Let’s take a minute to think about something as simple as buying a new toothbrush. When you pull up Amazon, there are over 2,000 purchase options, which is overwhelming to say the least. Beyond the basic differences such as adult versus kid or manual versus electric, there are countless brand options to choose from. As a consumer, you are going to want to pick the most reliable, trustworthy brand to entrust with your oral health.

Now let’s flip to the brand side. All of these brands believe in their products and take pride in offering high-quality toothbrushes.

So how do brands stand out as a brand authority?

This is where the concept of brand authority comes into play. Yokel Local Internet Marketing defines brand authority as “the trust a brand has earned among customers and the degree to which they see your brand as a subject matter expert.”

Yokel Local further says a strong brand can help you “retain a loyal customer base who seeks you out before turning to your competitors” and “attract the influencers within your industry, who can then use their authority to promote your brand.”

So how do you actually achieve brand authority? Here are some proven ways to do so, including creating original, compelling content, being active on social media, and perfecting your brand’s visual appearance.

1. Create Original, Informative Contents
What better way to establish your “brand as a subject matter expert” than to share your expertise on the subject matter? Content marketing not only is a powerful tool to demonstrate your knowledge, but it also is a great way to bring in new business. In fact, Demand Metric found that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing endeavors yet generates 3x more leads.

There are many forms of content marketing, including blogging, creating videos, and even doing a podcast. For the purposes of industry authority, the key is more what you are sharing than how. Here are some ideas to get you started.

2. Answer Your Customers’ Frequently Asked Questions
Thinking back to the toothbrush example, you could create content on “what kind of toothbrush to get,” “what is the difference between a manual and electric toothbrush,” or “what to look for in a toothbrush for kids.” A great way to get ideas about customer questions is to talk to your sales team, or whoever interacts with your customers, to gain more insight.

3. Look at Your Competitors’ Content
If your competitors already have solid content, look to them for inspiration. However, do not merely re-create their content. Create it better, with deeper information or from a new angle.

4. Be a Journalist
Don’t just share your own knowledge and advice. Interview other industry experts and share their knowledge. A good example of this strategy is the “Top 25 Investment Strategies for Small Business Owners” by Fit Small Business. Rather than share their own knowledge of investment strategies, Fit Small Business interviews 25 small business experts.

5. Generate Case Studies and Share Reviews
No one can qualify you as an expert more than your existing customers who have worked with you and seen success. Use customer data to create case studies and share publicly what your customers have to say about you.

6. Contribute Guest Posts
Writing for your own website or blog is one thing, yet contributing to other publications really establishes you as an industry thought leader. It also helps create awareness about your brand and build traffic to your website.

7. Be Active on Social Media
There are over 3.2 billion people worldwide on social media. Take advantage of social platforms by reaching their users. Do not just create content. Build your authority by sharing what you have created.

Keep in mind, each social platform has a different purpose and posting etiquette:
• Facebook: Post 2-3 times weekly, share news, curated content, and videos
• Twitter: Post daily or more, share news, blogs, and infographics
• Instagram: Post daily, share visual elements such as photos or quotes
• LinkedIn: Post 2-3 times weekly, share job openings, company news, and professional content
• YouTube: Post once weekly, share videos such as how-tos and other tutorials

Social platforms also provide opportunities to engage with your audience as well as other industry leaders.

If you’re not already on social media, do not rush to create accounts everywhere. Start with the channels that play to your strengths. For example, if you mostly have professional news, get started on LinkedIn, and if you mostly have videos, get started on YouTube, and so on.

On any of the platforms, you can build industry authority, generate leads, form connections, and participate in conversations surrounding your space.

8. Make Sure You Have a Strong, Visual Brand
Strong design matters. Even if you have the best toothbrush, if the packaging and visual appearance do not match the quality of the brand, you will not be an industry authority. Additionally, all visual elements have to be consistent across all mediums to be seen as authoritative.

Think about it this way. Imagine if McDonalds did a billboard with a purple M, and a lime green background. Would that even register in your head as a McDonalds ad?

McDonalds is an expert at branding and has worked hard to be universally identifiable. Follow their lead and make sure your logos, typography, messaging and colors are cohesive throughout all materials. This will make you recognizable and help you to create a strong first impression and convey to customers that you care.

Ready to Elevate Your Brand?
If you need help building a cohesive brand and are ready to fully maximize your marketing potential with strong branding and design, Evoke Idea Group is ready to help. We are a full-service design agency helping brands across all industries tell strong stories through smart design. For more than two decades, we’ve helped some of the world’s most trusted brands captivate and convert customers through impactful print and digital projects. Our experience allows us to hit the ground running on any size project. Find out what we can do for you in a complimentary consultation. Schedule yours today by email at hello@evokeideagroup.com or give us a call at 630-639-8985.

About Evoke Idea Group, LLC

Evoke Idea Group, LLC is a full-service design and marketing creative agency providing award-winning marketing communications and graphic design solutions since 1996. For more than two decades, we’ve helped mid-to-large size B2B and B2C companies, marketing departments and breakout companies captivate and convert customers through print and digital campaigns. We serve a wide range of clients on a national, regional, and local basis.

We are in the business of bringing awareness to brands and helping to grow companies through strategic marketing, digital marketing, advertising, web design, video and graphic design services. Our fresh, creative approaches are translated through: graphic design, logo design, website design, advertisements, infographics, digital marketing, social media marketing, web banner ads, print materials, flyers, case studies, sell sheets, posters, brochures, branding and identity, brand guidelines, packaging, trade show booths, exhibit graphics, video and animated motion graphics.

Our full-service advertising agency provides freelance marketing communications and graphic design solutions throughout Arizona, Phoenix, Cave Creek, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tucson, Peoria, Sedona, Prescott, Flagstaff, Northern Arizona, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Aurora, Naperville, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Elgin, Schaumburg, DeKalb, Joliet, Chicago, Chicago Suburbs, Maricopa County, Yavapai County, Coconino County, Pima County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, Will County, McHenry County, DeKalb County, Cook County, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, the Midwest, the Southwest, USA and worldwide.