In the class I teach at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies, I often give a simple example about marketing authority. At the beginning of the semester, I mention that there’s a scene I love from the 1999 film, The Big Kahuna – in which Danny DeVito’s and Peter Facinelli’s characters are having a conversation. It’s amazingly well-written and definitely, in my opinion, maybe the best piece of movie dialogue I’ve ever heard. I tell students that and point them to the link. My desire is, of course, that they visit the link and watch the clip. I am, in a sense, trying to market the film. But few of them go to the link and watch. In fact, in the 9 years of teaching the class, no one has commented to me about how good that clip is.
The reason, of course, is simple. I have no authority with them on this topic. “Who cares what the old man thinks of this movie? Aren’t we just here for marketing?” Now if I were Brad Pitt speaking to the class, that would be a different story. Perhaps everyone would visit the link. Because he has authority here. I don’t. (And he would also simply influence a lot of people because he’s, well, Brad Pitt.)
Contrast that with later in the semester, when I talk about a particular campaign from a company that students should watch. “This might be the best marketing campaign done in the last 25 years,” I say. A lot more of the students will watch the campaign and tell me how great it was. Or how it affected them when they saw it.
Why the difference? Because over the course of the semester, hopefully, I’ve established some authority in this particular space. I’ve written a book on marketing and students know I’ve been teaching it now for 9 years. That lends credibility to my marketing pitch telling them to go watch this particular campaign.
What Does This Authority Have to Do with Small Business Marketing?
Almost everything. In fact, I’d argue that of all the marketing activities for a small business to spend its time on, building brand authority might be no. 1. Yet, because it’s more amorphous – there’s no one way to do it and it’s a bit hard to know when you have it – we see a lot of companies who don’t really put their energy into it. Rather, they focus on tactics – many of them, the right ones: Doing customer research and setting up personas, automating email outreach, and pushing out ads in social media and elsewhere. But, as illustrated above, the problem is this: If the messaging isn’t coming from an authoritative source, it doesn’t matter how good it is. Audiences won’t be entering that company’s marketing funnel or when they get in, they leak out of it.
So, the question is: How do you develop authority in a particular industry? There are a couple of main paths for small businesses but these aren’t the only ones.
No. 1 Way to Develop Marketing Authority: Be Unique
First and foremost, find that thing that is uniquely yours. As opposed to bigger businesses in the same space which might focus on a broader audience, why not specialize more in a particular area, especially if you’re starting out or need to rethink your business strategy? By focusing on a specific niche, businesses can become experts in their field and establish a strong reputation for providing specialized services or products. One quick example in our industry: Marketing firms that only specialize in promoting lawyers, for example. Those agencies can cater specifically to the needs of that legal audience. Maybe they create content specifically aimed at helping them such as an advertising guide for lawyers or other collateral.
Or, let’s say you own a restaurant. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, focus on developing a signature dish or cuisine that is uniquely yours. This could be anything from a regional specialty to a fusion dish that combines different culinary traditions. By developing a unique culinary identity, you can establish a loyal customer base that appreciates the unique flavor profile that you offer. Many will patronize your restaurant just for that one signature thing you provide. That’s because you will have developed something unique.
A final example: We often work with a lot of consultants, trainers, and self-help coaches who are trying to grow their businesses. And it’s a very, very competitive field. So, what have the successful ones done? They’ve all carved out a particular niche for themselves, and in particular, they develop unique products and services aimed at that segment. And they “brand” everything – maybe it’s a proprietary framework or a particular approach. Some even go to the extent of naming their newsletter something original.
No. 2 Way to Develop Marketing Authority: Create Content, Especially Social Currency Content
We’ve talked a lot about content development recently because it’s such a big aspect of how small businesses on limited budgets can become an authority. There are lots of ways to develop content aimed at boosting your businesses’ credibility in a particular industry:
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- Practical content: Which helps businesses establish their expertise by showing audiences how to do something.
- Public or social proof content: Content that demonstrates others have used the products or services the businesses provide.
- Storytelling: Content that tells a story, especially an emotional one that shows audiences a transformation or improvement as a result of a company’s products or services.
But maybe the biggest untapped area that drives authority is something known as social currency – the idea that a company creates content that others pass on so that they can appear smarter, funnier, more interesting, or more in-the-know. This could be everything from insider knowledge of a club to a joke to content that makes someone say: “Ah, I didn’t know that before.” When content provides value to people’s social identities, they are more likely to share it with others. Therefore, by creating content that has social currency, small businesses can increase their reach and visibility in their industry.
This is truly where companies can get creative and become really unique in terms of establishing authority. Indeed, a lot of it involves providing insights – maybe picking up knowledge from one area and applying it to another area in a really creative way.
Here’s an example of social currency I often give in my marketing class – one that comes from my late uncle, Marshall Arisman, who used to teach at the School of Visual Arts in New York. To begin, take a look at this painting.
Many might recognize this as the Night Watch, one of Rembrandt’s most famous paintings from 1642. But what a lot of people may not know, unless you studied art history, is how the great Dutch masters of his day (as well as the Italian Renaissance painters) actually painted such masterpieces. They started with a dark canvas – mainly because they believed that the world was a dark place and their job, as artists, was to bring light to it. In other words, to pull the light from the dark. (A nice sentiment, really.)
So how does that translate in reality? Take a look at this close-up of the man on the right, in particular his hat.
What you can see is that the paint is thickest where it is the lightest. Indeed, Rembrandt added light in stages as he went along, incrementally as it were, to create the masterpiece you see today. And if you go to any museum you can point this out to your friends or others you happen to be with.
What I just gave you there is an example of social currency. You now know something you didn’t before that you can pass on to others and seem smarter. But think now about the broader context and maybe even how you use this in a marketing context. It’s not applicable for all businesses but I’d suggest with this example alone there are a couple of themes here that you can use as a metaphor for life:
- Dark and light. Light prevailing over darkness, helping others see the light, uncovering light where there is only dark. OR
- Layering your approach. Masterpieces, for example, aren’t created immediately. It takes time. Maybe your metaphor here is that Rembrandt’s approach can reinforce a steady incremental process toward becoming great. Etc.
Hence, when you can take knowledge of one area and apply it to your own industry or business, you enhance your authority automatically because others can see you were able to creatively put something together that’s unique. Which means that others can learn from you or be helped by you.
Conclusion
The great part about marketing is that there’s no one way to do it – and the opportunities to connect different concepts or ideas are endless. But it also means it can be challenging. Each industry will be unique too for that reason. If you need help thinking through this as a small business, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation. Our mission is to help you excel at digital marketing.