Nobody will turn into an authority without a convinced and enthusiastic audience. However, this is not a big one-way communication show on even bigger stages. Thought leaders enhance their knowledge, network, and reputation on a level playing field.
Even with Authority Marketing being an online-marketing approach: the significance of human relationships should not be underestimated. For some good reasons: First of all, the initial success of many initiatives is based upon personal relations. Secondly, any reputation gained by publishing and speaking is just a means to an end in order to attract followers and to gain strategic and competitive advantage. Finally, only the audience and network facilitate and accelerate the public perception and reputation of a person as an authority.
Networking from the start
The entire process begins with positioning your concept and expertise. They need to be fed into an ecosystem of potential customers, sponsors, like-minded people but also critics and competitors. There are simple means to determine trends and subject matters like search engines, online publications, and networks. Advanced experts use more sophisticated and comprehensive tools and methodologies like social listening, trend and key word analyses.
However, intensive interaction within the ecosystem is paramount. It helps gain ideas and suggestions, assessments and evaluations, support and a feeling what works and how it works. Moreover, the first followers start promoting the person and his/her concepts. Thus, it’s not a big bang but rather a step-by-step approach with a continuous and consistent process, progress, and pace.
Turning followers into partners
Nobody is a born authority. You won’t become an acknowledged authority without your audience acting as a midwife. Other people appreciate expertise, concepts, and personality and grant a thought leader his/her authority status over time.
Via social media you attract a loyal, visible entourage. This entails subscribing to newsletters, visiting events, and contacting you directly. It’s important to know, that the process of Authority Marketing can only be successful with an initial interest in a person turning into cooperation with a partner, i.e. for business, a project or mutual support of any kind.
The quantity of followers and the network’s quality are similarly significant.
Social Proof
Psychologists call this phenomenon ‘social proof’.
On one hand, prospective authorities benefit from being part of a circle of acknowledged experts and from being referred to in documents and in public. The Internet’s currency for this is the backlink. The ultimate goal is recommendation and referral marketing.
On the other hand, a bunch of followers demonstrates that the subject matter and the person are obviously interesting and worth to be listened to. Once the impression intensifies that this may be an authority in this area of expertise, life will become easier. With your expertise and reputation you will readily get in touch with others, attract attention, and do business.
Authority with knowledge and interaction
In a networked world authority is manufactured by interaction and information exchange. Thus, the preaching evangelist may not be an appropriate metaphor. Thought leaders create connections, test ideas, and enhance their knowledge by exchanging thoughts with other people rather than pondering over things in an ivory tower. They are acknowledged just because they develop their thoughts on a level playing field. This is exactly what leading and following is all about.
As this is key for successful Authority Marketing, we will have a closer look into leading and following in part six of this series.
