Building authority isn’t a new topic to most of you. But today I really want to simplify this subject and bring you three critical actions you need to build authority. And why do we need to build authority online? Because it allows us to stand out, book better clients, and get paid what we are worth.
Building authority in the online space and in your niche takes a lot of intentionality and it involves applying lots of different elements and putting puzzle pieces together.
The three actions that follow are not a comprehensive list of all the different puzzle pieces, but rather a starting point for you. Three things that you can really get behind and start implementing immediately so you can start building authority quickly.
#1. Clarify what you want to be known for
You need to be crystal clear on what you want to be known for in the business world. Once we have that message clear, we need to put it out into the world on repeat. What do you want to be known for in the online space as a business owner? How would a peer describe you? How would a client describe you? These questions will help you get more clarity on what you want to be known for.
It’s important that this “what you want to be known for” answer goes deeper than your title. Don’t assume that people know who you are, your title, what you do, just because it’s on your website, you’ve mentioned it in a post, or because it’s in your bio. Those things are important, but we need to continually remind people what we do and what we can help them accomplish.
#2. Practice what we preach
Authority is something we need to embody, and then provide the proof that we are who we say we are. In a very, very simple sense, what are you selling and are you applying that to your own business? Are you implementing the same things that you are telling other people to do?
When you have a passion for what you are selling and what you are doing every day for your clients, you will naturally have the same passion in implementing these strategies into your own business. There are definitely some nuances based on what you offer, but the overarching theme is the same. If you feel that you can’t “practice what you preach, there’s a good chance you aren’t fully aligned with what you are offering.
If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you can demonstrate proof of your authority with testimonials, client stories, and other types of social proof. Client stories in particular are very powerful. They help the ideal clients that are not yet working with you to understand what it would be like to work with you.
Transparency is also critical here. It’s ok to show the “middle” even if you haven’t achieved the desired end result for a client yet. It helps your client understand what it would be like to work with you and the process involved in achieving their goal. Transparency builds a massive amount of trust. Trust is the thread that runs through all three of these points because it is truly the backbone of authority.
#3. Exude confidence.
In order to build authority, you have to be confident in what you are selling, in your specialty and in the transformation. But most importantly, confident in yourself. You can’t fake this long term. I say this carefully because I know that “fake it til you make it” is a controversial take. Sometimes you just have to embody the future person that you want to be. But when there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be confident and you’re still struggling to be confident, a little dose of “fake it til you make it” can provide that momentum that you need to really embody the confidence you need.
The most important thing is that you fully understand the value that you bring to the table. I need you to embody that confidence in every piece of content, video, sales call, and every client interaction.
When someone doesn’t truly believe in what they are offering, there’s just something there that feels a little bit off. You need to exude a confidence that says, “I stand behind everything that I am offering and how I am offering it.”
Practicing what you preach and providing proof isn’t enough. If you aren’t showing up with confidence, it will be difficult to build authority.
Implementation
I want you guys to think through this list. Are you implementing everything in this list? Can you make tweaks and turn some dials? Are you talking about what we want to be known for more, and can we put out more social proof? Can we practice what we preach a little bit deeper? Can we double down on our confidence and how we portray that to the world?
These may seem like small things, but they can make all the difference when it comes to building authority. Don’t underestimate what these actions can do for your business!
Remember when I talked at the beginning about all the different puzzle pieces to building a business and building authority? This is why I created GROW Business and Marketing Academy. This program was designed to take these puzzle pieces and put them together to create a scalable business model. I’m all about working less and making more. If that sounds like something you need, shoot me a DM!
