Authority marketing is not a new concept. It is presenting yourself as the best in your field. This makes you an authority and an industry leader.
While all businesses want to be industry leaders, the methods of getting to that position have been elusive. Technology has given us the tools in which companies are able to market this concept.
With the rise of the avenues of social media and the internet, professionals who are skilled in using current technology have an advantage over those who are not.
In years past, reputation was all that mattered. If your company was recommended by someone you knew and trusted, you used them. Public relation professionals recognized this and began a strategic method of utilizing this to further their clients and to secure a bigger share of the market.
Public relations is about your reputation.
They are about your brand and your presence in the community. They use press releases, news avenues, and other service announcements to point the spotlight on everything you and your company do right.
When there is an issue, they do damage control. Public relation teams are like your neighborhood recommendation, on a much larger and more impressive scale.
Fusing the power of public relations, with the endeavors and brand building efforts of authority marketing creates an unbeatable force.
How does it work?
Consider this. If you have a company that creates software applications, and you supply these applications to your entire niche, people will trust you to sell them applications. However, if another company also sells similar applications, and he has a good reputation what sets you apart?
Now, consider that the competitor software company is beginning to show up on Facebook when you turn it on. The owner of the company has written a book on how to buy and sell apps. He gives lectures to entrepreneurs who are interested in web development.
His app masters have been featured in major media outlets and he sells his apps for a higher price than you command. People are drawn to him. His apps are not any better than yours, but when people think widgets, they think of him.
They assume his apps are higher quality because they cost more. He has set himself up as an authority in the market. His public relations team has used his position to further his brand, his company, and his community standing.
While authority marketing is a big part of the targeted and winning strategy, it is not enough on its own.
Public relations is equally as important to the program, yet they need the help of the marketing team to succeed to these heights. It requires professionals on both ends of the spectrum to command the presence that makes your company a force to be reckoned with in your industry.
By today’s standards, it takes a combined approach to attain a powerful brand locally, socially, and nationally. Smart teams merge the power of all the players. Your client base is no longer within a few miles of your office door.
The internet has created a national and international opportunity. How fast and how far your company rises depends largely on the fusion of your own people.
There is no “holding your own” any more. You are either moving forward or being left behind.
Author Bio
Wendy Dessler
Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama
Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama and Towering SEO who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition. You can contact her on Twitter.
