Why You Should Focus More on Building Brand Authority Online

What exactly is the difference between online branding and building brand authority?

To a typical geek, they are the same, however, in reality, the two are different. Online branding is a means used to get maximum exposure for your brand on all levels, using marketing, search engine optimization, and social media.

On the other hand, building a brand authority takes online branding a notch higher by making each online presence for your brand an authority in your industry. It goes beyond creating a blog and social media accounts on different platforms just to register presence. It is about strategically planning each post, brand mention and so on to give the desired impact to your brand.

Over the last 2 weeks, I interviewed many branding experts on why every business owner should be serious about building brand authority. I also asked for tips on how to boost online brand authority through brand mentions, especially from individuals that have been able to build brand authority in their chosen niche. Here are some of the lessons I picked up in the process.

Most online marketers tend to hinge their strategies on ranking for certain focused keywords on search engines. It is generally believed that ranking for chosen keywords will eventually boost traffic. But that’s it. Keywords only get people to your site, building brand recognition on the other hand helps sell your product or service.

It is no longer news that technology behind search engines is already leaning towards brand related metrics to identify sites that show more authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Building brand authority is a major cornerstone for building brand loyalty. Here is why.

When it comes to getting a strong client or customer base, building brand authority is not negotiable. This was one of my takeaways from my discussion with Ishan Goel, a generation Z marketing expert. Here is how he describes it.

“Your online brand allows you to connect and network with professionals seamlessly. The better your brand the more attention you will get. Having a brand that clearly shows what you do puts you in a position of power which in turn can get you a stronger client base.”

Building brand authority on your chosen niche (or industry) is one of the most powerful way to gain the trust and confidence of your visitors. It has been proven to be an effective way to boost online sales. Here is what John King, one of the top internet marketer and the co-founder of PlacementSEO has to say about the subject:

“No matter the industry your business targets you should continue to be serious about obtaining brand mentions as they prove time over time its capability at establishing both your business and personal brand as an authority in your target market.

Increased online visibility, boosts in consumer trust, and ultimately an increase in business revenue are just a few things brand mentions regularly promise to business owners and managers. Obtaining authority brand mentions can prove to be difficult, however, good ways to start earning these golden nuggets is to provide free expert information within Facebook Groups, Linkedin, Twitter, and other platforms that offer exclusive marketing communities which might earn you a brand mention.

Furthermore, you can spend time pitching high-quality ideas, tips, and feedback to editors who may want to utilize your expertise within their own written pieces, thus earning you a brand mention.”

Many business owners know about the importance of building brand authority, but how to go about it without experiencing burn-out (physically and financially) is another thing. Luckily, this is one of the questions I used to engage the experts I interviewed and individuals that have been able to boost their brand authority through authority brand mentions. Here are some of my takeaways on the subject.

Leveraging available tools is one of the best way to boost brand authority through brand mentions. Stephen Twomey, the CEO of MasterMind DBS describes his experience with the use of Help A Reporter website (HARO). Here is what he said about it.

“One of my best tips on building brand authority though authority mentions is to use HARO. I love using HARO for gaining visibility for my own business as well as my clients. HARO is a platform where journalists ask for expert opinions. Using this platform I have been featured on Entrepreneur.com, Business Insider, Bluehost.com and many others. You end up writing a lot of emails, and will get lots of “no responses”. But eventually after you learn how to write proper subject lines for better open rates, use the authors name in the subject line and write really great answers, you will start to get mentions and links. It takes time and effort and that’s why so many people quit using HARO before they strike gold.”

Most of us dread reaching out because we are not sure how people will respond to our story. The readiness to be vulnerable seems to be something Matthew Simpson, the CEO of Coupon Coder, seems to have mastered.

He has been able to get authority brand mentions on some of the biggest media outlets because of his willingness to share his stories. Here is one of the quote I took away from my discussion with him.

“Here’s my key to getting brand mentions online: I’m not afraid to be vulnerable. I share stories with my audience about starting out in the entrepreneurial world and I find people really connect to it. It’s a fallacy that you need to pretend to be an invulnerable role model to inspire people around you. I’ve found that, as I share my struggle, people feel like they have a connection with me. My audience then enthusiastically offers to share my story with whomever they can. The brand mentions are secondary to the relationships we’ve developed.”

Ulyses Osuna, host of the The Road to Major Publications podcast and Founder of Influencer Press, share one of the secret weapons he used to get brand mention on forbes and other media outlets with me. Over the last 12 months he has helped dozens of celebrity maximizes the media exposure through brand mentions. He has found a way to convert his social news feed into asset. Here is how he described it.

“Most of the time I’ll see features that pop up on my news feed because it’s friends that get features and when I see that – I notice it’s a chance to get a feature myself. Because that shows that the writer is open to interviewing experts in their field and so I try to either find an angle that fits me or one of my clients.”

Brand mentions in themselves might not get you the needed result if you don’t squeeze out the power in them. This is a sentiment shared by Jeremy Miller, the CEO of Inspired Blue Media. Here is what he said about leveraging your initial brand mentions to boost brand authority.

“When I got my first magazine feature or online mention I leveraged that and got me quoted, mentioned, or featured in dozens of articles. Once you get your first online mention, post it on your public figure page and run a dollar a day ad and target people who work for other magazines or media networks. Getting mentioned online gives you authority. You need authority to build your personal brand. You want to leverage all online mentions to get more online mentions. When I got my first magazine feature I leveraged it by targeting other writers and got featured, quoted, or mentioned in a dozen articles over the following period of 60 days.”

The ultimate goal of every marketer and every business owner is to ensure their brand stand out in the marketplace. You want your target market to think of you and your brand when they are ready to hit the buy button. This is why building brand authority is not only important for boosting sales, it is paramount in building the kind of consumer goodwill that leads to conversions in the long run.