Authority vs. Leadership Content: How to Use Both in Your Content Marketing Strategy
Your content marketing has the power to really fuel most of your marketing efforts. It is really the powerhouse of your marketing if you ask me.
And here’s why: This year alone I've gotten 2 press inquiries solely because of my social media content and I credit this to the slight shift I've made in my content starting in January.
So first, a little backstory: At the end of 2022, I worked with a management consulting firm to help me solidify my vision for my company. (In case you don't know, I stepped back into marketing in July 2021 because I needed to make some money after walking away from a previous business at the end of 2020 and let's just say things kind of took off from there so I never really spent time figuring out what I wanted all of this to be.)
During this process, it became clear that I want to grow this company into something much bigger than it is and really solidify myself as one of the top marketing strategists in the country.
That meant, I needed to start positioning myself as a leader and not just an expert.
And this made me realize I needed to make a slight tweak to my content to focus a little bit more on what I like to call leadership content.
This may look a little different for you depending on your industry but for me, leadership content means two things:
More fully transparent, behind-the-scenes type content (this also aligns really nicely with my brand, and personal, values!)
Commenting on trends, news, etc. in the business and marketing world
So shifting from more authority content into leadership content has made a big difference in just a few short months, not only in signing ideal clients but also in receiving press inquiries as well!
But I know it might be hard to distinguish between authority content and leadership content, when to use which, and how to know when to make that shift. So let’s talk about each and how you can then use them to scale your small business!
What is authority content?
Authority content is what I’d categorize as anything showing you really know your stuff when it comes to your industry. This content is designed to demonstrate and establish that you are an expert in your particular subject matter.
When it comes to your content, it is primarily going to fall under educational content and social proof. (Learn more about your content pillars here!) This includes sharing tips and tricks you’ve learned with your audience, social proof from happy clients, hosting webinars, etc.
The goal here is to provide valuable information to your audience so they understand the concepts you’re talking about (illustrates you know your stuff when you can explain a complex topic in a way that makes sense to those that are not experts!) and it builds trust with your audience so they see you as an authority on that particular topic.
Essentially it helps build your credibility and this content is always something that should be included in your content strategy, in my opinion.
What is leadership content?
Leadership content, on the other hand, is a variation of authority content in that you’re not necessarily “teaching” your audience anymore. You’ve already established that you are an authority and now you want to establish that you should be their go-to resource for information on that particular subject.
This often means you start bringing your audience into the fold and get really open and honest with them.
They know you’re an expert so now is the time to share your expert opinions and insights on industry news and trends. Don’t shy away from sharing unpopular opinions. Be as open and transparent as possible.
This will set you apart and solidify your position as a leader in the industry and it will naturally start attracting the right audience to you, making marketing and sales much easier and opening a lot more doors (like PR opportunities like I have!)
How are they different?
There is a lot of overlap between authority content and leadership content so it can often be difficult to fully distinguish between the two. They are both designed to provide valuable information and insights to your audience but the key difference is the focus of that content:
Authority content is typically focused on establishing your expertise and authority within your industry by teaching or educating your audience on that subject.
Leadership content is more focused on sharing your thoughts and opinions on industry trends, news, and topics to illustrate how you are different among the experts in your industry.
When should you use each?
This really depends on what stage you’re at in your business, but I always recommend focusing on authority content as you start out and grow to establish yourself as an expert. Then once you’ve done that, you can shift your focus to be primarily leadership style content to establish yourself as a leader amongst the experts in your industry.
You’ll still have overlap between authority and leadership content no matter what stage you’re in (and you really should use both at all stages of business!) but the primary focus when starting out should be authority with a little leadership content sprinkled in, and then once you establish expertise, the primary focus should be leadership content with a little authority content here and there.
Overall, both authority content and leadership content can be valuable for building your brand and establishing your expertise in your industry. The key is to understand your goals, your bigger vision, your audience, and when it’s time to take things to the next level so you can create content that provides value and meets the specific needs of the moment.
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