If you want to increase your sales and expand your outreach, you need to position yourself as an authority in your market.
An authority can:
The first step in your journey to positioning yourself as an authority in your niche is to ask yourself two important questions:
Seems like two rather easy questions, right?
Because ultimately, all people are about is “what is in it for them?”
They need to know how you plan to help them, what you bring to the table and how you will solve their problems.
Authority marketing is about positioning your business in a way that you become the logical choice when someone is making the decision who to turn to for help, advice, products or services.
Your goal is to become the go-to person in your niche, or at the very least, one of the first names that come to mind when someone thinks about who to turn to for help with specific topics.
Note that I didn’t say “specific markets or niches”, I said topic.
That’s because it’s always best to position yourself so that people identify you as an authority on a very specific topic or category rather than the market as a whole.
For example, rather than trying to establish yourself as the authority of all things related to blogging, positioning yourself as someone who is known for teaching people how to drive traffic to blogs, allows you to connect to a specific audience.
This will make your marketing campaigns far more effective and targeted than when casting a wider net.
Trust me, it’ll cut down on a lot of research, trial and error and testing as well because you’ll be able to spend the majority of your time researching that one specific segment of a market and learning everything you need to know about it.
So, begin by taking some time to decide what area of your niche you’ll venture into. Then you’ll be able to study that segment of the market thoroughly, create a plan of action and execute quickly.
Sounds obvious, right?
You need to know WHO you your audience really is and HOW you can help them.
In fact, knowing your audience is one of the most important things you can do when trying to establish yourself as an authority in your market.
This goes beyond just creating a quick overview of your average customer. Instead, spend time on the same websites, in the same circles and on the same platforms that they do.
Always put yourself in your customers’ shoes. They don’t care about your personal goals – they care only about themselves and their needs – and above all else, how you will help them solve a problem.
Read that again: you’re the only one who truly cares about your business growth. Everyone else just cares about how your business can personally help them.
This means that your focus should always be on identifying key areas in your market where people are struggling.
Then you can use that information in many different areas of your business, such as: coming up with customized products and services that fill that need, developing a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that offers a promise to solve that problem and creating marketing campaigns that trigger your audience into taking action.
Thorough market research is the key to success when it comes to gaining the advantage of becoming an authority.
Those who overlook the importance of truly understanding their audience even before they create a business plan or launch a marketing campaign will quickly discover just how difficult it is to gain traction.
In fact, without knowing your audience, you’re venturing into a market blindfolded with little chance of success.
On the flip side, putting time and effort into researching your market and connecting with your core audience early on, will make all the difference in your ability to create in-demand products and services that are a no-brainer for your customer base.
You’ll be able to stand out from the crowd, position yourself as an expert and easily convince people to give your brand and business a chance.
And your marketing campaigns will be far more successful and ultimately, cost you less in terms of time spent tweaking and split-testing campaigns. Because you’ll know what makes people tick.
Are your ads mainly geared towards highlighting features rather than the benefits?
Are your campaigns structured in a way that personally connects with your core audience and goes to work at solidifying your brand?
Do they help position you as an expert?
When it comes to the psychology behind successful brand building and authority positioning, it often hinges on your ability to demonstrate empathy.
The more you do this, the easier it will be to resonate with your audience and connect with your customer base. You’ll come off as more personable, approachable and as someone who truly has their best interests at heart.
There are 3 basic types of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and compassionate.
Cognitive empathy is also known as perspective-taking. It’s the ability to think the way someone else thinks, to imagine you’re them and see how they’d react to something.
It’s a useful skill, especially in marketing, but not exactly what you imagine true empathy should be. Empathy should have an emotional component if it’s going to go the distance.
Emotional empathy is when you inject emotional triggers into your campaigns, ads, sales copy and general content.
How do your customers feel when they look at your ads or read your content? What emotions do you stimulate with your communications, campaigns, emails?
Emotional empathy allows you to feel what others do, like when you hear someone laughing and you smile without knowing exactly what they’re laughing at.
It’s contagious. And when you learn to inject this kind of emotion into your overall brand, your ability to connect with your audience will become one of your super powers. J
Finally, compassionate empathy is the ability to identify someone’s emotion and act on that with a solution.
In this way, you’ll create something that not only takes their feelings into account, but gives them a logical solution to that emotion.
Example: Someone is stressed out because they’re unable to pay their monthly bills. You understand their concerns, what keeps them up at night and act on that with a solution: a business opportunity that will help them gain financial freedom and eliminate stress.
Stress is the emotion you identify and your business positions itself in such a way as to become the solution to eliminating or addressing that emotion.
