It’s Monday — that means it’s time to open up the mailbox and answer YOUR questions!
So you wanna be an “authority” — whatever that means?
I love arbitrary labels. Because they can mean anything… Or nothing.
“A-Lister” definitely falls under that. So does “authority.”
Don’t take either too seriously. And yet — do. Because when you do, the actions you have to take to go for either can create all the opportunity you could ever want.
So, work towards the “A-list” for whatever skills you develop. And, work to be a recognized “authority” in your field.
But recognize that — in the end — it’s not about BEING either.
It’s not about the label.
It’s about what you DO in pursuit of that label that moves the needle and gets results.
So — what ACTION do you need to take to become an “Authority?”
That’s what today’s Mailbox Monday issue is all about…
Have a question about marketing, selling, copywriting, business-building, or life? Get it answered in an upcoming Mailbox Monday when you click here and fill out the quick questionnaire.
Now on to today’s question…
—
Roy,
My biggest challenge I’d love for you to address is how to be seen as an authority in your market. I’m trying, but finding it hard to stand out.
Thanks,
A
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There’s really just ONE WORD that sums the main thing you must DO to become an authority…
Publish.
That’s it. Publish. Get in media. Then, do it again.
Become a media personality, in the medium or media of your choice.
(It’s no coincidence that “authority” has “author” as a root word.)
Now, I’ve got a handful of recommendations about this.
Plus, one big warning.
But if you take nothing else away from this, just know that you’re not going to become an authority in your market if you don’t regularly and consistently appear in media.
After all — how many people can you name who have “authority” status in any market who are not published?
What’s that? Oh, just the crickets chirping.
Okay, but let’s get serious and talk about how. First though, that warning…
Warning: This is LONG GAME…
The vast majority of people who read this, get excited by the idea, and commit to action on it will FAIL.
And it’s not because the advice is bad. Rather, it’s because it WILL NOT provide instant gratification. And so they’ll quit too early.
You will NOT become an authority tomorrow if you publish today. Not next week. Not next year. Maybe in the next decade.
Yes, you can do things to speed it up. Build a list of people who you can publish to regularly. Get published in bigger media with a built-in audience. Market your published products more effectively.
But publishing to achieve authority status is most definitely a long game.
So don’t start this if you think it’ll be something that will get you clients next week. Get clients to cover your bills, then spend your spare time for the next 10 years publishing.
At some point it will create a flywheel effect where the publishing (and “authority” status) is getting you more opportunity than you can handle. But in the mean time, expect this will be on top of all your regular work.
That said, everything you publish is potentially a client-getter. It can generate clients passively, when they find the media and seek you out because you were the source. Or, you can use it actively, such as sending a bunch of articles or a relevant book to a prospective client.
Now onto more of the how…
Be thought- and feeling-provoking…
It’s only mildly useful to be the author of really basic tutorials, at the level you might find on WikiHow.
Simple “here’s how to…” tutorials are useful. But they don’t create a connection with the reader. They solve a problem then are quickly discarded.
If you want to really connect with readers — to build a reputation — you have to make them think or feel in ways that go beyond the reference section.
So, for example, if you actually have something NEW to say in your market, such as having a new approach to solving a problem, that can be thought-provoking. Giving someone something that they’ve never seen before does help in the pursuit of building your reputation in a market.
That said, it’s seldom enough to even have a novel solution to a problem.
If you really want to build your reputation quick, you need to do things in media that will build your connection with your audience. You build connections by making them FEEL.
How do you do that? The easiest way is STORY.
Learn to tell stories that capture the imagination of your market and predispose them to buy. Learn the art and craft of story selling.
Not necessarily because all of your media needs to be a sales pitch. But because you need to know how to tell stories in a way that moves your ideal prospect closer to the point where they’re ready to hire you or buy what you offer.
The best thing about getting good at story is that it makes talking about the same thing repeatedly in media much more interesting.
Let’s say you have 10 main topics you are really well-versed on. And those all fall under your area of expertise. Writing the same 10 tutorials gets really boring. Which is why many people think they have nothing to write about.
But if you embrace story, you could have 10 stories per year about each of those 10 topics. Suddenly you have 100 pieces of content to publish.
And because stories often feel more real and engaging, you’ll find your audience continually eating up new content on the same topics.
How to find stories? Well, I recommend my Story Selling Master Class because it lays out story types and templates that will help you identify good selling stories. But the shortest answer to how to find stories is to simply pay attention and look for anything you can tie to any coming piece of content you need to create. Seek and ye shall find.
Moving on…
How to choose what media to publish in…
There’s two factors in what media to use.
First, where’s your market?
If your market is illiterate, starting a blog is probably a bad idea. Maybe you need to publish video.
If your market prefers print media, you may need to develop a print media strategy.
Books are ALWAYS powerful, because there’s a certain reputation that comes with being the author of a book that’s hard to replicate.
Also, consider if there’s any central media in the market, that everyone reads. For example, in the medical field you become an “authority” by appearing in peer-reviewed journals. In other markets, maybe it’s something else.
The more members of your market that already consume a certain media source, the harder it will be to get in (when you’re getting started). But the more powerful it will be to have appeared there. (My Proof, Credibility, & Believability training talks about how to use media appearances to boost your believability.)
The one time you can break this rule is with true mass media. If you get a chance to be on the news talking about your area of expertise, that’s a credibility-booster, even if most of the audience is not your market.
That said, what media your market consumes is only half the battle…
Second, what media can you publish in with consistency?
I happen to be a writer. It was easy to decide to write a daily essay for me, because I write, a lot.
Others may HATE writing. In that case, maybe a YouTube channel is ideal. Or, buying air time on the radio. Or any number of other media.
The key is consistency.
What media can you put out with regularity and consistency, that your prospects can consume easily, in light of their current media consumption patterns?
That’s the sweet spot.
Also, it doesn’t have to be just one media.
If you’re a writer, maybe you put out the occasional book, and regularly write on your website and through email to your list. Maybe you also offer a print newsletter.
But if you have a chance to appear on podcasts, or do a webinar or call for your market, do that as well.
Live training? A speech? It can all benefit you, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm you.
And if you’re doing multiple media, consider repurposing content across media. For example, that podcast interview you did could be transcribed and turned into a report, as well as a series of articles. Or if you did a speech in person, perhaps the recording could be put on YouTube.
The key is to just keep doing it, and then doing it again.
One big shortcut…
I’ll keep this quick. I alluded to it a bit before, but I’ll be more direct now.
If you want to go for “authority” status, one big way is to borrow that from others.
So, if your market reads a certain publication, and you can appear in that publication, that can give you a nice boost.
But you can also apply this principle in other ways.
So, for example, you could interview thought leaders in your market, for whatever media you’re putting out. Maybe for a book. Or a podcast series. Or your website. Or whatever.
Interview them, and publish the interviews.
Then, when someone finds you alongside that thought leader, you borrow some of their status in the eyes of that person.
Do this with a LOT of thought leaders, and suddenly you become known as the person who is connected to everyone, and people are attracted to you for that reason.
In all cases, you must be good…
I’ll finish on this note.
Don’t just publish crap, in quantity.
That’s no good.
But if you are good (not even great, necessarily) and you publish in quantity, you’ll start to find more and more people knowing who you are, and what you do.
They’ll start to follow your work.
And then they’ll probably see you as something like an “authority.”
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
