When you become a trusted authority in your niche, everything becomes so much easier.
Are you trying to sell affiliate products?
Or build an email list on your blog?
Maybe you’re trying to get clients for some kind of service you offer.
Everything you try to do to build an online business just seems so difficult sometimes, doesn’t it?
Well, all that difficulty just disappears when you become a trusted authority in your niche.
And here’s how you do it.
Drip feed content
Forget about all the standard operating metrics for a moment.
That includes sales, conversions, subscribers, search ranking, page visits, domain authority and all the rest.
I’m not saying those things aren’t important.
But rather, that they are wholly dependent on one thing… publishing high quality content consistently.
You have to create content that people want to consume.
That means, content that will help them in some way.
Content that gives value to your audience and followers.
No content… no business
If you’re not doing that, then none of the other things are going to happen.
No sales, no subscribers, no business.
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And here’s the thing about publishing content.
People only remember your latest feed.
It can be a blog post, a video, an email, a Facebook image.
Whatever.
But every single day, you need to publish some kind of content that will be seen by your crowd.
That’s what I mean by drip feeding your content.
You must publish consistently
It would be wonderful to have a flurry of amazing articles, ebooks and training courses.
If you got all that content created over a 3 month period… wow!
People would certainly start noticing you.
You would create a real name for yourself, and for your blog.
Think of this.
If you just create a steady drip, drip, drip of content… then every single day, people will notice that you are doing something.
And after 6 and 9 and 12 months, you will be building a steady following… a loyal audience.
That’s what you need in order to build serious, tangible and enduring presence.
And that’s what will help you to become a trusted authority in your niche.
But…
If the next 3 months go by and you barely manage a whisper… one blog post, a couple of emails and a few social media posts…
you’ve lost all your momentum.
People will quickly forget you.
Develop a variety of content
Remember, you are building a business.
Not just a blog, or a social media following.
Those things may be part of your business.
They may even be the primary aspect of your business.
But your real business is to become a trusted authority.
No business can survive without that.
Your blog, social media sites and all that are like kindling wood.
They are absolutely necessary.
But your content is what ignites them, and makes them burst into flames.
And once ignited, you have to continually feed that fire, or it will quickly turn to ashes.
That means, you need to be putting out content.
Every day.
Put out something that will get the attention of someone in your audience.
That’s how you become a trusted authority in your niche.
Here are some of the forms of content you should be publishing on a consistent basis.
Blog posts
Blogging gives you a clear home base for putting out content regularly.
Every time you publish a blog post, you need to promote it.
That means to email a link to your list.
Post it on the social sites where you have established a presence.
Do everything else in your arsenal to get people to take notice.
Now, don’t think you have to publish a blog post every day.
But you should try to promote one of your blog posts every day.
Even if it’s an old blog post.
The point here is to get people used to seeing you delivering content… old, new, any content you have… share it daily.
People will start regarding you as a trusted authority.
Social status posts
For the same reason, keep posting to your social media accounts.
Don’t make the mistake that so many bloggers do, of just posting links to your blog posts.
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Link to other people’s blog posts, too.
And post things that don’t link to anything.
Post your thoughts on a current trend, or on somebody’s video, or something in the news.
Try to make your social media posts interesting, provocative, inspiring or even funny.
And you don’t always have to post about topics in your niche.
But most of your posts should, in some way, be relevant to things you blog about.
Again, do your social posting consistently.
When you go dark for any length of time, people following you on social media tend to forget you.
So you quickly become irrelevant, old news.
That certainly doesn’t help you become a trusted authority in your niche.
Videos
Videos are a great way to keep yourself in front of people.
And when you share your videos on social media, they take precedence over all other content forms.
That means more people will see your video posts than any other types of posts.
And that keeps you in the spotlight with your crowd.
Not only that, but it helps people to build a bond with you.
Nothing helps you build trusted authority status more than video.
Live video
I mention “live video” as distinct from regular video because it is.
Yes, live video is still video.
But people are so much more taken with a live experience than a recorded one.
Think of yourself.
If your favorite actress, singer, politician or athlete is interviewed “live”… aren’t you more excited to see it, than if you know it’s just a recording from a week, or even a day ago?
Of course you are.
And, again, when you do a live video, Facebook and other social media platforms will give you priority in the news feeds.
It’s one of the very best ways to become a trusted authority in your niche.
