So, you wanna be the one. The one other people call first when they need help. The ‘go to’ expert in a crowded online world.
You want people to come to you, so you don’t have to chase them. You don’t want the bother of sleazy sales pitches or to waste your time staring at your inbox bleary-eyed waiting for the enquiries to flood through. Pfft. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.
If you're a small, service-based business - You want brand authority.
So then, who are you and why should people care? Are you consciously building your online brand or are you just carrying on in the background wearing your invisibility cloak? Read on - because I share 5 Tips to help your small business build a big brand.
What is Brand Authority?
The reality of #bizlyfe is you must increase your visibility online for your business to survive and thrive in future.
Brand authority is personal branding to the max. You are positioning yourself as the “go-to” expert in your niche area. Your niche area is the marketplace you service – ex. a business coach for c-suite mums starting their own executive coaching business.
What do you want to be known for? Learn more about building stand-out brands here.
How Can You Establish Brand Authority?
Brand authority is built over time by publishing consistent, high-value, high-quality content. You give away your knowledge and insights for free – because you’re a boss and you own that space.
Whether it’s thought-leading insights on your LinkedIn profile, weekly blogs exploring your subject expertise, a weekly Facebook live video / YouTube tutorial answering a FAQ, or a weekly podcast where you interview experts in complimentary fields.
Know your niche, know your audience’s problems and how you solve them, and know where and how they prefer to consume content. And simply publish, friends.
Pop on a pair of oversized black-rim glasses, wrap a scarf around your neck, grab your laptop, and base yourself in a quiet nook at your local café - extra-long long black in hand - and start writing awesome stuff. Fearlessly.
5 Ways You Can Build Brand Authority
Establishing brand authority takes time. You can get started with these 5 simple ways to change up your content:
1. Plan Your Content to Publish Consistently
Brand authority is realised once your audience trusts you. To build trust – you gotta show up; daily, weekly, monthly. You must also be consistent with your messaging.
This means, no rolling out of bed Friday morning in full panic about what random blog post you’ll write because you didn’t have your shit together on Wednesday when you were supposed to.
An editorial plan (or full content plan) takes a strategic view of your business goals, audience needs, and expertise and maps out the gritty topics you will publish - and where and when. You can write them in advance and schedule their publication, so your content is timely, organised, and aligned with your broader business plans.
2. Repurpose Your Content for Different Mediums
To strengthen your message and authority – repurpose your gritty blogs, Vlogs, and podcasts for different content types and publishing platforms. Because we all have different learning preferences.
For example - a YouTube tutorial becomes an opt-in checklist for your e-subscribers, an infographic for Pinterest, a blog series, medium or LinkedIn article, and shorter Facebook Live Q&A. Same message, same insights, but many learning mediums and platforms (this saves you a TON of time!).
Important for me to say: You don’t have to put your face everywhere – publish your unique message where your audience will hear it.
3. Guest Posts
Writing a guest post for relevant online magazines and/or for service providers with a similar audience and niche is an opportunity to put your face in front of new audiences. You are establishing your authority by being seen and ‘endorsed’ by highly-regarded third parties.
Do your research and choose opportunities aligned with your brand, message, and audience – don’t waste your time giving away killer content for the wrong people!
4. Facebook & Instagram Live
These two social networks LOVE live video and bump it up to the top of people’s feeds. Facebook have even stated they will prioritise live video over images and text. This means maximum exposure (something we all want and need!).
The other benefit is most of your competitors fear video, so you’ll stand out just by being there. Your live feeds don’t have to be fancy video productions – your mobile will be great! Keep them short and helpful and invite questions from your fans.
5. Contribute in Facebook Groups
If you’re in a great group – you’ll have many opportunities to contribute to the conversation! If people are asking for help, share your experiences and insights to help them along (please no selling).
You might like to start a conversation by sharing a client story and the valuable learnings that will benefit your group members.
People will get used to your name popping up sharing valuable information and wisdoms about your niche topics, leading to eventual referrals and enquiries.
Brand Authority Takes Time and Patience
It’s not difficult to build brand authority – it just takes time, commitment, and patience. Start with your content plan and work through this list. Once better content habits are established, you can focus on networking, workshops, and speaking opportunities.
Overwhelmed, like it’s just. all. too. much?
I help creative solopreneurs build their brand authority with pitch perfect content. If you’re tired of going it alone and coming up potatoes, learn more about working with me 😊