Column: How to build an authority on the web

by Marc Guberti

Ever wonder how to build an authority on the web? I”™m talking about the type of authority that allows you to become a credible leader in your niche, generate a full-time income and help others.

When you build an authority on the web, you become a beacon of excellence for others to follow. Building an authority on the web takes time, but a good portion of that time is spent searching for the blueprint. How can you do something if you don”™t know how? You can”™t solve a Rubik”™s Cube unless you know the necessary steps. In the same way, you can”™t become an authority on the web unless you know what it takes to become one. No more guessing. I”™m showing you the blueprint.

1. Provide free value

Providing value is essential for the success of your business and what you stand for. Many people understand this principle. However, some entrepreneurs tend to ignore the idea of providing a portion of their content for free.

Customers look for the free value before they buy anything you sell. People visiting your blog or YouTube channel for the first time are not eager to buy your product. They are looking for free value. Many of the people who buy my products read my blog posts first.

It makes sense that people who read my blog posts would buy my books. The reasoning hinges on two customer beliefs:

First, the paid product is better than the free product.

Second, if the free content and videos are bad, then the paid product must also be bad.

Providing free value in your blog posts and your YouTube videos allows you to get more exposure and, ultimately, more revenue.

2. Build relationships

Providing free value is critical to building healthy relationships with the people in your audience, but starting the relationships requires more than just valuable content. Building relationships means interaction through email blasts, social media and responding to blog comments. What successful people tend to do is ignore others. Many people in high positions look at their email and don”™t always address the newbie asking a few questions. We respond to those newbies. Taking the time to leave a quick response allows you to help someone, and the people you help will see you as a role model of excellence.

On social media, the relationship starts when you follow someone and that person follows you back. It gets continued through interaction. Social media interaction eventually leads to interaction through email. Once relationships gain strong momentum, they keep building and leading into more opportunities, revenue and friendships.

3. Create products

Having your own product will establish yourself as an expert and create an additional stream of income. Creating your own products and effectively marketing them is by far the best way to make revenue on the web. The products you create reflect how much you knew at the time, but learning more will allow you to create better, more successful products in the future. Better yet, you can update your current products to reflect the new things you learn about your niche. Updating your products allows you to over-deliver to your current customers and provide a better experience for your new customers.

4. Grow your audience

Once you implement the first three methods, all you have to do now is get more people to know about you.

The most effective tool on the web to grow your audience is social media. Whether you use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or another social network, you must use social media. If you want to grow a massive social media audience, then you must take on one social network at a time. Imagine trying to learn five different languages at the same time. That”™s what we do when we try to master Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Periscope at the same time. I recognized this trap and committed my social media time to Twitter. Once I mastered Twitter, I started to master other social networks. Each time you master one social network, it is easier for you to master all of the others. Mastering one social network at a time is what resulted in more than 300,000 social media followers.

In conclusion

Building an authority on the web is only difficult if you think it”™s difficult. What initially looks impossible at first glance is quite possible. The more work you put in, the easier it will become. If you want to view building an authority on the web as an easy endeavor, then you must take rapid action. Many things look scary because we don”™t take immediate action. Once we start, our worldview of the impossible goals suddenly changes. Believe in your ability to build an authority, put in the work, and it will happen.

Marc Guberti is a senior at Fordham Preparatory School and a social media and business blogger and author. He’s on Twitter @MarcGuberti and can be reached by phone at 914-722-6005 or email at Marc@MarcGuberti.com.