, and giving them the space to share their expertise. Don’t interrupt them, and don’t make the conversation all about you.

The same goes for when you’re featuring an expert in a blog post or article. Make sure you’re giving them credit, and don’t try to take over the conversation.

8. Don’t overuse them

Experts can be great for providing context and credibility, but they should not be the only source of information in your content. This is especially true when it comes to written content.

Make sure you are also including data and statistics to back up your claims, and don’t be afraid to share your own opinions and insights, as well. Variety is key to keeping your audience engaged and providing a well-rounded view of the topic at hand.

Conclusion

When you feature experts in your content, you can gain a lot of credibility and authority in your industry. For this reason, it’s a good idea to start building relationships with experts and incorporating them into your content strategy.