Position yourself as an expert, become a trusted brand, and grow your online business.

You are a new coach or service-based business owner. You are stepping into the online world and wondering how to go from being an unknown brand to a go-to gal that your target audience loves, trusts and buys from.

Reflect on your own habits. Do you buy from brands you don’t know or trust? Most likely, no. We buy from brands we trust, connect with, and that we consider to be experts.

Authority stops the scroll, commands attention, demonstrates credibility, and inspires action.

Sales today aren’t about cold calls. Sales today are about building connections and relationships with your target audience. So, how do you establish relationships when you have zero visibility and brand presence?

As a service-based business owner, you want to be a brand that is credible, reliable, and trusted by your target audience.

To do this, it’s important to position yourself as an authority. It’s pretty logical.

The more authority you have on a topic, the more you stand out, and the more people trust and respect what you have to say.

If you are able to build your authority and be seen as an expert in your field, you will land more clients, build better relationships, make more sales, and be able to charge what you are worth.

So, when starting out online, how do you build your brand and establish authority with your target audience?

What it means to be an authority.

Being an authority means that you are considered an expert in your field AND delivering your knowledge in a meaningful way to your audience.

Being an authority means that your target audience sees you as the go-to for information over your competitors.

But, it’s not just about positioning yourself as an expert.

Your message, content and what you say also needs to be digestible and understandable by your target audience. You want to write in clear, palatable language that resonates and connects with your target audience.

People who know you, like and trust you, buy from you.

Why you want to be an authority.

Establishing yourself as an authority means building trust with your target audience. And, once you gain trust and build your credibility, your business will grow and money will flow.

So, if you want to become the go-to gal, catapult your online presence, start landing clients, and make sales, you want to incorporate effective authority builders into your growth strategy.

Just as there are many ways to market and grow your business, there are many ways to build your authority.

Here are 10 ways to build your authority, claim your space online and become the go-to gal in your industry.

1. Share educational content

Demonstrate your authority by sharing educational content with your target audience. This could be through Instagram posts and stories, lives, your blog or podcast, or Facebook groups. Whatever medium you choose, sharing educational content is an effective way for you to demonstrate your knowledge on a topic.

This could be written, video, or audio.

Some examples of educational content you could share include:

• Writing about latest trends and industry updates
• Client case studies or hot seat coaching sessions
• Don’t have any clients yet? As a web designer you could do website reviews. As a coach, you could do case studies on fictional clients
• Mistakes your target audience makes.

Providing educational content that gets your audience to stop the scroll and pay attention means knowing your ideal client and what their struggles are.

In order to build authority, you need to also build trust and reliability. The key is to be consistent.

2. Share stories so your target audience gets to know you

Building authority in your niche is more than sharing your expertise. It’s also about creating connections with your target audience. You want your audience to get to know you on a deeper level and be inspired, as people who know you, like and trust you, buy from you.

To do this, you want to share your story, your mission and vision. Share content that shows you as human and relatable. This is what build relationships, and ultimately makes sales.

3. Niche down

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, ‘If you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one.’

Before you build your authority strategy, you want to know two things:

1. Who you serve
2. What makes your brand different.

The more you are able to clearly define your target audience and what makes your brand stand out, the better you are able to serve them, and the better your messaging and marketing will be.

You want your brand to be integrated in your ideal client’s life as much as their favourite Netflix TV show!

Be as target and specific as possible. The more you niche down, the easier you will be able to communicate to your audience and build your authority.

So, when defining your ideal client, ask yourself – who needs your offer most?

4. Collaborate

An effective way to expand your authority and your presence online is with collaborations. Here you collaborate, or partner, with brands by getting in front of their audience.

By doing this, you will be able to more easily catapult your authority to a new audience.

You want to be collaborating with brands who have similar target audiences but are non-competing. For example, if you are a web designer you might consider collaborating with an SEO expert or copy writer. You will have the same or similar target audiences but you are non-competing.

You could also add value in online communities such as Facebook group.

5. Share your viewpoints and opinions

Authority comes from sharing different viewpoints and opinions. So, don’t be afraid to share a point of view that is out there about such areas as trends, myths or facts.

This is a great way to create discussion, stand out and be different. Your opinions should be authentic and genuine, but it’s a way to position yourself in your industry and challenge your audience.

6. Provide real value

As I mentioned, being an authority doesn’t simply mean spouting your expertise. It’s about sharing your knowledge in a meaningful and impactful way that your audience understands and can digest. To do this, provide value in a real way through case studies, client stories, infographics, and on a platform where your target audience hangs out.

You could even provide free short 1:1 sessions where you upsell on the call.

7. Create curated content

Curated content is sharing content on your channels that is relevant to your audience, collated by you from a variety of sources. Basically, you are doing the work for your audience.

Become the go-to and reliable source of information by sharing a round-up of relevant and interesting information for your target audience.

The key to content curation is to sprinkle in your own opinions and thoughts.

8. Build your social proof

Social proof is an excellent way to show authority. This involves receiving testimonials from clients and customers. People are more likely to buy when they see testimonials and other social proof.

9. Beta clients

Don’t have clients as yet? Consider offering your services to a limited number of clients for free at a lower price in exchange for testimonials.

Here, you can work with a small number of people for free or at a lower price in exchange for testimonials.

10. Share a freebie such as a long form guide, e-book, masterclass, or the like

One highly effective way to build authority is by offering freebies, or lead magnets. Here you are able to share your authority while addressing a specific pain point of your target audience.

Before you dive into creating a freebie, be clear about who your target audience is, the pain point you are addressing, and where you are leading them when they receive your freebie.

Your freebie could be a guide, video masterclass, webinar, or any form of content that you feel would best demonstrate your expertise.

Building your authority should absolutely be a priority in your business. With authority comes clients, more sales, and brand reputation.

And, you will be able to more easily grow your business stand out in your industry, and grow your online presence.

Want to get started today?

1. Write down topics that you really are an expert in and will help to catapult your authority
2. Define your ideal client
3. List out 5 pain points your ideal client is currently struggling with
4. Identify your authority builders
5. Create a growth strategy that focusses on building your authority.

Are you a new coach who is ready to build your visibility, community and authority, and become a go-to gal?

Join the waitlist for the Freedom Lifestyle Accelerator program that kicks off again soon.

• Build unshakeable business foundations
• Ignite your content
• Catapult your authority
• Create a stand-out signature offer
• Accelerate your growth

Plus, by joining the waitlist, you will exclusively receive access to discounts and special offers!

Hi, I’m Simran! I’m a marketing and business coach with over 7 years of experience in marketing. Prior to that, I worked as a lawyer.

With all the experience and knowledge I gained in corporate, when it came to starting my business, I didn’t know where to begin. I found starting a business really overwhelming and it prevented me from taking action for a long time.

I don’t want that for you!

That is why, today, my mission is to help new service-based business owners start and grow a thriving and smart business from day 1.

I help you catapult your visibility, community and authority, and build solid foundations that will set your business up for long term success.

simran@simranksingh.co

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