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Open your inbox on any given day, and you probably have at least one email that offers you a free resource. They’ll range from checklists to webinars, where people are willing to offer you their knowledge and expertise for free.
That’s the same energy you can expect from The Reluctant Expert Anti-Hero Social Media Marketer.
Whether you took the Anti-Hero Social Media Marketer quiz and landed on The Reluctant Expert or you just want to figure out how to harness their energy for your own social media presence, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’re breaking down how this Anti-Hero Social Media Marketer archetype uses their humble, quiet authority to connect with their audience and build some of the most intense brand loyalty out there.
Inside the Mind of the Reluctant Expert
Reluctant Experts are rarely the loudest voice in the room, but they’re often the most trusted.
If you’ve ever gone to an event and dropped in on a talk from someone you’ve never heard of, only to follow them on every platform as soon as you got home, you’ve seen The Reluctant Expert in action. And that could easily be you, too!
You didn’t seek out the title of ‘Expert.’ Your consistency in showing up, answering questions and building trust is what led you to it. You didn’t need to chase visibility because it found you.
That’s the power of The Reluctant Expert Anti-Hero Social Media Marketer. Your genuine drive to help people has given you a reputation for generosity and knowledge, whether that means posting a detailed explainer, a helpful resource or a genuine insight. You let your work do the talking.
Your Natural Behaviours On Social Media
You don’t manufacture content. You notice what’s needed and you answer it like a friend would.
- You’re naturally humble, answering questions in comments or DMs without turning it into a sales pitch.
- You’re knowledgeable about what you do, and share practical advice you’ve tested yourself in posts and newsletters (without coming across as braggy or condescending.)
- You’re incredibly helpful. You offer tools or tips you actually use, in a way that helps people without feeling pushy or salesy.
- You’re a quiet authority in your field, often posting content that reads like a thoughtful reply, rather than a megaphone announcement.
- You’re all about sharing resources. You skip the backstory and get right to the “here’s how I can help”.
Where the Honest Realist might let people into the full story, (flops, flaws, and all) you tend to distill that down into something more actionable. Less “here’s what happened to me,” more “here’s what I learned that might help you.”
You’re a simplifier (dare I say an UNDERcomplicator?), and translate your experiences into useful insights that genuinely help your audience.
Your Strategic Edge
You’re a teacher, without being a preacher. And on days when the internet is feeling about as fun as a root canal, you stand out by being a safe harbour of knowledge and insights without the sales pitches.
Your strength is in UNDERcomplicating things for your audience. You don’t gatekeep, and people appreciate that about you.
You come across as generous and humble, and that’s a superpower all on its own!
When people are confused or unsure, they turn to you as the expert. Even if you never asked for that title in the first place.
And because it wasn’t your goal to be the top of your field, you end up being the person that people trust the most.
That kind of presence builds long-term loyalty. People don’t just follow you, they RELY on you.
Unlike the Rebellious Innovator who thrives on shaking things up, or the Satirical Marketer who pokes the bear for fun, you offer steady insight and helpful guidance. If you’re into “love languages”, you might say yours is Service.
Potential Pitfalls
The biggest pitfall for Reluctant Experts is that they are so humble it’s easy to end up being invisible, online and off.
One of my Virtual Assistant’s has a wealth of knowledge around digital marketing. She goes to events and is immediately surrounded by people who want to learn more from her about intricacies of digital marketing strategy.
But when she gets home, her Impostor Syndrome causes her to second-guess herself. So instead of connecting with the audience who needs her, she stays quietly on the sidelines instead.
The things that make The Reluctant Expert so powerful are the same things that trip them up when it comes to their own social media:
- Being so humble about your gifts that it’s easy for Imposter Syndrome to keep you from sharing them.
- Second-guessing yourself when you’re surrounded by other people in your industry.
- Avoiding anything that feels too ‘salesy’, even when that means you’re depriving the people who really need your insights.
- Avoiding calls-to-action on content and resources that you’ve spent a considerable amount of time creating. (Reminding myself to get better at this, right now!)
- A folder full of blog posts that were never posted, notes apps full of insights you’ve never shared. (If this sounds familiar, send me an email to get access to my free Social Media Post Coach. It’ll help you figure out your block so you can hit publish on a post today.)
- Not asking for testimonials or reviews from people you’ve worked with, even though you know they could be the best content for your brand.
Because you’re a bit “reluctant,” you might also default to giving help one-on-one, instead of repurposing it more widely. I’m not saying everyone needs a group program or online course, but when you hit the point that you cannot comfortably fit in all the individual work you’re booking, it’s time to think about scaling up…at least a bit.
While The Maverick believes “done is better than perfect”, you lean more towards perfectionism. You’d rather hold back than risk being unhelpful. That instinct is noble, but it can also stop your best insights from reaching more people. A little bit of #Flawsome won’t hurt you and your audience might just love you more for it!
Your Social Media Strategy, Anti-Hero Style
You don’t need to become someone you’re not. You just need a system that supports the way you already show up best.
Here’s how to build a strategy that works for your style:
- Start a weekly “What I’ve been asked” post series. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just one helpful answer at a time.
- Keep a “resource vault” with past client questions, tips you’ve written in DMs, and tools you actually use. This is one of the best SEO strategies if you’re writing a blog or any long-ish form posts on social media. Answer the questions people ask you because that’s what they’re searching for in AI and on Google.
- Focus on helping one person per post. That’s what you’re most comfortable with, so make it specific if you need to. I guarantee there is more than one person out there to whom it will be relatable.
- Teach like you’re talking to a smart friend who just needs a bit of clarity.
- Repeat yourself. If something helped once, it will help again. Not everyone will see it the first time! Even if they did, maybe they didn’t take it in or understand it that time, but they will the third or fourth time you talk about it. Keep finding new ways to talk abou the same things. This isn’t repetitive, it’s CONSISTENT. You don’t need new ideas every week. You just need to share what’s already helped someone, a few more times.
Try This Tactic: Low Effort, High Impact
Scroll through your inbox, DMs, or client notes. Find one question you’ve answered more than once.
Then:
- Copy and paste your answer into a fresh post.
- Add this line at the top:
“Someone asked me this recently, and I figured it might help more people too.” - Post it. Just as it is, without overthinking or feeling like you need fancy graphics. It just needs to be helpful, to get the ball rolling.
You don’t need to create a buyer persona or plan three months of content to get started, you just need to hit publish on at least one post. Because your quiet authority will do the work for you.
Strategy Isn’t Optional, Even For An Expert
Social media tactics are great, but with your quiet authority, your real power is in connecting with your audience consistently.
That’s exactly why the Social Media Strategy for Anti-Heroes Course was created. To help my students take all the tactics that are working for their business and build the consistency needed to succeed online.
Are you ready to figure out how to create a social media strategy that will keep you from second-guessing yourself? Find out more here.
