Authority Opinions: Building Authority & Impactful Content Creation

Before I delve into this topic, let me say that I’ve discussed authority content before – three years ago, to be precise. And while I still stand by that episode on crafting an authority opinion, I believe it’s time to add to it. So let’s dive into building authority opinions, why we create them, and how to incorporate them regularly in content marketing.

What Is Authoritative Content?

First and foremost, we all have opinions – my tea is weak, it’s not warm enough today, or my typing is too loud. These are based on our lived experiences and beliefs. These personal opinions are based on our own experiences, and while others may disagree, they remain valid to us.

However, authority opinions serve a different purpose. They’re not meant for casual agreement or disagreement; they aim to filter your audience and separate the wheat from the chaff. The “agree to disagree” won’t apply to your authoritative content because they’re the core of your beliefs and your work.

Why Use Authority Opinions In Your Content?

We have to separate the wheat from the chaff in our audiences. Don’t take this negatively; what I mean is that as content creators, we cater to a broad audience, and it’s crucial to identify those who will truly benefit from our services – that’s social authority.

There will always be people who won’t become clients – some will never become clients but still cheer us on from the sidelines – those besties who support our endeavors without needing our services. They are welcome additions to our audience. The focus here is on those who are either not entirely convinced by what we offer or simply aren’t a good fit for our business. These half-hearted followers aren’t helpful when it comes to shaping your business strategy or responding to your emails and polls. They might just be a bad match for your trustworthy product or service.

Using this type of content can help you separate these people from your true fans – those who know that even if they can’t afford you right now or the timing isn’t right, you’re the person they should work with eventually. Authority opinions make you memorable among your target audience and set you apart from others in the field.

This filtering process is essential for both parties, as it allows each person to find the right match for their needs. So go ahead and capture the power of content authority opinions to refine your audience and attract clients who genuinely resonate with your message and expertise.

How to Craft An Authority Opinion

There’s a certain allure to authority opinions – they have a way of making you memorable. Picture yourself atop a hill, planting your flag and claiming it as your own. While we may not have actual hills and flags, this image captures the essence of standing up for something unique and setting yourself apart.

Authority opinions tend to carry more weight and emphasis, or oomph than regular opinions. They often challenging popular trends or criticizing the status quo.

Authority Opinion Prompts

For example, in my Hot Topic Brainstorming workshop, I discuss a great way to start building your authority. Let’s dive into a prompt that can help illustrate this concept.

The prompt goes something like this: “The reason you’re not successful in [blank] is because [blank].” If success isn’t part of your work, you could replace it with happiness: “The reason you’re not happy in [blank] is because you haven’t [blank].” Although templates can sometimes be problematic, this particular one should give you a good idea of how to start the bold statement. You’ll be inserting a lot of your own language to make it yours.

Let’s apply this prompt to my own business. I could say, “The reason your content hasn’t been successful yet is because…” and then insert any number of reasons that I stand behind. For example: 

• “…there is no strategy behind it, and you’re just using a spaghetti-on-the-wall approach,” or 
• “…you’re not showing up authentically with your true voice and merely blending in with the masses,” or even 
• “…you’re not honing your content and just putting things out there without measuring their success.”

Adopting a content marketing strategy that emphasizes creating high-quality, authoritative content can ruffle some feathers – and that’s precisely the point. By embracing such bold stances, we plant our metaphorical flags and establish ourselves as memorable authorities in our respective fields.

Using prompts can be incredibly helpful in developing your own unique voice and authority within your niche. However, it’s important not to rely solely on templates – they should serve as a starting point, not a crutch. To truly make a statement and stand out from the crowd, you need to inject your own experiences and insights into your work.

Support Your Authority Opinions

Now, it’s essential to back up these authority opinions with concrete and anecdotal evidence in relevant content, such as personal stories or client experiences like case studies.  Otherwise, they’re just opinions adding to the noise without providing value. 

If you don’t support your opinion with logic, reasoning, and lived experiences, there’s no real reason for people to believe you. So ensure that you’re contributing value and not just taking up space in the conversation.

I want to say something very clearly. Challenging the status quo means you’re not just complaining about your field – you’re actively doing something about it. You’re using your trust and authority rather than just trying to build it.

Offer a Way to Apply the Opinion

Moreover, it’s crucial to challenge the status quo and offer solutions or ways for your audience to apply your insights. This means going beyond just presenting an opinion and backing it up; you must create a journey that helps guide your readers toward success.

Building a strong content strategy incorporating authority opinions means each piece of content you create will allow the audience to listen, comprehend, and apply what you’re saying. Good content will give the reader a full understanding of how to do the thing on their own. 

