Authority Marketing requires a number of measures and prerequisites. This checklist will help you determine your starting-point when it comes to defining and designing authority for yourself and others.
The more questions you affirm, the better your pre-conditions to become an acknowledged expert and authority in your field and with your target audience. The same is true if you facilitate another person’s transformation into an authority. In this case, just replace ‘you’ by ‘your thought leader’.
21 Items you should check
| Question | Yes | No | |
| 01 | Do you have knowledge and ideas in a certain area of expertise providing a competitive edge or advantage? | ||
| 02 | Do you have a clear notion of who might be interested in your knowledge and ideas (target audience)? | ||
| 03 | Do you have the passion and power to bring your knowledge and ideas on stage and get your message across? | ||
| 04 | Do you publish regularly about your concepts and ideas using different channels (own website, social media etc.)? | ||
| 05 | Have you integrated your knowledge and ideas in one (or more) piece(s) of work (e.g., book, film, speech, lecture or study)? | ||
| 06 | Has your work found its market, readers, and customers? | ||
| 07 | Do you have your own website displaying you and your expertise? | ||
| 08 | Do you get found? Does your website generate enough traffic? | ||
| 09 | Does your website rank high among the top websites (SEO)? | ||
| 10 | Do you deliver lectures or hold seminars about your subject matter? | ||
| 11 | Do you network with people who are interested in your subject matter (online and offline)? | ||
| 12 | Do other authorities in relevant areas of expertise notice, acknowledge, and recommend you? | ||
| 13 | Do friends and followers distribute and share your content and ideas and recommend you as a person and professional? | ||
| 14 | Do distinguished institutions and experts create (back)links to your website and services? | ||
| 15 | Do you take the initiative to leverage your expert position? | ||
| 16 | Are you committed and approachable as a person and professional? | ||
| 17 | Do you inspire multipliers like journalists, influencers, executive coaches, and scientists with your knowledge and ideas? | ||
| 18 | Do you have a high number of relevant followers and visitors? | ||
| 19 | Are you asked to share your knowledge and ideas in social networks, events, or media? | ||
| 20 | Have you received awards related to your knowledge and ideas? | ||
| 21 | Have you turned your network into a committed community that actively promotes and co-develops your ideas and area of expertise? |
This is the end of our series upon Authority Marketing – and only just the beginning.
We would like to thank all progressive thinkers and thought leaders who contributed to this piece of work. Like the concept of Authority Marketing, most of them come from the Anglo-Saxon world. Special thanks go to Dorie Clark, Ian Brodie, Brian Ainsley Horn, and John McDougall.
