When you’re looking to buy a product or service with your hard-earned money, what type of business are you going to choose? Will you choose a company you have never heard of before that gives little-to-no confidence in their skills or experience? Or will you choose a reputable company that shows convincing, long-term proof that they’re the best option for your needs?
Many consumers base their buying decisions on the level of industry authority they perceive in the companies they’re considering. Having authority in your industry is essential if you want to grow your business and turn more leads into sales.
Why Does Industry Authority Matter?
Industry authority matters because it affects how consumers think about your business. Consider Nike shoes or Honda automobiles. These two names are giants in their respective industries. The wealth of information available from and about these companies gives buyers more confidence when making a purchasing decision. With a simple Google search, buyers can learn about the following:
- How long these companies have been in existence
- The types of products they make and the options that are available
- Reviews from previous buyers
- Case studies giving more in-depth information about their products
- Informational blogs from the companies to educate buyers
All this information is readily available and sometimes proudly displayed. Besides these pieces of information, companies like Honda and Nike will have active social media accounts that engage with followers. They’ll also have a set brand image and brand identity that they meticulously follow. This allows consumers to see their content and know, “This is Nike” or “This is Honda.”
Whether you run an international business or you’re a local small-town shop, do people feel this way about your company? Do people perceive you as an authority in your industry?
How Can You Become an Authority in Your Industry?
Even the “little guy” has tools at his disposal to set himself apart from the competition and establish himself as an industry authority. Here are five tips to help you become an authority in your industry.
1. Optimize Your Website
Picture this — a potential customer discovers your company through a friend, social media platform, or advertisement. They decide to give your website a click, and they’re greeted by an unoptimized page with low-quality images, small text, and no hints as to what they’re supposed to click on next.
Now imagine that same lead finding your website and seeing a clean, crisp layout. Whether they’re on their smartphone or a desktop, the website looks sharp and easy to navigate. Within the first moments of landing on the page, the visitor knows who you are as a business and what they should click on next, whether they want to see a product page or learn more.
Obviously, the second scenario is ideal. You can have a strong advertising campaign and do all the other tips on this list, but if your website looks like it’s from the 90’s, your authority is going to immediately drop to zero. Visitors will think, “What kind of company wouldn’t update their website in 2022?” This spells bad news to today’s customers.
Optimize your website first. This will be the cornerstone to having your target audience perceive you as an industry authority.
2. Invest in Educating Your Target Audience
Today’s buyers do most of their own research before contacting a company’s sales team. We’re well-into the internet age at this point, so businesses have few excuses left for why they’re avoiding using the internet to their advantage in any capacity, let alone educating their potential customers.
To appeal to today’s buyers and set yourself up as an industry authority, you need to help your target audience on their journey of self-education. This means putting out weekly or monthly blogs that give buyers information they need to get one step closer to a confident buying decision. You can also send educational newsletters to your email list and post educational content on your social media platforms.
Educated buyers are the kind of buyers you want. They’ll make more confident purchases and have a lesser chance of returning items or asking for a refund because they changed their mind. Bolster your website with high-quality, educational content to educate your customers and position yourself as a true industry leader.
3. Utilize Social Media
Social media is here to stay, and it’s only growing in relevance. This means you have to tap into the true power of social media or risk getting left behind by the other companies that are already using social media like a pro to establish authority.
You already read above that you should use your social media posts to educate your followers. You can also use social media for the following authority-growing purposes:
- Build brand awareness: Use the same type of language and color scheme on your social media posts and pictures to create a uniform brand identity. The more traction your posts gain, the more people will become aware of your brand.
- Go viral: With just the right content and timing, your social media posts can go viral and attract thousands of new people to your business profile page. Even a funny meme can be an effective strategy for going viral!
- Understand what your target audience is looking for: You want to be an authority on topics your followers and leads actually care about. Engage with users on social media and ask questions to gain insight into what your target audience wants to learn about.
4. Get Featured on a Podcast, Radio Show, or Guest Blog
Appearing on other outlets is a great way to display your industry authority. Joining a talk show to discuss your product or the state of your industry shows that your voice is one that people can trust in your industry. It also displays your excitement toward your industry and that you want listeners to learn more about it — and that it’s to their benefit to do so.
You should also consider writing a guest blog for another company in a related field. This will show readers that other companies trust you to deliver accurate, engaging content in industry-related topics. Blogs are also convenient because they often include links that can take readers directly to your website if they want to learn more about you, increasing your inbound traffic.
5. Use Marketing to Your Advantage
Perhaps the most important tip for extending your company’s reach and successfully implementing all the above tips is to lean into the power of marketing. Successful marketing requires a comprehensive approach to ensure the following:
- Your online content is search engine-optimized
- Your social media pages are reaching their fullest potential
- Your website and email newsletters offer educational content
- You’re using organic and paid ads correctly
- You have an accurate buyer persona to guide your marketing plan
- You’re using data to find areas to improve and build upon
And while there’s a lot more you could add, doing these things will get you well on your way to impressive growth. It can be a lot to keep up with, but the payoff of your target audience seeing you as an industry authority is more than worth it.
Choose The Coutts Agency to Grow Your Industry Authority
Do you want to make marketing your business easier and more effective? The Coutts Agency is ready to help you launch a vibrant marketing campaign that includes all the tips listed in this article and more.
We want to help you achieve newfound success in your industry by positioning you as the go-to authority! Contact us today for more information, or fill out the form below to schedule a consultation.