It’s never been harder to be credible online. The landscape is changing so much, and so fast, that many brands and individuals are simply being left behind.
However, if your business is not ‘credible’ or ‘authoritative’ online it will struggle. From Google reviews to blog posts that are shared, it’s a big playing field. And you have to win.
There is a way to get this right, and you won’t be surprised to find it isn’t a quick fix.
Blog and publish a lot, but keep the quality control
If you’re a business, you need to be creating content. This is best served by great blog content. We’re not talking throwaway pieces that are read in two minutes and then instantly forgotten. We’re talking content like this.
Content like the kind Copyblogger creates regularly is trusted and it’s engaging. But that didn’t happen overnight. The team behind Copyblogger took a long while to get their stuff to where it is today. And if you’re not convinced, check out their catalog of posts. It’s huge.
It’s really big. But even while it’s big, it’s all incredibly well written. So they’ve mastered the key lesson regarding publishing content (whether it’s a blog post, a podcast or a course). That lesson tells us that a body of content has to be significant in size, but also damn good.
Use social, a lot
Social media is still very relevant, but again it takes time and attention. Once you’re on a social media network that is actually relevant to your audience, spend a daily amount of time there. Consistency is key.
More importantly, engage with people. The biggest social accounts are untouchable, they’re movie stars and models. Don’t try and compete. But be real, tweet and post a lot (and I mean a lot) and engage with anyone who gets involved with what you’re saying.
It’s tough to get somewhere on Twitter for example, but you can make it on that platform as long as you work hard. This article from way back in 2009 is absolutely 100% relevant today. It gives you all you need to know.
The endgame
There is a final stage to gaining credibility. Once you have developed a significant body of work online you go for the big guys. These outlets are sites like Entrepreneur.com and Inc.com. The sites are huge and they hold considerable weight in the world of business.
Getting an article on these sites (and any other sites like them) is by no means easy. But if you have gained credibility, they’ll be only too happy to look at what you’re offering, and consider publication.
However, that long road is ahead of you. That’s why gaining credibility and authority are so highly prized by brands. That’s why they pay content creators to write really good articles and blog posts, in the hope that they’ll build credibility.
So while my title mentions the word ‘quickly’, it’s all relative. In fact, with the Web being the way it is, with Fake News and spam everywhere, the longer and harder you work on your content, the more credible you’re going to be.
Just follow the three-step process outlined here. Don’t be tempted by shortcuts. And stay focused. Your brand deserves credibility.
