A huge 80% of customers value experience just as much as goods and services. In the modern commerce environment, the public wants their brands to be more than a company. So how can you show yourself as an expert and display shared values in your marketing efforts?
Getting this level of respect involves building your reputation. Read on as we discuss five must-know ways to build brand authority.
What Is Brand Authority?
Brand authority is a term used to describe the relationship a company has with its customers and the wider public. It sums up how they view your organization and if it is seen as an expert in the field. Essentially, how much consumers trust you, your products, and your services.
Authority can be built in a number of ways. On a basic level, it may be based on the longevity of the company or its mission. With the advent of digital technology, it now encompasses your presence online including social media.
1. Get Fully Immersed in Social Media
Social media can be both a blessing and a curse for companies. It can be an outstanding tool to build a relationship with your customers. Yet done wrong and it can completely destroy any trust that may have existed.
The mistake many organizations make is to attempt to be on all social media. For smaller brands, it is much better to limit your social media channels and own them.
Start by checking which social media channels are most suited to your demographic. For example, it is no point in opening Tiktok accounts if your consumer is in the older age group. Facebook would be much more applicable.
Once you have this then thoroughly research your chosen platform. Look at what content works best, how they operate PPC ads, and go deep into their algorithms. This way, you can understand how the platform operates and get your brand in front of the people who matter.
2. Locate Your Customers Most Common Questions
To build brand authority and make yourself an industry leader, then you must serve the needs of your customers. Serving their needs involves knowing what they want. This begins by answering their most common questions.
Start by asking your sales team what the most common questions are. As they meet customers every day, they are in the best place to get to grips with queries.
After this, turn to the internet for answers. Have a question and answer on your social media accounts, or get people to mail questions in. Add this to your collection of questions.
Finally, turn to search engines. Do some keyword research and see what people are typing in and asking.
You should now have a bank of questions that can inform everything you do. From creating adverts to designing products and writing content you know what will be useful for your customers.
3. Create Authoritative Content
Business marketing services covers any media created for the purposes of providing information or entertainment on the web. This can include everything from videos to podcasts.
Even though the video has grown in popularity, the blog is still the king of content. This is a written article that goes on your website and can be shared online. By using the right keywords and inserting them into your content, you can pick up traffic from search engines.
If you followed step two, then you will already have the keywords and questions people are asking. Create content that answers it, providing information and how-to guides. When people stumble across it, they will immediately see you as an authority.
You don’t have to just create blogs on your own site either. Guest blogging is when you create content for other websites and publications. This opens you up to a wider audience and provides traffic and backlinks to your own website.
4. Utilize Social Proof
Once you have content and begin sharing it on social media, you should gain social proof. This is when people start to talk about your product and review it. It is a powerful way to show brand trustworthiness as most new customers are extremely interested in what others have to say.
Social proof can manifest in a number of ways but reviews and testimonials are the most common. Make sure you are highlighting the positive feedback you get, both in-person and online. Testimonials should be featured on your website where new visitors can see them.
5. Stick To a Mission Statement
If your company does not have a mission statement, then you can forget about brand authority. A mission statement sets out who you are, what you do and how you do it. From eco-conscious companies to being at the cutting edge of technology, your organization needs a purpose.
Let your mission be known by your customers and embody it in everything you do. Don’t be afraid to get help publicizing yourself and getting the statement in front of the public. PR outreach software from JustReachOut can help in the early days.
Stay genuine and don’t deviate from this mission statement. Everyone will have seen companies in the media face backlash from customers. This is usually always down to the company betraying its mission, losing the trust of the consumer.
Starting to Build Brand Authority
Now you know how to build brand authority, formulate a plan. If you have a marketing department then liaise with them. Don’t be afraid to outsource the job if you don’t have the knowledge or staff.
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