People will always take their business to a trusted merchant. This is how it was in the days of old and this is the way it works in the super-modern online market today.
The savvy online marketer operating with the testy online shopper can improve this trust by building the authority of his or her website.
Online authority attracts the attention of all the right players. Experts enjoy interacting and engaging other experts to enhance their expertise, customers feel safe basing their decisions on the opinion of the experts (it is one of their biggest blind spots) and the search engines consider this type of attention highly valuable.
To the major search engines, website authority is equivalent to high quality, and they will reward such success with higher rankings and increased traffic. These benefits are indispensable to online marketing success.
This post is focused on ways to build this authority using social media platforms and the wealth of possibilities this affords you.
Paying attention to your social metrics can be one of the surest paths to authority if you can apply some practical ingenuity.
Here Are 10 Pointers for Building Website Authority with Social Media:
1. Create Accounts On All Relevant Social Networks For Your Market
An authority knows the market and target demographic better than anyone else. This is what makes him or her an expert. Exhibit this by always being a few steps ahead of your customer.
Think of all the social media networks where you are likely to find your clients. By making yourself a natural part of the same environment, you will make yourself a trusted influence and this embodies authority.
Ask yourself, “Where would my customer go?” Then be there.
2. Brand Yourself By Using The Same Cover Art And Logo
After you find where your demographic is hanging out, you must then consider the branding, logos and persona with which to introduce your brand to your customers.
Not only should this be well considered in terms of what the client will find attractive, reliable and engaging, but you must also distinguish your authority with identifiable branding and logos that run seamlessly across the many social platforms that your online presence will pervade.
3. Create Unique And Engaging Content
The first two steps are about finding your customers and grabbing their attention. Next, consider what you will do with their valuable and fleeting attention. The answer lies in the content you will provide for them.
As an authority in your field, your clients will expect you to know what they want before they do. This will be best expressed by providing them with valuable information which they will find interesting.
What types of content fit that description? It could be an infographic, a blog post or video content.
Be sure you make the most of this content and spread it across all relevant social networks.
4. Use Video, Images and Infographics
As an authority, you must be aware that always presenting written content could very well end up boring your customers.
Today, much of the online interaction is done on mobile devices, and possibly, during that five-minute interval while your customer is waiting in line for a coffee or at the bank.
With this in mind, think of providing content that can be thoroughly enjoyed in the precious few moments of attention that your customer may give you.
Pictures say a thousand words and a full concept can be conveyed in a few seconds of video content. Do not underestimate the importance of these tools.
5. Provide a Regular Source of Valuable Content
The next step is all about holding your audience’s attention indefinitely.
This can be best accomplished by regularly posting unique and engaging content. Be sure to post regularly and remember, you do not have to do all the content creation.
Also share other blog articles or social media posts that your audience would find useful. Which leads to the next tip.
6. Minimize Self Promotion
Beware of the tendency to use your position to broadcast only your own content.
By networking with other experts in your fields, you will not only increase your authority, but it also gives you something else to post. It will not be long until you become the go-to person in your market.
7. Know Your Audience
The central pillar of your authority and expertise in your field will come from truly understanding your audience. This goes far beyond just sex, age and ethnicity.
Social media networks can provide marketers with tools that provide deeper insights into mindsets, behaviors and interests, as well as the needs of their customers.
8. Engage with your Audience
This is where the knowledge you have gathered on your demographic from the various tools and analytics that you employ will be practiced.
By knowing the mindsets, needs and behavior patterns of your audience, you can more easily find ways to engage your audience.
This can be done in the form of an “Ask the Experts” site or by encouraging your audience to share, like or subscribe to your social media content. Knowing what your audience is looking for may give you clues as to what to give them.
9. Help Your Audience
You will go far if you forget your own mission and apply your expertise to help solve the problems of your followers.
A merchant marketing sunscreen to people on vacation, for example, may apply this concept by providing his demographic with regular updates on weather conditions.
He or she could also push out friendly reminders to stop by the shop and pick up some product at a reduced price.
10. Drive Social Media Visitors Back To Your Website
In order to build your website authority, you must direct traffic back to the website itself.
It is easy to get caught up in all the action and excitement of the social media scene, but unless your social media audience is presented with a clear call-to-action back to your site, all your work is for naught.
Conclusion
Remember, building your website authority will take time and effort. Providing valuable content and engaging with your audience are the fastest shortcuts to success.
Images licensed and provided by the author.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions stated in this post are that of the author, and Return On Now may or may not agree with any or all of the commentary.
Jonathan Leger
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- 10 Ways to Build Website Authority Using Social Media - December 16, 2015
