.png){kind=small}
Is your business struggling with getting its name out there? Try building your brand’s authority. Brand authority, according to Trailblaze, is “the extent to which customers trust your brand and view your brand or business as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in your space.” But then, how do you build it? In this article, we will go over various techniques and ways to build your brand’s authority and make a name for your business.
Post! Post! Post!
One of the most important things to do when building brand authority is to post quality content consistently. Social media is a great place to start. Brands that post consistently on social media are found to increase their revenue by up to 23%. And social media posting is just a great way to make a name for yourself. Spread your business out among platforms. Try to post things that are informative and engage with people as well. Blogs also add a lot to the table. Do keyword research and insert those keywords into your titles, as this will give you more real estate on Google. Essentially, the chances of your business’s website appearing in searches will increase. The more original your content is, the better.
Another good way to increase brand authority is to post original research. Whether you outsource research or conduct your own, this will give you an edge over your competitors because you will show that you are an expert in your field. People listen to data.
Borrow authority
Another way to build brand authority is to borrow from SMEs and other powerful sources. For instance, you can use statistics from someone else’s study on the type of product you offer. These statistics may not be about your exact product, but you are essentially using an expert’s voice to help your case as to why people should buy it.
If you’ve been featured in anything, you can use that too. Podcasts and interviews are especially useful in building brand authority. Not only do you borrow the authority of whoever is interviewing you, but you are exposed to an audience that trusts the interviewer. This only expands your reach towards potential customers.
Another way of borrowing authority is to use your school background. Have a degree or certification in your business’s field? Show it off. Customers love to see evidence that you know what you’re talking about. And it helps to have the reputation of an accredited institution in your back pocket.
Be transparent and trustworthy
One mistake a lot of businesses make is not being transparent. Customers are savvy and shouldn’t be underestimated, they can search up your business and read reviews in no time. That is why you don’t want to hide the way that your business works. To build brand authority, you want your customers to trust you and your brand. You also want them to leave good reviews for your business so others can see you are trustworthy. 31% of customers believe that trustworthiness is the most important aspect of a brand, meaning that people really care about your reputation as a business.
Don’t underestimate word of mouth. People are two to three times more likely to leave an angry review when they receive bad service. So, make sure to ask your customers to leave reviews about your products and services often, that way your good reviews balance out any potential bad reviews, maintaining your authority. Human beings are hardwired to seek out the experiences of others over jumping into something blindly, this is a survival instinct. A substantial number of good reviews will help you stand a cut above the rest.
Understand the customer journey
To understand your customers and build brand authority, you must understand their journey. That is, you must have a grasp on what their mindset is at each step of your marketing funnel. Knowing where your customers are will help you better understand how to market and sell your product. You will also be able to tell where their frustrations lie, and why or why not they may purchase from you. In the end, this will help aid you in customer retention--retention leads to advocacy. And advocacy leads to more authority.
So, create content for every stage of the customer's journey. For example, online ads are suitable for the awareness stage, and something like a customer loyalty program is excellent for retention. As long as you have a deep understanding of your customer base and their relationship with your brand, you should be building brand authority just fine.
Final thoughts
Brand authority is something that takes time and effort to build. It isn’t easy, but if you have passion for your product and stay in a growth mindset, in time you will succeed. Remember to consistently create content, borrow from experts, be transparent, and know your customers. When in doubt, check out other SMEs and see what tactics they employ. Overall, your brand’s authority will come from trial and error and having the patience to keep going when others give up.
Sources:
Comments