6 min read Positioning

You Don't Need to Be the Expert: Position Yourself as Curator

You Don't Need to Be the Expert: Position Yourself as Curator
Photo by charlesdeluvio / Unsplash

You want to create content in a new market, but you're not the expert. The established players have PhDs, decades of experience, impressive credentials. Who are you to talk about this topic?

This is the trap that keeps brilliant people invisible.

Here's what I've learned coaching solopreneurs through this exact problem: you don't need to be the deepest expert to succeed in a market. You can position yourself as the curator. The person who organises, synthesises, and presents existing knowledge in new ways.

The shift is simple but powerful. You're not highlighting what's missing. You're highlighting what you have.

A founder I was coaching wanted to create content in the HR space but felt like an imposter because he wasn't an HR professional. The breakthrough came when we reframed his positioning: he wasn't an HR expert entering the events space — he was an events expert entering the HR space. That small shift changed everything about how he showed up online.

Sometimes a great curator is more valuable than another expert talking to other experts.

What is Curator vs Expert Positioning?

Curator positioning means you enter a new market by organising information, not claiming expertise. You leverage what you already know (events, systems, communication) and apply it to a new space. You compete on presentation, synthesis, and perspective. Not domain knowledge.

Markets need organisers. Every industry has experts whose insights get buried in academic papers or scattered across random blogs. The person who pulls it together? That's where value lives.

The Imposter Syndrome Trap That's Keeping You Stuck

You want to enter a new market. You look at all the established players: the PhDs, the 20-year veterans, the people with impressive credentials. And you think, "Who am I to talk about this topic?"

I see this constantly. People staring at established players and feeling like they have nothing to contribute because they're not the domain expert.

Those deep experts might understand their field, but they're often terrible at the thing you're great at. They don't know how to build communities. They struggle with content organisation. They can't synthesise information for different audiences.

You're not missing expertise. You're bringing different expertise.

The market doesn't need another HR expert talking to HR experts. It needs someone who can bridge worlds and make information land.

The Curator Framework: How to Position Yourself

When you position as a curator instead of an expert, you're playing a completely different game.

1. Identify Your Core Expertise

Before you enter any new market, get clear on what you ARE expert in. Maybe it's events: community building, audience development, experience design. Maybe it's systems thinking, communication, or project management. These aren't secondary skills; they're valuable expertise that translates across industries.

Maybe you're excellent at:

  • Systems and processes
  • Communication and storytelling
  • Data analysis and synthesis
  • Community building
  • Project management
  • Visual design and presentation

Whatever it is, that's your foundation. You're not starting from zero.

2. Position as the Organiser, Not the Originator

Your value isn't in creating new insights from scratch. Your value is in:

  • Synthesising existing research and insights
  • Organising scattered information into coherent frameworks
  • Translating complex ideas for different audiences
  • Connecting dots that others haven't connected
  • Presenting information in accessible formats

This is curatorial work, and it's valuable. Some of the most successful thought leaders are brilliant curators, not original researchers.

3. Leverage Your Unique Lens

Say you're an events expert curating AI content for HR professionals. You don't just share random articles. You filter everything through your events lens: "How would this AI tool change how we run conferences? What does this mean for networking at industry events? How could this improve attendee experience?"

That's your unique lens. It's not HR expertise, but it's a valuable perspective that pure HR experts can't provide.

4. Use Strategic Content Distribution

Here's a tactical tip that came out of our conversation: Use your company page for industry content and your personal page for behind-the-scenes content.

On your company page, share curated industry insights, news, and synthesised frameworks. On your personal page, share the process: how you're learning, what surprised you, challenges you're facing as someone new to the space.

This approach builds authority without claiming expertise you don't have.

How to Actually Curate Content (The Tactical Stuff)

Curation isn't just sharing random links. It's strategic synthesis. Here's the process:

Step 1: Research with Intent

Don't just Google randomly. Research with specific questions:

  • What are the biggest debates in this space?
  • What information exists but isn't well-organised?
  • Where are the gaps between expert knowledge and practical application?
  • What would your ideal client want to understand about this topic?

