What is brand authority? Brand authority is how customers end up trusting a brand. Trust grows from the amount you can show yourself as a subject-matter expert. At the root of how to increase brand authority is how you can position yourself as the subject matter expert using content like blogs, videos, and social media.
So let’s talk about touch points – this is just an industry term for the different opportunities your messaging and content “touches” your audience. This can come in the form of your website copy, blogs, social media posts, videos, stories, podcasts, speaking opportunities – the high quality, relevant content you can produce to keep your audience engaged across channels.
USE YOUR WEBSITE AS THE HUB FOR ALL YOUR CONTENT
This is called “on-site content” and helps you establish brand authority. Start with the basics – strong website copy that is written for SEO and is easy to read – for both human reader AND the AI in the search engines. If you don’t know what SEO is or why it’s important, that’s OK. Invest in a copywriter like Sam Baker or Sadie Harper, both of whom have proven track records in creating SEO friendly website content. Use your website to maximize your SEO footprint – update regularly, write blog posts, create a resource library – things that create value for your audience and invite them back to your website again and again. Use email and social campaigns to drive traffic to your website.
DIVE INTO PODCASTING (OR VLOG/VODCASTING)
A podcast or vlog/vodcast is a great way to build brand authority that doesn’t involve writing (for those of us who are stronger speakers than writers). It’s also just a great way to grow your audience. Decide your format and pick topics that represent you and your brand. You can DIY it from start to finish, or you can hire someone like Joe to help you with the production of your podcast or video. Regardless of how you do it, using audio/video platforms to help your audience get to know you and what you’re about is a great way to build brand authority.
YES, YOU DO NEED SOCIAL MEDIA.
NO, YOU DO NOT NEED ALLLL THE APPS
I talk with my audience and clients about this all the time. Usually I hear “I don’t really use social media” or “all my customers come from referrals” or “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to say.” Sometimes it’s a combination of all those things. I am here to tell you social media plays a necessary and important role in your digital marketing strategy.
Yes, you NEED social media as a part of your marketing efforts. No, you DO NOT need to create content for all the platforms. Your potential clients and customers WILL search for you and check you out. A presence on at least ONE of those platforms is important. That’s right, I said you just need one. Start with putting content consistently on the ONE platform where your ideal clients and customers hang out. Consistent means not just one post every so often. It means executing a content plan on that one platform that will increase your visibility. This positions you as an expert on that platform. How often is regular? It depends on the platform and the audience. (We talk about this A LOT in Stories + Strategy, by the way). It is important to use at least one social media platform to cultivate brand awareness and authority.
USE A HIGHLIGHT REEL
Testimonials & reviews from your existing customer/client base are a fabulous way to show your audience just how awesome you are. When someone shares a rating, video, or written review about what you offer, turn it into content for your website and social media channels to create what we in the marketing world call social proof. It just means there’s evidence to support you do XYZ in a great way, and here is someone who isn’t affiliated with your company giving their 2 cents. You can also incorporate influencers, badges and media logos, and different buttons and widgets on your site to give additional highlights and credibility. Also, if you’re not actively soliciting reviews from your customers – you’re missing out on some opportunities to grow your brand! Claim the Google My Business listing; send the review link as part of your automated nurture sequences with your audience and ask for feedback.
HOST EVENTS
In person or online, conferences, workshops, webinars, summits…all kinds of events can contribute to brand authority. You can show off expertise around topic A and bring in guest experts to talk about topics B, C, D. Offer value to your audience by facilitating and coordinating the event. Hybrid events, where people can attend both in person and virtually, expand your reach and bring credibility to your brand. Jennie Wright and Alyson Lex host the System to Thrive podcast and offer a ton of resources on online events and summits. You can also check out the episodes I recorded with them and also listen to their Girls Who Do Stuff episode.
LOOK FOR SHARING OPPORTUNITIES & CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER SITES
When you put yourself out there and seek to contribute to other sites, articles, speaker panels, webinars, projects, etc, you are actually doing great things to leverage your brand AND add brand authority. Any time you can be tagged or linked it helps your searchability & contributes to your brand. You may think those tags in Facebook groups don’t pay off – like when someone asks for a _______ that can do ________ and there are 193 comments and you’re like “why does it even matter if I throw my name in the mix?” When you build bran authority, you also build a community of people who will support you and recommend you. This helps potential customers find you BECAUSE of shares, tags and contributions – over time this increases brand authority.
BE YOURSELF NO MATTER THE PLATFORM OR OPPORTUNITY
Maybe the most important thing to build brand authority is to be who you say you are. Be genuine. Every post, every blog, every contributor series, every episode, every appearance, every conversation. You do you, boo.
Show integrity – doing what you say you will and doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
Business is about relationships – by following through, you’ll increase the ever important know, like and trust factors to prospects and customers. Networking, nurturing customer relationships and treating your business interactions as a relationship rather than a transaction will help you establish brand awareness and increase brand authority.