Images
Infographics can be a really interesting way to get your content in front of people on a regular and repeated basis.
In fact, if you can create a really good graphic that grabs the attention of your prospective audience, then you could pitch it to other bloggers and influencers to use in their content.
The credits go back to your blog, so you can really get noticed with this technique.
If you don’t think you can create a great infographic, then have someone else do it for you.
Even if you have to pay a few dollars to get it done, it will go a long way in gaining you recognition, trust and authority.
Other kinds of images are good, too.
Those are especially nice to get people’s attention on social media platforms.
And don’t forget to use plenty of good images on your blog posts, too, because they will have a good chance of attracting people in your niche.
Webinars
You may think that webinars are too technical to put together.
They do require more effort, for sure.
But if you can make a good evergreen webinar for your niche, it’s so impressive.
It will certainly and very quickly help you become a trusted authority in your niche.
If you’d like to do a webinar but don’t know how, you have two options.
Hire a coach to help you get it done.
Or, simply pay someone to do it for you.
Either way, it will be well worth the investment.
E-books
Some people think that ebooks are no longer a great way to earn trust and authority.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
A simple ebook that directly solves a problem in your niche is one of the very best types of content to pitch.
If nothing else, you instantly become a trusted authority in your niche when you write an ebook.
And it doesn’t have to be a long and burdensome one.
People don’t want your ebook just so they’ll have something to read.
They want it to solve a problem.
Create an ebook to solve key problems in your niche, and you’re sure to become a trusted authority.
How to become a trusted authority in your niche
People trust content creators.
You don’t need to be creating original content.
But you do have to create good content.
A good way to measure the value of your content is to see what others are creating.
Then improve on it.
Ford invented the automobile, but others that came after him did just fine building their own versions of the automobile.
The key to becoming a trusted authority is not that you’ve hit on something that nobody else ever thought of.
It’s that you’ve made it your business to help other people get what they’re looking for.
When you help others to overcome obstacles that are in their way, then YOU become their go-to person.
It takes time to build a business in this way.
You can’t just put out a couple of pieces of content and expect everyone to come knocking on your door.
But when you put out high quality content consistently, they will come knocking.
Is your business built around helping others?
In what ways?
Leave me a comment below and let me know.
I’m really interested to see how people are actually running their business in this way.
Do you think, like I do, that this is the most direct path to becoming a trusted authority in your niche?
-Donna
PS: Share this on your favorite social sites, too. I really appreciate it 🙂
Twitter: xrheadlines
February 7, 2024 at 11:45 pm #
Hey Donna
I used to blogging between 2012 to 2017 and then I quit it for some reason. Now I am back again with full-time dedication. I want to know how I can create infographics. I tried a few sites like Canava and Adobe but still can’t figure out how to create one. Is it possible to create an infographic directly from the blog post? Can we use the AI thing here? Results generated from AI are not good enough and lack human touch. Please suggest to me where to start to create infographics for my blog posts.
Bob Dilon
Twitter: marksmi74462242
September 29, 2021 at 3:01 pm #
Hello Donna,
My name is Mark Smith, and I’m Brand new to this.
I’ve been working with Glenn Shepherd, and he recommended I check out your blog.
I agree that to establish yourself as an authority; you have to put out good content. I know from experience that when I have a problem
understanding content from a book or other media, I will start looking elsewhere for instructions.
Now once I find a good author on a particular subject…I will most likely come back to them on a similar subject matter.
That being said, I have zero patience…and if I can’t find the said author on an issue…they are soon history.
Mark Smith recently posted.. How did I lose a Ten Thousand Dollars Investment in an Online Marketing Business?
Hi Mark
So you really make the point that a bloggers and online marketers should deliver helpful, even life changing solutions to people’s problems.
And as you point out… make your solution “clear” so it can be understood and so it is actionable, not just theoretical.
That’s how you gain their trust, of course.
But even more important, that’s how you actually get to help people.
And if you’re not centering your business around sincerely help people, then you’re not going to have much of a business.
Thanks for stopping by and adding your valuable insights 🙂
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
Thank you for this great content! Because of these covid times, all businesses are now shifting to online marketing to connect with their clients and it is quite hard to gain trust. Your article helped me a lot.
Hi Sam
Good luck.
Online marketing has certainly become a thriving industry, and by sticking with the principles I’ve outlined here, you can make it.
-Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..How fast can I achieve online business profit
Twitter: EnoughTricky
July 23, 2021 at 4:02 am #
Hi Donna, Thanks for sharing this post. When someone wants to become a blogger, most struggling things seem to them to find a niche. You said well about finding a niche to gain authority as a blogger.
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Hi Shrawan
You certainly need to pick a niche you like.
It’s a lot of work to gain authority as a blogger.
If you don’t stay involved, then you’ll struggle..
And the best way to assure you’ll stick to the work is to pick a niche you enjoy.
-Donna
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Twitter: SMatyjanka
July 20, 2021 at 9:45 pm #
Hi Donna,
These are all great tips, just want to add, you have to be willing to put in the time. It isn’t going to happen over night. Especially when it’s all brand new. There can be a huge learning curve.
Fun Fact: Ford didn’t actually invent the automobile, Karl Benz did. Ford streamlined production so they could be massed produced. It is also said that Fords where the ugliest cars around back when they first came out. I think we in North America just like to think it was Ford’s invention. I only know this because my husband and son are car freaks. 🙂
SharlaAnn
Hi SharlaAnn
Like anything, there’s a learning curve to get up to snuff on what it’s all about.
So, yes, you need to dedicate serious time and effort to gain that authority status.
But with consistency and good planning, it can certainly be done.
-Donna
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Hello Donna,
I am very lucky that I have read your article ?!
You have explained us very important points to improve authority in our niche. I am glad that you are helping us by your beneficial article. And always keep it in mind everyone that content is the king ?.
Regards,
Jyotish
Hi Jyotish
Yes, content is king.
And it certainly improves your authority status to focus on posting high quality content.
-Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..How PLR helps you dazzle your blog following
I don’t disagree with this Donna, but I feel like there still needs to be some caution in letting people know that even this won’t get everyone over the hump. For instance, I’ve been writing my business blog since 2005. At one point it was kind of popular, but that all went away around 2009 – 2010. Overall I’m not sure why, since my main niche there doesn’t have tons of competition when it comes to blogs. However, it happened, and these days it gets little attention, no matter how much I write or promote. I’m not overly upset about it, but it would be nice to say that blogging has helped my business and me to gain authority.
With that said, it has helped a few of my main search terms for what I do in business stay in the top 10 for those same 15 years or so; that’s something!
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Hi Mitch
I understand what you’re saying about maintaining “authority” status with your blog.
It’s all about outreach.
People will come to your blog posts when they see something they’re interested in on social media sites.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest – whatever.
So it’s important to have a parallel following on those sites.
That’s why it’s good to be involved in lots of different things, like video, webinar, write some ebooks.
Those are all outreach tools into your marketplace.
And, of course, even if you don’t have a huge authority status on your site, you can link to it to attain authority with prospects, business partners, etc.
The fact that you maintain a blog at all resonates with those kinds of contacts.
-Donna
And, there’s also the
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Donna,
Some good advice and ideas here. I’m working on it, but its so overwhelming while trying to hold down my old job and build my business as a life coach! I specialize in men’s issues, especially around healthy masculinity and navigating post #metoo world. Men lack good, healthy role models these days and my goal is re-establish what it means to be a man in a way to isn’t ego-driven, but rather revolves around purpose and service to one’s community.
I found a plan to help set up a months worth of social media content, and I use an app to schedule posts in automatically in advance, so that saves time, but its still a lot. I know I’ll get there, and once I can quit my old job I’ll have free time to live a life.
HI Charles
I like your social media plan.
And that you’re using an automation tool to help it run smoothly.
The key with your social media posts, just like your blog posts… is to be sure they are built around helping and informing people in your niche.
Remember, they’re far more interested in the benefits to themselves than anything else.
So develop benefits in everything you do.
Keep rolling.
Sounds like you’re on the right track.
-Donna
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Twitter: ryanbiddulph
July 15, 2021 at 11:08 pm #
Hi Donna,
All of these tips take real, patient, persistent work because being an authority is earned, not gamed.
Take your drip content note. Experts publish high quality content once, then again and again and again. Publishing in-depth, detailed, thorough content frequently spanning years but this is why few bloggers gain authority. The work and fear in mind scares these folks off before they become experts. But bloggers who see the journey through become authorities through their generous help spanning years.
Ryan
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Hi Ryan
Can’t “game” authority… I love that.
Persistence pays off.
And you have to be constantly helping others, not just pushing out content for your own sake.
Great points, my friend.
-Donna
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