When you start out with a new business, naturally you have high hopes for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who doesn\u2019t want to become and authority within their industry? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know that it\u2019s possible, but knowing how to go about it can be another matter entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most industries, there\u2019s cut throat competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The online world is buzzing, and whatever you\u2019re doing, someone else is probably doing it too. So how do you elevate yourself to the lofty position of authority you crave? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even when people think they have an idea of how to become an authority, it often fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The point of building authority is to build trust in your business<\/a>. Without trust, you don\u2019t have much of a business anyway. It simply makes sense to aim for the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a\nfew pointers that should give you best chance of making your brand an\nauthority:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first things your customers will want to know is that you\u2019re ready and waiting to interact with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your online presence should be prolific<\/a>; your social media channels regularly active and your products and services easy to locate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This applies\nin particular to Facebook. No entrepreneur should ever dream of setting out\nwithout a <\/a>Facebook page for the business<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s one of the first things your customers\nwill seek out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should first be fully aware of who your target audience is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, when you start to pay for advertising (and pay you must) you\u2019ll be reaching the right people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook has an effective advertising platform \u2013 when you know what you\u2019re doing. Not everything<\/em> must be paid for, however:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can create groups of your own that are relevant to your target audience, and post in other groups that share related content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The latter should be done in a strategic and \u2018non-spammy\u2019 way, of course; neither should it violate the terms of the groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Group members consistently receive notifications, which doesn\u2019t happen much via pages unless you pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you join in other discussions within the groups to get your face and knowledge noticed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Technically you\u2019re doing admins a favour by responding on their behalf\u2026 provided your information isn\u2019t controversial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However you\u2019re spreading your own content, make sure it is done consistently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The content must be highly relevant to your target audience and delivered in an engaging way. Once that engagement comes your way, you have to be there to respond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how people begin to trust you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment you put a face to a name, people start to feel that they know you. It\u2019s a subconscious thing, but it does build trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A photo won\u2019t really cut it; video is the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody is saying it\u2019s easy, and it might take practice before you feel confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless, it\u2019s entirely necessary. It\u2019s all about the video these days<\/a>, and if you\u2019re not doing it, your customers will be engaging with someone who will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that once you have a following for your videos, people will be much more inclined to read your content (as long as it’s unique and not duplicate content<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not a natural public speaker, make a script or at least a few bullet points you can refer to. Use your current content as a guide if you don\u2019t have too many fresh ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t put notes on your desk as you\u2019ll need to keep glancing down \u2013 that\u2019s incredibly obvious to viewers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Place it on your screen if possible \u2013 that way you\u2019ll appear to be looking at the camera and you should get to avoid watching your own (distracting) face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you feel more confident, going live is even better. People love to engage in real time, and it speaks of a whole new level of confidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From a marketing point of view, it\u2019s a win-win. You don\u2019t even need to pay for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today it\u2019s all about being a guest. If you can get yourself invited into a current authority\u2019s domain somehow, you\u2019ll automatically be trusted by their audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMake Yourself Fully Available on Social Media<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Know your target audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create and interact with groups<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get Your Face Known<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Guest Post on Relevant Websites<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n