And it doesn’t have to be a negative emotion either. Someone could feel elated that they have discovered that blogging is a great way to connect with people and help them but they need to know how to create that blog, launch that blog and grow that blog.
All of this comes down to knowing your market so you can position yourself as the expert and authority they are looking for.
They’ll feel they need you, that you’re the solution to their problems and that you truly understand how they are feeling and what they need most.
That is how you’ll stand out in your market 🙂
If you want to know more about leveraging the power of authority marketing, then check out the featured resource below for a free report that expands on this post; download, read and take action 🙂
It’s common to find several existing misconceptions about something that people do not properly understand either because of knowledge gap or ignorance. As a business owner, it is important that you debunk these misconceptions so that you make an informed business decision.
Whether you are running a company with huge turnovers or trying to get a startup off the ground, affiliate marketing can be a very effective method of enhancing your brand awareness and increasing the amount of sales.
You can achieve so much while avoiding the usual hustles associated with marketing campaigns. These are some of the misconceptions about affiliate marketing that you need to correct as an entrepreneur or as someone that is interested in earning money off of it.
This is actually not true at all. Some people imagine that immediately you set up the system, customers will start rolling in as the revenue grows. Affiliate systems require a lot of work and dedication to succeed.
It will eventually pick up but through time and effort.
Some companies cannot even dare attempt to use affiliate programs because they assume that only businesses that operate in popular sectors can thrive with it.
You just need to find the right team that actually understands the business and industry and can help you realize your goals and objectives.
Google made changes to its algorithms for SEO and somehow made link building outdated.
That may discourage affiliate systems that heavily relied on the old methods to increase awareness.
However, there are still several ways to make use of search engine optimization to enhance brand awareness. Affiliate marketing is also very much relevant to Google because it has provided alternative resources to users.
Never compromise quality over quantity. Getting your links on several sites does not automatically mean that you’ll get more conversions.
Find a small but dedicated number of affiliates that will do a proper job and generate higher sales numbers.
Even though research has shown that affiliate marketing is not easy, you can really use it your advantage once you understand the basics. You just need to come up with a proper strategy and ensure that it is implemented well.
The internet is filed with people trying to get rich within a very short time. That said, there are also several users on the internet who wake up on a daily basis to take advantage of those looking to make easy money by promising them things that are nearly impossible to deliver on.
Affiliate marketing has presented a new frontier for internet scammers to prey on the unsuspecting public. How then can you spot these scams and avoid the stress of losing your money to people who only want to take advantage of you?
Maybe you have come across those affiliate programs on the internet that ask you to pay some joining fee. They conveniently ask you to do so using your credit card.
Do not pay any fee to join an affiliate program because a genuine merchant will never ask you for cash to be part of the system. Your credit card information may be stolen and none of the promises made to you by the scammers will be delivered.
Some merchants will try to show you how you can be a millionaire within a few days. If that were the case then they’d be relaxing somewhere on a beach enjoying their wealth instead of convincing people to join their programs on the internet.
These scammers will purport to show you successful affiliates who have made it big by participating in their programs. They will display figures and statistics to try and convince you that their claims are true.
One thing is for sure, if those assertions were true, the merchant wouldn’t even need to talk about his program because information travels fast and people would be flocking to it.
Knowledge is power and if you are armed with information, nobody can take advantage of you. Most people get scammed on the internet because the fraudsters prey on their ignorance.
Many people also just hop onto search engines without any idea of what they are looking for. Arm yourself with knowledge and use it as a weapon against internet scammers.
Anyone can make a career out of affiliate marketing but not everyone who attempts to succeeds. You should be ready to work hard and choose those programs that are genuine and that will provide you with an opportunity to grow.
If you want to know more about affiliate marketing check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 😊
A series is a good way to keep people tuning back in for more. It works the same way on television – you tune in weekly to see what happens next after you’ve seen a cliffhanger or an upcoming episode snippet.
But what can you do a series on for your blog?
Then you can break down each step of your implementation process over the next several days. If it’s a text product, do a chapter a day. If it’s a video product, do a video a day.
Always link to the previous and subsequent blog posts so that a new visitor who happens to land on your blog in the middle of it can find their way back to the beginning.
Step-by-step tutorials also make a great series for you to blog about. For example, let’s say someone wanted to know how to start a container garden. You could go through a different topic each day, such as:
Q&A sessions with your audience work well for a series, too. Invite your subscribers to ask any questions they have – you can even schedule certain days to be “Mailbox” days where you answer audience questions.
If you’re not doing a series but posting individual blog posts, there’s a whole host of options for you! Make a list of these and try to mix it up on your blog so that you’re not using the same old approach on a continual basis.
