Years ago, businesses believed in the power of “trade secrets”, holding proprietary information or successful habits close and hidden from consumers and competitors. Today’s consumers want more than a good product or a low price. They are looking for a real connection to the brands and companies with which they do business.
What is authority marketing?
Simply put, authority marketing is the open sharing of business secrets and expertise with potential customers. It sends the message that you are an industry expert with knowledge, skills or insight that consumers cannot get from your competitors.
If done properly, authority marketing will help establish your brand as a first point of reference for consumers looking for information about your industry, which increases traffic, referrals and revenue.
How building authority can help build business
Positioning yourself as an authority and conveying that expertise through quality content that gives value to consumers can create a significant boost for your brand.
- Draws attention
Authority marketing draws attention to your business. Whether writing guest posts for a popular industry blog, sharing opinions with media outlets, or speaking at conferences and industry events, building a reputation as an authority instantly creates greater awareness of your brand.
- Attracts new customers
There is a reason why businesses love to label themselves “best” – shoppers are often more motivated to associate (and spend) with brands they believe to be market leaders. Cultivating an authoritative voice in your content marketing tells potential customers that yours is a leading company and one to be trusted.
- Improves loyalty
Brands that take an authoritative approach to content marketing are far more active across all marketing channels than those that struggle to create content. Authoritative marketers post, tweet, share, blog, pin and more on a regular basis, with content that encourages customers to follow along and to seek out those brands when they need answers or insight.
Conclusion
Cultivating authority is fast becoming a necessity in content marketing. As competition online increases, smart marketers will get ahead of the curve and begin incorporating authority as a way to stand apart.
