Tips for Building Greater Brand Authority

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There are many different ways to attract customers to your brand and convince them to make a purchase. And while low-cost pricing is certainly one method, it’s not usually the most profitable way to build a business. You’ll generate much better long-term ROI if you invest in authority.

Kiss the Low Price Leader Goodbye

Pricing isn’t a sustainable competitive advantage for 99 percent of brands. It never has been, nor will it ever be. Why? Because pricing is largely outside of your control. Not only can a competitor change their prices with the snap of their fingers, but simple shifts in supply and demand, cost of goods, and changes in technology can force you to adjust your pricing to account for these evolving circumstances.

The only time pricing is truly seen as a branding strategy is when you attempt to position your brand as the low price leader. And, to be frank, very few businesses have the flexibility or resources to do this.

“If you adopt low price as your strategy, then your business must be continually focused on lowering and controlling costs – like Walmart,” business consultant Mark Stiving writes. “You are attracting the price buyers, customers who are not loyal, but are looking for the lowest price. Once a competitor figures out how to sell a similar product for less, they will charge lower prices and you will struggle. If another company figures out how to sell products for less than Walmart, Walmart will be in trouble.”

Unfortunately, we see a lot of startups, small brands, and fledgling companies try to use low price leadership as their strategy for standing out in crowded markets. There’s a much better path forward.

3 Ways to Build Brand Authority

It’s not a get-rich-quick strategy by any means, but companies that focus on building brand authority have a much greater chance of differentiating, growing, and enjoying sustained success. By cultivating authority, you send a message to the marketplace that you’re to be trusted, respected, and held in high regard. And for every penny pincher that you scare away, you’ll pick up droves of customers who are willing to pay for good service, quality goods, and a brand that stands behind their products.

It takes a lot of work, but here are a few top-down suggestions on how you can build brand authority:

Content Marketing

Content is the currency of authority in today’s marketplace. The more high-quality, on-brand content you create for your brand, the more you’ll be seen as a credible resource worthy of trust and respect. 

The key to a good content marketing strategy is to emphasize both onsite content (blog posts, ebooks, lead magnets, etc.), as well as offsite content (guest blog posts, social media, etc.). Offsite content typically gets more exposure but should be executed so that it drives traffic back to your onsite content (which you usually have more editorial control over). 

Print Marketing

Whereas digital marketing was once seen as a key point of differentiation in a world saturated by print marketing, the script has flipped in the last two or three years. It’s now print marketing that stands out as a highly visible and cost-effective option in a noisy digital landscape. 

Using an online printing service, you can invest in your brand authority by creating brand assets that enhance credibility. Popular options include books, booklets, catalogs, magazines, and posters. 

Speaking Gigs

Point to a brand that has established a high degree of trust with customers, and we’ll show you a brand that has trustworthy people behind it. Because at the end of the day, people trust people.

For smaller businesses that are attempting to scale up and gain more prominence and visibility, speaking gigs can be one of the top trust-builders. Whether it’s the founder, CEO, or some other higher-up in the company, attending and speaking at conferences, virtual summits, and other gatherings can help position the brand as one with real leadership and authority. 

Give Your Brand a Boost

Unlike low price leadership, authority is something that you can control and scale over time. It allows you to establish a concrete identity that customers can anchor themselves to and trust for years to come. And though it requires ample work on the front end, there’s tremendous upside on the backend. 

Will you make the necessary investments to build authority and enhance credibility?