Internet marketers everywhere are climbing on each other like crabs in a bucket to become THE online authority in their vertical. This is no surprise of course, given that everyone wants to be the man, the top dog, the person people automatically come to in search of advice (that advice generally being “buy my product”). But becoming the online authority in any vertical takes time and a concerted effort.
This concerted effort is required primarily in creating authority-defining content, something that must be done by creating legitimate content across a variety of mediums: blogs, forums, social networks, etc.
The help accrue your street cred/online authority you need to focus on definitive, on-going, accurate content. And here are 5 steps to help you do just that:
Kiss KISS (Keep it simple stupid) Goodbye
Simplicity is over-rated. In today’s complex marketplace we want more information. In response to the demand from users (and more importantly, Google) it is now necessary to write long-form content. Long-form content can include 750+ word articles on the internet, whitepapers, ebooks, case studies, how-tos, etc. Even if your audience doesn’t thoroughly read it all and only skim it—the length alone will make it look more authoritative than short-form content.
Be a Guest Blogger
Contributing as a guest blogger on other sites in your industry is a no-brainer when it comes to building a reputation as an authority figure. It will open your network up to other like-minded industry experts, while at the same time showing your audience that you are engaged in your industry’s scene. You will also gain new readers that may have never heard of you before. No matter how you spin it: its good and it gets your name out there.
Have Legitimate Inbound Links
Your site surely has hundreds of inbound links, but many of them are likely from “Bob’s BBQ Hut” and “The Inbound Link Palace”. Instead, try to get as many legitimate inbound links as you can, by getting your links posted on sites within your field that are relevant to (and actually read by) the industry.
Be Informative AND Timely
To become the authority in your industry you need to be creating content about industry events, news and updates—as they happen. So setup Google alerts and add news sources in your industry news (whether it be governmental groups, think tanks or other news-makers in your vertical) to your RSS/email subscribe list so that you can let your followers know before it hits the mainstream media. Nothing shows that you are on top of your game more than breaking a story quicker than other people—just ask Walter Cronkite (who was timely AND the “most trusted man in America”–no coincidence here).
Publish Whitepapers and Case Studies
Fancy language won’t make you sound smart, but whitepapers and case studies will!
If you are the industrious, analytical type then just the word whitepaper probably got you excited. If you cringed at the thought of numbers and analysis then you are likely an empathetic, anecdotal story-driven people person type–so a case study of your own customers will likely ring your bell. Using data, stories, anecdotes and other customer-, and non-customer-driven data will help boost your street cred.
For 6 more tips on how to earn street cred, click here.
Robin Wilding is a professionally trained Canadian journalist striving to bring journalistic-era intergity to online media. She has a second degree in Political Science--with a focus on International Relations and the developing world. Currently Robin is a contributor to several technology publications, including Brajeshwar.com, SocialTechnologyReview.com, HostingIndustryWatch.com, AnimationCareerReview.com and CompareBusinessProducts.com. She also works for several web developers; and does ghost writing for several high level executives within the technology sector. Robin's work is showcased in her portfolio: http://shownd.com/robinwilding
