11 Questions To Ask Before Starting an SME Partnership
by Christy Walters, published from CopyPress
Subject matter experts (SMEs) are essential content marketing allies because they have the in-depth knowledge your audience wants or needs to know. Even the best researchers can't replicate real-world expertise and skills.
But how are you supposed to find the right SME? Here are the questions you'll want to ask to make sure you develop the right partnerships for your business:
1. What Resources Can You Invest in an SME?
If time, money, and other limitations were no object, you'd obviously want to recruit the most qualified expert in your field to work on your content projects. Unfortunately, unless you work for a company like Apple or Google, you probably do have restrictions on the type of subject matter experts you can partner with. Consider the time, money, and effort you can dedicate to finding and hiring an SME. For example, if you have a pressing deadline, you don't have the time to spend scouring the internet, or even the company, for just the right partner.?
You may need to work with someone you can contact right away—with a lot of free time and flexibility—to help you meet the deadline. Even if you have the extra time to find your perfect SME match, your budget may be the deciding factor of who you can work with. Knowing your limitations before you start the search makes the process easier. It also eliminates the potential of finding a great SME you can't have, and feeling like you have to settle instead.
2. How Do SMEs Fit into the Content Development Process?
The way each team plans to use its SMEs may differ. A marketing team that runs a successful podcast works with experts differently than the team for an all-print publication. Before you choose an SME, you need to consider how and when you plan to use their expertise. What is their role on your content team? Do you plan to do live interviews once a month for your podcast or social media channels? Do you want to do short interviews every week to get their thoughts for blog posts?
There is no right or wrong way to work with your SME. But you need to understand and be clear about your expectations if they commit to the role so you can be transparent from the first interaction.
3. Do You Want a Passive or Active SME?
Consider if you need someone to take a more active or passive role on your team. Active SMEs have high involvement in the content development process. They show up for interviews, brainstorm content topics, and maybe even help with writing or filming, if they have the skills.?
Passive SMEs take a more "behind the scenes" role. Instead of doing an interview for a resource article, they may fact-check a researched article from your content writers. Or they may consult on the best way to proceed with a content project on a specific topic. Again, understanding how to leverage SMEs to create content helps you narrow in on the right fit for your organization.
4. Should You Rent or Buy Your Subject Matter Expert?
After you know how your SMEs fit into the content development process, and what you want them to do, you can understand how often you'll need them around. If you plan to interview someone every week for a blog, you're going to need them to have more availability than the once-a-month podcast guest. SME involvement brings up the question of buying vs. renting your talent. Should you hire an SME full-time for your content team so you can call on them whenever you need? Or is it better to rent niche freelancers for every project?
Only you can decide which option is right. Most companies just starting with SMEs can likely get by with the freelancer approach. When you're not adding someone to the team long-term, there's less of a commitment. Plus, with short-term contracts, you're free to find the right specialist for every project instead of relying on one full-time team member.?
5. Where Do You Want To Find Your SMEs?
Consider how and where you want to find the right talent. Do you plan to look internally at your own company? Can you research industry experts on social media or other digital channels? Are you attending any conferences or trade shows where you could meet experts in person?
Knowing where you plan to look for your talent helps you narrow the pool further. It also makes it easier to split the research process among team members.
6. How Do You Want To Contact Your Experts?
The way you plan to kick off each partnership may also influence who you choose to work with. Do you want to introduce yourself with a cold call or email? Would you rather introduce yourself in person at an event? Is it better for your brand to set up an internal introduction among team members from various departments? The availability of your potential SME's contact information can also influence this decision.
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Say you find someone on Twitter who seems like a good fit, but they have their direct messages (DMs) turned off and no other contact information listed. This is a situation when you might look for someone else who's more open to collaboration. Most external SMEs who market themselves online have their DMs open on social platforms. They'll also share at least one of their other contact methods, like an email address, phone number, or a link to their website or portfolio.
7. Have Any SMEs Come To You?
If you haven't been in the market for an SME before, it may have been easy to dismiss direct messages or emails from industry thought leaders or experts. Even if they reached out to collaborate with your brand on content projects. Review your communication channels to see if you have past messages from people proposing collaboration.? Even if you turned them down before, there's still an opportunity to connect again—as long as they're a fit for your brand.
8. Is This Person Really an Expert?
To quote Dr. Greg House from House M.D., "everybody lies." And people are, for whatever reason, extra prone to lying about their jobs or their credentials. Maybe you've dealt with a situation like this before. So, how are you supposed to tell if someone is really an expert, and isn't just blowing smoke? Looking into the person's background and getting recommendations from others are the first steps. Here are several more qualities you might look for in an SME:
9. Is Your SME Active in the Field?
Expertise is relative. For someone to become and stay an expert on anything, they have to practice constantly, research, and engage with whatever subject they're an expert in. That's why it's critical to make sure your potential SME is active in industry communities. Here are a few ways to tell if someone is currently active in their field:
10. Should You Test Your Subject Matter Experts?
If you think you want to put your subject matter experts to the test before inking a full partnership, go for it. It's not unusual for roles in the creative space—like writers or videographers—to complete test pieces or some sort of skills assessment before landing a role. You can do the same for your SMEs by asking them to collaborate on a test project. Clarify that you may or may not use the content for your brand and be transparent about how the test process works.
Keep in mind, though, that not every SME needs to take a skills test. But if you're on the fence about someone's credentials or expertise, this may be another way to see what they can really do before you forge a deeper partnership.
11. Will Your Audience Like This SME?
In the end, the entire reason you're looking for an SME is to find someone who's going to share the information your audience wants or needs to know. Whether the audience is going to see the SME's face, their words, or just feel their presence over your content, you need to ask your team, "is the audience going to like this person?" One of the biggest hurdles of content marketing is making your pieces both helpful and relatable.?
And your audience won't buy into SMEs on credentials alone. If they're not engaging, likable, or relatable, your audience will find someone else who fits that bill in content published by your competitors. If your final SME decision comes down to two people with the same qualifications, pick the charmer. They have a better chance of winning over your audience.
Does Your Brand Actually Need a Subject Matter Expert?
By now, you've probably got a picture of your ideal SME. Or maybe you don't and you're wondering if you really need one at all. If you think your brand can make do with just a content team and still deliver the best high-quality information in your industry, think again.
There's an ego debate at play when it comes to weighing subject expertise against content creation skill: which one matters more? Non-writers or creators think the development process is easy. Anyone can jot down a few sentences or hit the record button on a phone camera, right? In the other camp, content creators know they have top-notch research skills. Why would they need someone else to come in and tell them things they could look up online? If both parties approach an SME partnership with these attitudes, it's bound to fail from the start.
Truthfully, yes, your brand needs SMEs. A content creator and SME partnership is stronger than one side alone. While it's easier to teach a talented writer about a new subject than it is to teach an expert to write, don't discount what SMEs can bring to the table.?
View your SME partnerships as another form of research. Instead of spending all your time scouring Google for information that might not exist, interview people who actually work in your field every day. It takes the same amount of time but brings results that are far more valuable and engaging for your audience.