A Deeper Look into Social Authority
What does it mean to be a “social authority” … I speak often about having social authority online – that is, becoming a recognized leader in your industry or area of expertise utilizing social media tools such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other interactive sites to do so.
I was speaking with a potential client not long ago, and he expressed the idea that he couldn’t be a social authority, because there were other businesses owners in his industry who had been around longer than his business had, and so he felt that he didn’t quite “qualify” to be considered an “authority” on his subject.
When I explained that being a social authority doesn’t mean he is the only authority out there, but that he has a perspective and way of approaching his profession in a way that will uniquely resonate with the clients his business is designed to serve the best – and that that makes him an “authority” or a leader in his industry, it started to make more sense to him. But as always, it needs to be true and with integrity — no fakes allowed!
Social media is a means for business owners to convey their unique voice, to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and to stand out in a crowded marketplace by increasing top of mind awareness with their ideal clients and customers. As I mentioned in an earlier post about social authority, using social media strategically in this manner also can improve where your website ranks in the search engine results. Now, what you do everywhere online affects where your website will rank online.
The most important benefit of becoming a social authority in your business – and the reason I’m so passionate about this subject – is that it improves your bottom line business results. We were thrilled to be featured in yesterday’s Star Tribune article highlighting the results that our clients have achieved by strategically implementing social media using our social authority strategy, and demonstrating true ROI for their businesses as a result!
Published on: April 19, 2011