Top tip lists make great blog posts. These are tips you gather and then blog about, explaining each one. For example: 7 Ways to Fall Asleep Faster, 6 Ways to Say No to Sweets When You’re on a Diet, the Top 3 Tips to Help You Save Money at the Grocery Store, etc.
Reviews were mentioned in the last section as far as series that you can do. But they can also be done for individual blog posts. You don’t have to draw it out if it doesn’t call for it – or if it’s for a tangible item that you want to go over.
Rants about a topic can generate a buzz for your blog. You don’t want to be nothing more than a person who rants all of the time, but if you find something in your niche that needs to be exposed or discussed, don’t be afraid to talk about it!
Curated content is something that everyone is buzzing about in the blog world. You can use short snippets where you quote or reference something from a magazine, news site, book or other blog and launch a discussion about it on your blog.
Then you add your own commentary about it. For example, you might be writing a blog post about hot flashes – and the Mayo Clinic has an article about it. You can take a quote from that, link back to the full article, and discuss their findings.
Think of it like a dinner party where you say, “Oh did you hear about …” and then you add your own opinions, insights, and even disagreements about the subject matter.
Categorized posts will help you develop content for your blog. Some people map out the categories for their blog as they go. But if you have categories ahead of time, it can help you develop content just for that purpose.
For example, if you ran a health blog, you could do a post on health tips for boys, girls, teens, men, women and seniors. Then you can go through your editorial calendar and say, “I haven’t done anything on senior health this week, so I’ll do that today!”
Breaking news is always beneficial when blogging. Usually, this will help you see a spike in traffic because it’s new and there won’t be as many posts about it as there will be later.
Set up a Google Alert so that you get notified when news happens about certain topics. But also go out and search Google and specific news sites for breaking topics yourself.
PLR (private label rights) can give you great ideas. You can buy PLR for about $1 per page – and just rewrite it or use it as springboard content to give you an idea of what to blog about for that day!
Guest bloggers will often seek you out once your blog becomes a traffic hub for a particular niche. You won’t want to accept everyone who requests a spot on your blog.
But you may want to use a guest blogger from time to time, as long as they continue with the purpose and direction of your own blog. You can approach people or post blog topic jobs – sometimes you’ll pay for the post and sometimes the blogger will be happy with a link back to their own site.
Or, you can find new bloggers who are eager to get some experience under their belts. Either way, make sure the piece is suitable for your audience and don’t let the topic veer off course.
If you really want to know more about the power of blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a free blogging report; download, read it and take action 🙂
The recent pandemic has put a dent in your ability to network successfully. While most of you attend trade shows and similar events to add a few additional contacts to your Rolodex, online events are the latest, hottest trend.
But how do you do that? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best ways to network at online events. So with all that said, let’s start.
The digital age requires us to sign up for services by creating an account. Most online events are services, and organizers will require you to create a profile to attend the event. For this specific reason, having a great online profile becomes a necessity.
Since you need a profile to attend these events, this will likely be the starting point for many of you. I’ve had to tinker with my online profiles to network better at online events. Most of these events will also allow you to connect your social profiles.
After all, what better way for people to contact you than social media? Since we live in an age of social media, it’s natural to assume you’ll also need to work on that.
There isn’t a better way to network at an online event than to make an exceptional introduction. By introducing yourself first, you’re breaking the ice and jumpstarting a conversation.
Much like any other event, you will need to introduce yourself to others if you want to network at online events. By doing it first, you’re telling others how confident you are.
You should not underestimate the power of social media. Out of all the social media platforms, Facebook is still one of the best ways to connect with people.
While most of you shrug off Facebook, don’t forget that there are nearly 2.9 billion registered users on it. One of the benefits of social media is that it’s free. You don’t need to pay for anything – a fact that you’re certainly familiar with.
But there are also valid reasons why you need to work on your social media game if you want to network online. By leveraging social media, you can promote the event and get even more people to join.
You can also join Facebook groups and discover other participants, key speakers, and organizers. You can then directly contact these individuals and discuss topics relevant to your industry. Don’t underestimate the power of social media when networking online.
One thing that online networking and social media have in common is that you can do it all the time. Online events pop up all the time. You can join as many events as you like.
To successfully leverage social media, you will need to learn how to use social media for networking, besides Facebook, LinkedIn is one of the best social media platforms where you can find professionals in any field.
Not all online events are about listening to what the panel of speakers has to say. Some events actively engage with participants.
These are the types of events where you need to participate as much as you can. One reason why networking online is important is that it keeps you connected. The more you speak and share your thoughts, the more people notice you.
Since online events are organized by professionals within your industry, these people will notice you as well. In addition to the many eager participants that want to connect with you, maybe the organizers and speakers will want that as well.
