6 Ways To Improve Your Digital Presence With Authoritative Marketing

You can’t believe everything you read online these days, which is why it’s so important to assure your readers that you do, in fact, know what you’re talking about. Telling them that isn’t going to do much good, but showing them can have a more positive effect. In order to do that, you need to become an authority. You can do that by using authoritative marketing.

What is Authority Marketing?

Authority marketing is the process by which you establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If people look to you as a leader in a certain field, they are much more likely to use your products, services and counsel. Online brand marketing (whether personally or as a company) can build longevity in your business and help you pull away from your competition.

Being known as an authority in your industry is a key element when developing your digital presence. You want people to know who you are. However, you don’t want them to recognize you as a business that pilfers the content of other companies and is considered unreliable. The feedback you receive from customers should be positive if you can help it.

While this is a constant concern of companies, there are many ways you can take control of your growing popularity. One of the best and easiest ways is to engage in authority marketing. You can establish yourself as a leader in the field by writing authoritative content and staying consistent with posts, brand image and company values. Content authority speaks for itself.

How Do You Create Authoritative Marketing Content?

You can build authority for your persona, brand or company as a whole by creating authoritative content. The way you portray data, properly cite sources and use charm can affect the way readers view you. If they like what they read and begin to trust you, they’ll keep coming back for more and support what you have to say.

We’ve included some of the best content marketing strategies for establishing content authority. If you want to develop and improve your digital presence, here are the methods you need to incorporate into your writing today.

1. Offer Proof

As an expert in the industry, you will have many claims, facts and opinions that will be surprising or controversial to readers. Be sure to always back up your authoritative marketing content with evidence from sources that are already considered trustworthy, such as .org and .gov sites. Citing your sources is an automatic sign of credibility in any article online.

Work with your content marketing agency to ensure that any bold statements are backed up with proof. This is especially important if you’re discussing topics that are controversial but should be used with concrete statements.

Providing legitimate third-party confirmation of your opinions increases your reliability and decreases the chance you’ll be accused of faulty information. It also shows that you have research to back up claims, subliminally passing on the message to the reader that you’ve done your homework and aren’t just speaking on a whim.

Authoritative marketing makes every source and claim count. In fact, it shows readers that you know where to find the right information. If they need to know something, they can trust that you have resources that can help them. Offering proof is one of the quickest ways to build your content authority.

2. Use Research

Research isn’t as hard to conduct as you may think and can be a great addition to your content marketing plan. It helps readers understand the importance of certain facts or methods. You can conduct surveys of your current subscribers, blind tests with random participants and comparisons with competitor products.

Once you’ve collected enough information, you can use the results to create multiple pieces of authoritative marketing content. Videos of the tests happening can be great evidence and graphs detailing the results of the surveys can enforce your position. Don’t forget to use infographics that can easily be shared across social media platforms and websites.

The Power of Data

Numbers, in and of themselves, aren’t too exciting. But when they’re used to back up data, they become very meaningful and paint a more thorough picture than a statement without it. They help readers see the bigger picture, and they give you more credibility.

For instance, did you know that research-heavy content articles like white papers are shared by B2B buyers 79% of the time? Authoritative marketing content that proves authority through research tends to be shared more regularly with the right people than thin content.

3. Cite Case Studies

Another great tactic for your authority marketing strategy is to develop case studies. When you find a user who really believes in your product, request permission to share their personal story with your audience. Their personal testimonial can inspire others to seek out your product.

Connection is very important in authoritative marketing, so seeing the face and name of a relatable customer can go a long way in boosting your authority. In fact, case studies are cited by Search Engine Journal as being one of the best online brand marketing strategies. These case studies allow similar customers to envision how they could be helped by your product or service and end up selling themselves.

Using customer reviews doesn’t just help with promotion, but it also builds trust in potential clients. People will have more confidence in you when others seem to enjoy your services and opinions. When you build a community around your brand, you also put yourself in better lighting. You need the help of others to truly be recognized as an expert in the industry.

