If people knew who you were, would that make them want to buy from you? The short answer is yes.
If your reputation precedes you then you’re not an unknown factor anymore. They have something to base their decision to buy on, and it’s going to be easier for them to make that buying decision.
Following are three simple ways to become an authority.
Write your own magazine or newspaper column.
The way I look at it is you need to give the public, your audience, exactly what they expect. How can you use mainstream media to your advantage? Let’s take something as simple as a magazine. A magazine is something people are already familiar with that they can pick up, look at and read.
If you had a monthly column in a magazine, do you think that would help you become an authority? Of course, it would.
There was a time when I wrote a monthly column for four different publications. Do you think that helped showcase that I’m an authority? Yes, it did.
I didn’t get paid to write in those publications, but I got the exposure in several national publications where people could see who I am, what I do, and a new article I wrote that month, and they also get a chance to see my website where they can come back and find out more about me.
It wasn’t a direct sale I was trying to make from those magazines, it’s really a two-step process and it truly is about exposure of who I am and the brand associated with me.
Publish articles to your own blog.
This is something I think everyone should do and sadly not enough people actually do. A blog is the easiest way for most people to start putting information about themselves online. For example, if you’re writing articles consistently about your topic, people will naturally find them because they’re on your blog.
You can add a number of pages to your blog and do a number of other things with it. You can post articles, offer free tips, give links to your products and services, create a social environment, and most importantly have a feature that is designed to capture the viewer’s name and email address.
Write your own book.
Right now, the mainstream marketplace is interested in books. They know what they are — there’s no question as to what it is. A book is like your business card. It gives you instant credibility. I don’t care who you are or what the subject is; if you wrote a book on it, people would look and treat you differently.
So, there you have it—three ideas you can start working on right now to become an authority.
As a recap:
- Magazine/newspaper strategy—column or submitting articles
- Blog—writing or posting articles
- Writing your own book
These are simple ideas that you can get started on today. All you have to do is actually get started. So, start now and become an authority!