Step 2: Synthesise, Don't Summarise

Anyone can summarise an article. Your job is to synthesise multiple sources and add your perspective. Look for:

  • Patterns across different sources
  • Contradictions that reveal important nuances
  • Practical applications others haven't mentioned
  • Connections to your core expertise

Step 3: Add Your Lens

This is where you stop being a content aggregator and start being a curator. Filter everything through your unique expertise:

  • "As someone who's built 50+ events, here's what this AI development means for conference organisers..."
  • "From a systems perspective, here's why this approach works..."
  • "Having worked with 100+ consultants, I've seen this pattern before..."

Your lens is what makes generic information specifically valuable.

Step 4: Create Frameworks and Structure

Experts often share insights without structure. Your job is to organise their wisdom into actionable frameworks. Turn scattered insights into:

  • Step-by-step processes
  • Decision trees
  • Comparison matrices
  • Checklists and templates

Structure beats scattered brilliance.

The Two-Page Strategy

Split your content across two channels.

Company Page:

  • Curated industry insights
  • Synthesised frameworks
  • Market trends
  • Educational content

Personal Page:

  • Your learning journey
  • Behind-the-scenes process
  • Mistakes and lessons
  • The human side

Company page builds authority. Personal page builds trust. You don't have to choose.

When Curator Positioning Works Best

This approach isn't right for every situation, but it works well when:

You're entering an established market where there are already plenty of experts but poor information organisation.

You have valuable transferable skills that the market needs but doesn't recognise yet.

The market is fragmented with lots of scattered insights but no clear frameworks.

You're better at synthesis than original research. Some people are brilliant at connecting dots, others at discovering new dots.

You have a unique audience that needs information translated or adapted from expert-level to practical-level.

The timing is right — emerging topics (like AI) are perfect for curatorial positioning because everyone's learning together.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Here's how this plays out in content creation.

Instead of writing "10 AI Tools Every HR Professional Should Know" (expert positioning), you write "How I'm Evaluating AI Tools for HR Events: A Process Guide" (curator positioning).

Instead of "The Future of Remote Work" (expert positioning), you write "What 25 Remote Work Studies Actually Tell Us: A Synthesis" (curator positioning).

Instead of claiming authority, you demonstrate value through organisation, synthesis, and unique perspective.

The content is just as valuable — often more valuable because it's more accessible and actionable. But the positioning is completely different.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Apologising for what you're not
Don't start content with "I'm not an expert, but..." Just share your perspective. Your curated insights don't need disclaimers.

Mistake 2: Pure aggregation
Sharing links without context isn't curation. Add your analysis, patterns you're seeing, questions it raises for your specific audience.

Mistake 3: Trying to be neutral
Generic synthesis is boring. Your opinions, reactions, and unique lens are what make curation valuable. Don't hide behind objectivity.

Mistake 4: Inconsistent positioning
Pick your lane. Are you the events expert entering HR, or the HR expert who happens to do events? Mixed messages confuse your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Won't people see through this approach and think I'm not qualified?

The key is transparency about what you ARE, not defensiveness about what you're NOT. If you're clear that you're bringing events expertise to the HR space, people appreciate the unique perspective. It's when you try to position as something you're not that credibility suffers.

How long does it take to build authority through curation?

Faster than you think. Because you're organising existing information rather than developing original expertise, you can start adding value immediately. I've seen people build meaningful authority in 3-6 months with consistent curatorial content.

What if there are already established curators in the space?

Every curator brings their unique lens. An events person's perspective on AI is different from a tech person's perspective or a pure industry expert's perspective. There's room for multiple curators with different angles.

How do I know if I'm adding enough value or just resharing?

Ask yourself: Could someone get this exact insight by reading the original sources? If yes, you need to add more synthesis, opinion, or unique lens. If no, you're adding curatorial value.

Should I eventually transition to expert positioning?

Maybe, but it's not necessary. Some of the most successful people in their fields are brilliant curators. Don't treat it as a stepping stone — it can be the destination.

Stop Waiting. Start Curating.

You don't need to become the expert first. You need to recognise what you already have and position it.

The content is in your head. Pull it out. Organise it.

If you're waiting to become "qualified enough," you're waiting too long.

The market needs organisers more than experts. Authority follows value.

Want to learn more about building authority as a consultant or developing your LinkedIn personal branding for solopreneurs? I've got you covered.

Ready to stop overthinking your positioning and start taking action? Join The Trusted Voice community where brilliant but invisible experts learn to curate their way to authority.

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