The importance of domain expertise.

A subject matter expert (SME) is a person that is an expert in a particular domain. Domain experts have developed special skills through prior experience in that particular area. Through their experience, they have also amassed a special level of knowledge capital.

Inbound marketing is promotion through blogs, podcasts, videos, eBooks, newsletters, white papers, social media, etc. In contrast to traditional [“outbound”] marketing (e.g. traditional advertising), inbound marketing is called “inbound” because it brings visitors “in,” earning their attention by producing interesting content.

Inbound marketing is especially effective for small businesses. Instead of engaging in costly marketing campaigns that involve high fees and lengthy dev cycles, inbound marketing provides a cost-effective alternative that is proven to bring in prospects that are already informed, have a particular interest, and are likely to be seeking products or services like the ones you sell.

Expertise is critical during any development. Understanding how things really work and having prior experiences to reference can make all the difference in the world. SMEs know best practices and can validate accuracy in their domain. A SME will tell you what needs to be done, how, and will validate the results to make sure you maximize your ROI.