As the leader of a 21st-century business, you likely have some knowledge about what it takes to have a good online presence. You probably share quality content, interact with customers on social media, and use some of the right keywords. It’s not as though you’re an online novice, but has your business achieved online authority?
Online authority is earned when you establish your industry expertise in ways that help your target audience. You’re there to answer their burning questions and address their pain points. With online authority, you aren’t just a thought leader, but also a trusted resource and brand. While this achievement won’t earn you a shiny trophy or certificate, you’ll gain plenty of benefits from customer loyalty to increased conversions. In this article, you’ll learn how those benefits can positively impact your business.
1. Your Customers’ Admiration
Think about the companies you have strong positive feelings for. You likely see them as leaders in their industry. When you want to purchase a product or service they sell, you’ll go to them over other businesses. Their online authority lets you know they will provide what you need and treat you well. You want your customers to feel the same about your business.
To earn this respect, consider working with a digital PR agency. These agencies differ from traditional PR companies by focusing on building your online presence. A digital PR agency may find trusted publications for your brand to be mentioned in or improve your SEO tactics. Being showcased in these trusted publications grows your brand credibility and allows your business to be easily recognizable by your target audience.
2. Brand Trust and Loyalty
Once your customers like you, you need them to trust you. According to Qualtrics, 63% of consumers said a company’s reputation impacts purchasing decisions. It may seem touchy-feely, but brand trust is an important factor to customers when choosing where to spend their money. Earn their trust by focusing on the quality of content you produce over the quantity of content. Posting multiple times a day to social media or daily on your blog can be good, but it can also lead to watered-down content.
Instead, build trust by regularly posting when you have something meaningful to say. And make sure that content is something that truly benefits your audience. Rather than constantly posting fluff pieces about company updates, make sure you’re delivering valuable insights, useful information, or entertaining content. Earning customers’ trust and loyalty will translate into practical benefits. This approach establishes your credibility as a reliable source and creates a community that values your contributions and looks forward to engaging with your content.
3. Boosted Visibility and Traffic
Online authority is closely tied to visibility. Search engines tend to favor authoritative websites, leading to higher rankings in search results. As your business climbs the search engine ranks, more users are likely to discover and visit your website. This increased organic traffic not only expands your reach but also provides more opportunities to convert visitors into customers. When your clients trust you, they come to you first to fill their needs without requiring advertising to lead the way.
As an added bonus, they’ll likely recommend you to their friends and family. Think about Amazon find videos for a minute. By consistently meeting customer expectations and building a reputation for reliability, Amazon has become a trusted authority in online retail. And a large driver behind that success has been word-of-mouth marketing. Seeing a video featuring a cool new product on TikTok drives new customers to the platform, and Amazon doesn’t need to spend money on extensive advertising efforts.
4. Increased Reach and Engagement
As you’re becoming more accessible in search and gaining new customers through referrals, you’ll notice something else happening. You will begin to build relationships with these customers. They’ll connect with you on your business’s social media channels and look for new content from you there. You’ll also learn about their needs and challenges as they comment on your posts.
Leverage this connection to increase your reach and engagement. When someone shares a comment or asks a question, be sure to respond. Use your channels to post the kind of content that attracted these customers to you in the first place. Create additional content from testimonials or positive reviews. Prove that you listen to your customer base and increase your online authority through better reach and engagement metrics.
5. A Competitive Advantage
In a competitive market, having online authority sets your business apart from the competition. Consumers are more likely to choose a brand they perceive as an industry expert. Think about your favorite fast food burger for a minute. Do you prefer McDonald’s, In-N-Out, Burger King, Wendy’s, Whataburger or somewhere else? It’s really a divisive question, and that’s partially due to the fact these chains gain a competitive advantage as they earn their customers’ loyalty.
Another benefit of online authority is that having an authoritative position also makes your business more adaptable to industry changes. By staying at the forefront of trends and innovations, your business can lead the way rather than merely following the pack.
Establishing and keeping online authority takes hard work and dedication. However, that work is well worth it when you realize the benefits it can bring your company. By continuing your current efforts and implementing new strategies, you’ll better situate your business for the future. The benefits that come with online authority will provide your company with opportunities to continue growing and ensure your longevity.