4. Ask Other Experts

To become well recognized, you need to use the wisdom of others who have gone before you. This is especially important if you are new in your field and relatively unknown. As part of your authoritative marketing strategy, post, share and discuss the knowledge that other experts in your field have shared. As you properly cite sources and recognize those you are highlighting, using their knowledge and advice can be a great asset.

Ask your content marketing agency to incorporate periodic roundup posts so that you can increase your authority with readers as well as with Google. These types of authoritative marketing posts are also much more likely to be shared by other influencers in the industry, helping to boost your branding even more.

If you struggle to find things to write about, this is a great option. In fact, Curata created this infographic which shows that social media and curated content can make up the largest portion of your content marketing pyramid:

These experts go on to state that 25 percent of all content you post should be curated from other experts in your field. In addition to utilizing external links and creating a reciprocal relationship with other bloggers, you’re also setting yourself up as an expert who is not only knowledgeable about your industry but also in-the-know with fellow professionals. Knowing the answer is helpful but knowing who to ask for help is necessary when it comes to authoritative content.

5. Use Trends

Although you may have plenty of topics that you love writing about, one of the secrets to becoming well-known among readers is to talk about what they are thinking about. What topics are circulating right now? What are people searching?

Thanks to hashtags, you can easily see which topics are trending on just about any social media site. There’s a good chance that you can bend a current news story or person of interest to support your business, or simply drop the name somewhere in your authoritative marketing content piece to attract the attention of search bots. For instance, here’s an example of a “Trending Now” box from Yahoo.com’s home page:

You’ll usually find a slew of celebrities and recent news stories, plus a few random topics (like foreign currency and online slots seen here). Chances are that you’ll be able to bend at least one of them to fit your business.

For instance, if you own a home remodeling company, you could talk about a recent revamp job one of the celebrities performed on his or her home or summer holiday deals you’re currently offering. By forming your topics around current trends, you’ll not only prove that you know what you’re talking about, but that you also know what’s buzzing right now. It will also increase the chances that someone searching one of the hot topics will come across your site.

Also be aware of any keyword trends. For instance, some seasonal products/services are more searched for at different times of the year. Knowing when these keywords see an uptick in search volume could help you to know when to put your authoritative marketing blog posts out. Consider developing a content calendar so you post certain articles at the peak of their reader value.

6. Be Personable

While the word “authoritative” may sound lofty and superior, it really just means you know what you’re talking about. To truly be an expert, you need to insert some charm into your content. Someone can know the facts and details of their topic, but if the article isn’t relatable and enjoyable to read, nobody is going to suffer through it.

Instead, be sure that your content writing agency keeps things entertaining while giving away a wealth of information.

Tips For Writing With More Appeal

Are you nervous that readers won’t enjoy your content? Everyone’s writing style is different, which is something to be celebrated. However, you can spice up your content by trying to be a little more casual in your writing. Aim to relate with readers and show that you care about their interests, needs and concerns. As part of your authoritative marketing strategy, try to help them feel comfortable while reading and interacting with your website.

Along with writing well, it’s a good idea to change things up. Using different types of media and writing approaches on your website can interest and engage more readers. Here are a few examples that can improve reader retention and help visitors see you as a connoisseur:

• Create a fun video where you (the expert) share your knowledge in a unique way.
• Use stories and anecdotes at the beginning of your posts to engage readers right from the get-go.
• Display infographics and exclusive pictures
• Offer surveys and quizzes

Keeping things light can make your content easy to read and more likely to be shared. While some topics will require a more serious tone, most can be tweaked to include unique angles, methods and stories that will attract readers who want to be entertained in addition to educated.

In essence, content authority can sometimes be established just by connecting on a personal level with your reader. If they can relate to you, laugh at your stories and appreciate the media and content you create, you’ve got a better hold on them and on future clients.

Incorporate Authoritative Marketing Content into Your Strategy!

While using authority marketing has a lot to do with the way you say things, it has just as much to do with how you portray yourself, cite your sources and interact with others. Readers want to know who you are. With these methods, you can share more authoritative content, develop your digital presence and show visitors that you care about them.

Incorporate a few of these tips to create the best authoritative marketing strategy possible. They can develop your digital presence and assure your readers that you are a voice they can trust. Need help creating authoritative content? Our team of writers can help you get started.