With the closure of conferences, seminars, and professional networking events, 2020 was the year of online authority positioning. VadV worked with a wide range of clients to revise their marketing toward online interactions, and here’s what you should know.
Authority Positioning: What
Authority positioning is the practice of establishing a business or individual as a trusted expert in a given subject. When you publish online content, particularly when you offer advice or guidance, the reader naturally wants too know that the author is informed on the subject, and in a position to offer leadership.
Because the practice of offering free information and guidance is so effective in content marketing (“5 Things Business Leaders Need to Succeed” “How to Future-Proof Your Business” “3 Mistakes that may be Costing You Money”, etc), the author of such content needs to be perceived as a person with the authority to give such guidance. They need an authority position.
Authority Positioning: Who
Contrary to everything you read on the subject, not every business needs to engage in authority positioning. Authority positioning is only truly relevant for:
- B2B service providers. Let’s face it, most business don’t search online for “corporate legal counsel”, “enterprise IT solutions” or “business efficiency consultant”. While having a web presence is helpful, virtually everyone who can make procurement decisions in these areas uses their professional network for information and referrals to service providers.
- CEOs and business leaders: More than ever, consumers are concerned about the values of the companies they do business with. When choosing a product or using a service, they often want to connect with the specific people behind the company. Today, we expect a distinct online presence, expertise, and authority from business leaders as individuals, and not simply the brand presence. Think Elon Musk and Tesla, Mark Zuckerburg and Facebook, or Bob Iger and Disney.
- Solopreneurs: When you have started a new business, you don’t have the benefit of a brand reputation. Instead, potential customers need to know who you are, and whether you are a person they can trust. This is especially critical for consultants, who need to transfer their personal reputation to the new venture.
Authority Positioning: Why
Aside from your credentials and your resume, authority positioning is simply the best way to build credibility. It’s the best way to establish that your perspective, opinions, and guidance are relevant and based in fact. It’s how you separate yourself from every other random person offering opinions online.
Again, this is why it’s so much more relevant for B2B than B2C marketing. If a consumer wants to buy a pair of Nikes, the reputation of the seller isn’t as relevant as the features of the product. On the other hand, when a business wants to hire an attorney, or build an app, or streamline their supply chain, they are careful about the reputation and credentials of the companies or individuals they consider. Businesses often need to work with internal stakeholders before hiring a vendor, and your credibility may be discussed in meetings where you aren’t even in the room. Authority matters.
Authority Positioning: When
Because it’s part of your reputation and credibility, authority positioning happens all the time. While your credibility may not be questioned or evaluated every day or in every interaction, it’s the foundation from which you approach the professional world. It’s part of the fabric, not just of marketing, but of your basic business strategy.
However, your authority position matters most during new business development. Everyone knows that a decent pitch deck includes your relevant experience and expertise, but is that information locked away in a ppt that nobody sees? It needs to be out there.
Authority Positioning: Where
There are complex psychological factors that make it easier to build trust and credibility face to face rather than remotely. This is why it is so much easier for most people to engage in business development at in-person events, where the nature of the seminar or conference creates a background competency threshold, and the magic of face to face interaction does the rest.
Authority positioning mostly takes place online, when you create or share content, or when you make a new contact or connection. The other person invariably wants to know who you are and whether you have credibility on the subject.
Authority Positioning: How
There are several key ways to establish your authority position. Here are the main areas of focus:
- Your website. Someone who is considering doing business with you will invariably visit your website. Your “about” page should clearly indicate your relevant experience and expertise. Augment it with client testimonials, reviews, awards, speaking engagements, and other external affirmation of your abilities.
- Your content and tone. When creating professional content for social media, approach the content from a perspective of expertise and experience. Use high quality references, write in a professional tone, and refer to your own personal insights and knowledge.
- LinkedIn. Most companies looking to do business with new vendors find them using their professional network, and that means LinkedIn. For consultants, B2B service providers, and solopreneurs, the majority of their marketing endeavors should be focused on LinkedIn. Creating content specifically designed to perform on that platform, grow your network, and establish your expertise is simply the most effective way to grow a business.
Authority positioning is a crucial tool for specific types of SMBs. It has a specific writing style and format, and is aimed, not at boosting web traffic or views, but at performing on LinkedIn. It requires expert knowledge of that platform and its analytics tools, along with a firm foundation in the core principles of your business position and strategy. It’s a specific subtype of content marketing, and its something that most professionals can’t afford to ignore.
Featured image by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash
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