Social Authority: The power one establishes as an authority figure or leader within one’s industry on social media based on the power of metrics.
We see social authority every minute of every day… It’s how fake news became so disorienting. It’s how we question anything we hear, not knowing what is fact or not, yet the source of our information never changes… Social media platforms.
If you operate your business primarily on social media, your primary goal whether you realize it or not is to establish social authority. To be seen as an expert in your industry and niche. The more you grow in both following count and engagement, the more authority you build.
This is fantastic for the business owners that have knowledge, experience and education (formal or not is irrelevant) because the value they share to others is actually direct authority.
For the business owner who is learning as they go and either relaying info they saw and copied, or are providing bogus polarizing opinions for the sake of being different, this social authority can do more harm than good.
Every business needs both algorithmic authority and social authority in order to have a social media marketing strategy that is highly efficient and rewarding. These two authorities allow for growth and trust to happen which allows business to scale.
In order to build social authority one must provide consistent value that actually helps others. Where things get gray is that too many are building social authority based on nonfactual information. This is why so many consumers end up getting burnt in their first few investments they make in business.
It’s why the coaching industry started to lose credibility.
It’s why businesses are having a hard time growing on social media organically.
The wrong information is being widely spread at a faster rate and social authority is growing for the wrong accounts.
As a business owner who is experienced and knowledgeable, you have the benefit of building social authority on direct authority. You have the skillset and tools and information that will actually help others in your niche endeavors based on your experience.
For others, they relied on algorithmic authority and it worked. This is where trending reels can become problematic. Virality only works if you’re prepared.
With social media constantly changing and requiring different efforts frequently, the chase for virality has become this golden ticket that so many think is the solution to their problems. They are operating from a place of lack essentially. If only they had more followers, they would have more clients or consumers, money or influence.
The hard cold truth is that regardless of your following count, the fact remains that if you are not credible, no amount of business will ever hide the fact that you are growing a business simply off of social authority that happens by luck and chance.
By simply reading this article, I know that you are a direct authority figure. You are dedicated to the craft. Dedicating to learning and improving. The question now becomes, if we are competing against less experienced, less credible competitors and businesses, how do we counteract this epidemic of social authority?
There are quite a few ways to do this, and they aren’t groundbreaking, but it’s all about how you go about doing certain things.
Proper Website
First things first, having an incredibly well-designed and thought out website gives your business instant credibility. This site should include testimonials, social proof, a portfolio or user-generated content, and professional copy that clearly and simply influences behavior based on facts.
Testimonials
Having legit and real testimonials are beyond important for continuing to develop social authority. The days of money wins are no longer enough. Anyone can make a buck with the right marketing.
Having screenshots of client wins can not be your only strategy for user-generated content and for social proof. It’s time to level up and conduct your brand more professionally. Don’t remember seeing Gucci showing screenshots from happy consumers…
Thought Leadership Content
Instagram is the Community College for Youtube University. Anyone can learn anything. So much so, that you can just re-word some sentences, give generalized information in content and now look like you have experience in your industry. Reality is, those who do this are regurgitating content that someone else actually has proper knowledge in and because of their ability to leverage the algorithm, they are growing faster and now have social authority.
In order to intercept this, it is your job to present thought leadership content in ways that people become engaged in.
LinkedIn is king for thought leadership topics, but any social channel can be when done correctly.
Instead of creating content that is commonly seen, even if you have a different viewpoint, start creating content that is polarizing, controversial, and showcases your knowledge in unique ways like case studies.
An example would be the topic of “how to find your target audience”. Instead of creating content that outlines how to do it, utilize a brand who clearly didn’t know who they were targeting and failed.
Thought leadership content is great for speaking on trends, statistics, what you’ve learned, mistakes you’ve made and what they taught you, predictions, industry news, advice you disagree with.
Strategic Brand Partnerships/Collaborations
Your network and connections say a lot about you and how you are perceived. By creating strategic brand partnerships or collaborating with industry leaders, you are amplifying your brand perception and therefore increasing your social authority.
Going live with industry leaders, increasing your PR, being a guest on podcasts, or partnering with brands all give your brand a boost while also increasing authority on both sides of the coin.
Put Less Focus on Social Media
Social media is a vital marketing source for all businesses now, but there are still strategies outside of social media that can produce the same results. Allow yourself to develop a marketing plan that creates more balance and less stress.
Utilize events, community and old school tactics to recalibrate your efforts to not be stuck in the endless cycle of creation and validation.
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As a consumer it is your job to do your due diligence and make sure the ones you are investing in are worthy of your time and money. It is imperative to vet anyone that you hire and to be sure you read the contract, expectations, agreements, and guidelines at least three times to make sure there aren’t any loopholes you missed.
In a world where anyone can be anything, business catfishing is very real. All it takes is the right song, the right hashtags, and the right trend for someone to become influential overnight. Don’t be misled.
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