The 7 Best Ways to Build Authority Online

A business can’t survive without its customers or clients. That’s why one of the most important tasks on your list as a business owner is to ensure a steady stream of leads that turn into customers and clients.

If you’re having trouble getting more customers, appointment bookings or clients, you may need to build your online reputation or authority. Building your authority will help make the phone ring more so you can get more bookings.

In this article, we’re going to cover the best 7 ways to build your authority online.

 

1. Reviews

The first thing you should do is try to increase your number of online reviews. Here’s a common example why online reviews are so important. For example, when shopping on Amazon and I’m not sure which product is the best choice, I typically look for the best rated products. And I’m not the only one — most people will turn to reviews before blindly buying a product.

The same logic applies to businesses and service providers. Your potential customers and clients will read reviews and testimonials from other people before taking the first step towards working with you and we’ve covered how you can increase your online reviews before.

 

 

2. Blogging

Writing helpful or interesting content regularly is another great way to build your authority online. Whether you share the articles on your social platforms, someone links to your content or your articles appear in Google, people will find your articles.

And if your article helps them or answers some of their questions, it will build trust and position you as the authority. As a result, they will be more likely to want to contact you.

The truth is content marketing works, especially when you write SEO optimized content. For example, I talk to people all the time that I’ve never met or talked to that say they have been following our work and content for years and then decide to contact us when they need a website or marketing help.

 

 

3. Podcast

If writing is not your cup of tea, consider podcasting. Podcasting is a great way to expand your reach and influence online. There are several ways to approach podcasting.

• Have a solo podcast where you discuss topics relevant to your industry and your audience.
• Interview other experts in your industry and become an expert by association.
• Invite your audience to send in their questions about a particular topic and you answer them on a podcast.
• Do a combination of the above methods to keep your podcast more interesting and engaging.

If your audience consists of people with busy lives, podcasting may just be the way to go as you can deliver great content that they love and that caters to their lifestyle.

 

4. Be Active in Groups

Another way to effectively build your authority online is to actively participate in various groups. This includes Facebook and LinkedIn groups, networks, and online communities.

When you participate and answer questions or provide helpful insight regularly, you’ll become known as the person with the answer. You’ll be seen not only as someone always willing to help but also as the go-to expert in your industry. As a result, you’ll become the first person people think of when they need the type of services or products you offer.

In addition to that, if you’re able to create or manage a group on a particular topic, you’ll reap a couple of major benefits. For starters, you’ll have more control over the topics shared and group management as a whole. Secondly, you’ll have more influence since you’re the group host.

For example, take our friend Amy who is an expert in Aritable, digital organization and automation. She noticed that there wasn’t a Facebook Group for AirTable so she started the “AirTable for Web Professionals” FB Group and it now has over 1000 members who turn to Amy as the expert on all things Airtable, automation, and organizing your digital life.

 

 

5. Create Videos

Video are very popular in the marketing world and with good reason. According to statistics, 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. As such, there is no better time to get on the video creation bandwagon.

When someone asks you a question, you can publish a video and answer the question (not just for them) but for others wondering the same thing. The best platform to publish videos is Youtube, although you can easily repurpose Youtube videos and use them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms.

Be sure to leverage the video title, description, keywords, thumbnail, and other settings to get your video optimized for the search engines. If you want to learn more about using video effectively, watch this podcast episode I did with YouTuber Trent Walker who explains how to maximize impact on YouTube.

 

 

6. Use Social Media

Social media is a great way to expand your reach and build your authority. You can start by putting out helpful or interesting content and monitor your accounts to see if your social media engagement increases.

 

 

7. Give Away the Farm (Free Content)

Most people error on the side of not giving away enough content. But, the more content you give away, the more people will trust you and see you as an expert.

Give away as much as you possibly can to easily build your authority online. As far as what content you could give away, these could be articles, ebooks, templates, tools, and anything else that’s related to your industry that helps your audience save time or gives them a quick win.

 

Need Help Building Your Reputation Online?

We can help. Whether you’re looking to increase your reviews, get help publishing new content on your website regularly, or having someone manage your social media. We can help. Contact us today so we can create the perfect roadmap for building your online reputation.