We recently retiled our entryway and bathroom and chose to do it ourselves rather than hire it out. My husband watched hours of YouTube videos to try and avoid all problems before he started. We bought all the materials. He successfully tiled both beautiful areas. And he’s emphatically stated, he will not be tiling again. All the material for him to become an expert was and is available, and we’ll still be hiring the kitchen out soon. Your content can fully disclose your process and people will still hire you!

Introducing new ideas can be challenging, especially when you’re giving your audience a way to apply these ideas in their own world. Sometimes, this means taking a few steps back and addressing the precursor steps before getting to the application stage (which is another great way to build brand authority with content marketing). The key is to show them that there is a way for them to achieve it. 

Great content offers both options – here’s exactly how you do it, and also, you can hire me to do it. That’s one of the hidden superpowers of high-quality, authority content marketing. When we show people, hey, we know our stuff, they’re more likely to trust us and want to work with us.

The Process of Refining Your Authority Opinions

Authority content for your business needs to be worked out in high-quality content, not just in our heads or in a lab-like environment. Think about pharmaceutical companies conducting tests on humans – they need to see how their products play out in various bodies. Your messaging is no different.

Let’s explore the three levels of refining valuable content in more depth.

Level One: Write and Talk About Your Ideas and Strategies. 

This is one of my absolute favorite things. A regular content channel, such as a podcast, video series, or blog, offers numerous benefits. Sure, it showcases your consistency and helps build trust with your audience – but there’s more to it than that. One of the best perks is proving to yourself that you can work through any hiccups and truly master your subject matter. Will you occasionally fumble? Of course! We’re all human. But in showing your humanity, you actually build more trust.  But there’s a hidden perk – Creating authoritative content helps you understand your own expertise in the product or service you offer.

As you clarify your ideas through regular content creation, you may find yourself becoming more efficient with words and crafting better stories and analogies. The ability to repurpose your ideas with different hooks or analogies is invaluable.

For instance, I might not have been able to make this particular statement three years ago when I first recorded an episode on authority opinions. Why? Because I’ve had three additional years to talk about how these opinions allow you to stand up boldly.

As a result, I can now more efficiently guide you on how to present your authority opinions, what results to expect, and how to weave them into your content. Those three years matter; talking about this topic and working with clients has only strengthened my own authority.

Level Two: Develop A Process or Framework

Now, onto level two: develop a process or framework for guiding people through your main concepts. Having a clear method for sharing your knowledge demonstrates expertise and adds structure to your content.

The second level of developing authority involves developing your ideas into a process or framework. For example, I introduced my Uncommon Content Framework in 2023. It wasn’t brand new, but I finally distilled my ideas into a clear and concise structure. 

This second level is important because it adds depth to your content and showcases your expertise, building brand authority through content marketing. Your content pillars and main ideas are the foundation for everything you write and discuss.

Level Three: Refined Authority Opinions

Finally, level three: put your authority opinions out there in your quality content and gather feedback. This step is crucial for refining your ideas and ensuring they resonate with your target audience. Embrace this feedback loop as an opportunity for growth and improvement in your SEO and content marketing strategy.

This third level ensures that you’re memorable enough for people to either commit or move on, actually to use the kind of content filter we’ve spoken about. 

Creating quality content and opinions backed up by reasoning, compelling stories, and sometimes even controversy is what gets you this refinement. This isn’t about stirring up drama; it’s about separating potential clients for your high-quality content from those who are just along for the ride. Authority content works well here.

Authority Opinions In Practice

Diving into the depths of high-quality content creation can be a challenge, but it’s essential for building a deeper connection with your audience. Content that builds this connection leads to better clients and a stronger pipeline of people waiting to work with you. After all, we’re not just creating content for fun – eventually, we need to tie ROI to our content.

Let me share a real-life example to further illustrate this point. I have a wonderful client who has been going through some brand transformation lately. One of her new brand statements (and forgive me if I slightly misquote it) essentially says: “It’s not therapy or holistic remedies; it’s both. It’s therapy and holistic remedies.” In other words, she’s combining science-backed approaches with natural healing methods.

The process of creating authority content gives her a huge launchboard of topics–the both/and instead of either/or applies to many areas of her work.

This shift in her brand message may lead to a decrease in followers (that’s the point!), but those who remain will be genuinely interested in what she has to offer. Ultimately, it’s about quality over quantity when it comes to your audience. So embrace those changes and focus on building connections with the right people – that’s where sustainable success truly lies.

In conclusion, consistently sharing your ideas, developing a framework, and embracing feedback are the keys to establishing authority in your field. So go ahead – challenge the status quo and make a difference in the world of ideas.

Music by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey!

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