How To Build Credibility

One of the recommended reasons to create and share content is to build authority in your niche. As an expert in your niche, you will get a certain amount of respect, which leads to more traffic due to your perceived expertise. In order to become an expert, you must line up at START.

Blog Often

Bloggers tend to have varying preferences on how often one should blog, but one thing that all agree on is to “blog often.” Shoot for blogging on your own website at least twice a week or eight (8) times a month. Blog about focused and relevant topics that your audience cares about. Promote your expertise or let your audience grow with you. Starting from a beginner’s perspective and working your way up over the next year to a more advanced perspective is a great way to accomplish this and gain fans. Also, guest blogging strategically on websites that market to your audience can be helpful. Blogging often is always the best way to get traffic to your website.

Write Articles

Since you’ve found a focus for your blog, distribute them as articles that your audience would be interested in. Articles would be composed slightly differently and meant to be longer than blogs. Find online and offline magazines in which to contribute your expertise in your niche. If you submit a compelling, well-written article, your submissions will be used. Regardless of online or offline, this type of content helps establish you as an expert to the public, so get out there.

Become a Resource

Let the local and national press know that you’re a resource they can call on when they need a quote about your niche. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as sending emails to reporters when they write about your niche, making blog comments, and using a service like HARO (Help a Reporter Out). You can sign up to HARO and be a source for qualified reporters on any topic you choose. There are free and paid opportunities through this service.

Set up Consistent Profiles

No matter whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, or your blog, your profiles should be very consistent. You want to be very careful about contradicting who you are across accounts. Ensure that you essentially say the same thing on each social media account but in different ways based on the type of social media account. For instance, LinkedIn is more business and buttoned up, while Facebook is more social – more like an after-hours business event. Remember, this is your branding across multiple platforms. Of course, be businesslike and professional on all accounts.

Send Out Press Releases

When you do something exciting in your business, whether it’s publishing a book, having a webinar, or conducting an interview for a radio show or podcast, send out a press release. Press releases are a good way to get online backlinks to your website but they’re also a good way to get in print. In case you’re on a budget, here are some free options to help get you started include PR, PR Log, Open PR, and PR-Inside.

Updated: Check out Technos Amigos’ 2017/2018 list of Free sites that offer Press Release opportunities.

Launch Partnerships with Fellow Experts

A great way to get your name out into the public is to form a joint venture project (or two) with another expert. Perhaps you know an expert who markets to your audience but performs or creates a complimentary service or product to yours. Investigate doing something with that person. It could be a webinar, podcast show, or jointly writing and publishing an informative eBook or audiobook.

Get Some Press Mentions

One thing that has helped businesses launch new ideas and products has been to gain press mentions. This isn’t always easy and is another way to gain attention through reputable press agencies. Press mentions usually are made on syndicated channels and often most people overlook sister organizations. Read here for more on getting press mentions for your brand and building your credibility quickly.

The Rundown

Finally, it’s important to step up your knowledge of the area you want to become an expert in and simultaneously improve yourself as a thought leader. Malcolm Gladwell, in his bestselling book, Outliers: The Story of Success, surmised that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert on any topic. Keep learning because this helps you become a true expert.