They will notice you, and thus take an interest in you. Who knows, you’ll even find a mentor who’s willing to guide you.
Online events try to mimic physical events as much as possible. Everyone knows that you can hang out with participants before an event starts. That’s why online event organizers make it convenient to allow hangout breaks before, during, and after the event finishes.
These hangout breaks are excellent for connecting with individuals. Most call them “virtual coffee breaks”, as they’re not that dissimilar. You can socialize during these coffee breaks and discuss topics regarding your industry and the event itself.
If you’re likable enough, participants will ask for your contact information. Give them your email address, Instagram account, or LinkedIn profile. Sooner or later, you’ll add a few additional contacts to your virtual Rolodex.
Erik Bergman co-founded Catena Media and helped grow it to over 300 employees and a $200 million valuation before stepping away to start Great.com, an iGaming organization that donates 100% of its profits to environmental charities. In addition to running a successful online affiliate business, Erik also hosts the Becoming Great podcast, shares entrepreneurship tips with his more than 1 million social media followers, and contributes to sites like Entrepreneuer.com, Business Insider, Foundr, and Forbes.
When you get an idea to become a bona fide blogger, you really want to start off on the right foot. You know how blogging works and you take the time to find out which platform is best, which plugins will help you make the most of your visitors’ experience – but you get stuck when it comes time to create the actual content for your blog.
When it comes time to instruct you on creating content, they’re often just as lost as you are about the process, so you’re left struggling in front of your audience. It can be embarrassing and it can hurt your blog traffic if you start abandoning your blog frequently to wait for inspiration to strike.
You have to take a three-pronged approach to blogging. First, get everything organized. If you’re scattered on your blog, it confuses the readers, search engine spiders – and even you.
Then you want to map out a schedule for your blogging efforts. Having a deadline for yourself can benefit you and help you work towards a specific goal, not just something vague.
Last, you want to begin creating your content – and we’re going to cover three options for you to choose from – a series, an individual post, or a guest blog post (and you can mix these up – you don’t have to choose from just one).
There are two things you can do to get organized. The first is a planning calendar and the second is an editorial calendar, which is for completed work that you are doing on your blog.
You can either buy a calendar or print one out from a site like this: http://www.pdfcalendar.com/monthly/. Print one out for the current month, and possibly the next month. You can schedule it as far out as you like.
This is your planning calendar. You can use this to fill in the days with whatever you’ll be blogging about (and we’ll go over that shortly). This helps you plan what needs to be written, and when.
This is perfect for using yourself or for whenever you’re using a freelance ghostwriter to create your blog content and you want to share it with them so that they can plan for publishing dates.
As soon as you upload a new post, you can drag the post around on your calendar to wherever you want it to be for it to go live. This can help if you have some timely information that needs to bump a previously scheduled topic.
By using a calendar plugin, you can glance quickly at your blog schedule and see where there are gaps. You want a consistent publication schedule, and we’ll look at that in depth next!
Many people want to know how often they have to blog. Well if you feel that way, you probably shouldn’t be blogging in the first place! Blogging should be for someone who can’t WAIT to wake up in the morning and share more information with people.
If you lack that, it could be a sign that you’re in the wrong niche. But let’s talk about traffic and authority. You’ll see some leaders in a niche who blog very infrequently.
For bloggers who want to use this platform as their primary source of audience engagement, then you need to make a commitment to show up and share on a regular basis.
The more, the better – but there’s an asterisk to that*
* It’s only better when there’s more if there’s something valuable that you’re sharing. In other words, don’t blog just to blog. Don’t slap up meaningless content that dilutes the truly valuable blog posts you have just because someone told you to blog 3 times a day.
What you ought to do is go through and develop your editorial calendars to see how much content you can conceivably create. You’ll be surprised at how many ideas you generate once you understand how to look for good blog ideas.
As far as search engine bots (spiders) are concerned, they like to see a certain amount of “freshness” in your blog. They typically start off visiting your blog once every couple of weeks, but they narrow their visitation schedule to index your site if you blog regularly, and this looks good and helps you get content indexed faster.
It’s also helpful to your blog subscribers if you blog frequently. If this is a topic they’re interested in, then you want to be the go-to authority figure in your niche – the person they know will have continual updates and fresh information.
If you can only manage to post 2-3 times a week, then do it two to three times a week, but ensure your posts are high-quality and of a decent length i.e., at least 1000 words long.
However, there is such as thing as blogging too little. When you start going weeks or months without blogging, don’t expect a blog audience to stick around and become subscribers and fans of your content. In fact, they won’t even know who you are!
If you really want to know more about the power of blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a free blogging report; download, read it and take action 🙂
