How can you become an authority in your industry through content marketing?

Back then, when I was taking baby steps into content writing, I didn't use to understand the audience and industry because I didn't know how important it was. Then my manager taught me about it. This might seem like a willy nilly tip, but it's the cornerstone of content writing. I mean, how can you resonate with the audience or how can you stand out in the industry without really understanding your audience and niche? Without this, your content might get derailed. You won't stress the point you must stress.

For me, having a specific niche was key. I started out with a medical cannabis activist blog because I'm a patient and it was illegal. I wrote about cannabis activism in Philadelphia, where I live, and included specific events. After a couple months, a medical cannabis support forum in Oregon contacted me to ask if I they could repost my content for their members. When I realized that what I was writing resonated with people on the other side of the country, I offered to write a few guest posts for notable national organizations. Don't just pick any niche. Pick the one that you're passionate about. Your true feelings will come through in your content and there are people all over the world who share your particular passion. Meet them!

Knowing the industry you're creating content for is the same as knowing your audience. Except this is for higher stakes, because there's money involved. Take it as seriously as you want people to take you as a creator. Really do your homework and find out what the best places to connect with your audience are. Some people read periodicals, some listen to podcasts, others only get their information from social media. You want to make sure that your content reaches as many people as possible, so you need to target all of them. The only way to target all of your industry audience is to really look into it. Take a genuine interest in the people and their needs. Your care will pay off when they are eager to share your great content.

To showcase your authority in your industry, consider HARO. HARO is a platform that connects journalists with sources who can give expert insights on relevant industry topics. It’s also a great way to build backlinks for SEO.

Quality is non-negotiable. But let's face it. Creating quality content is hard. You have to dive deep into the internet to fetch data and create an idea on how to write. If you have the will, you can do it. Make sure to do the following: -Do not copy content from elsewhere -Trim long sentences -Format your content thoroughly into sections -Add visuals to make your content more engaging -Make your content plagiarism free -Make it SEO friendly -Provide as many information as possible As a started, you might struggle creating quality content but you will slowly get the hang of it.

Distribution strategy is pivotal. Of course: understand your audience & create great content. But better distribution will often beat better content. Do not rely on a single channel to grow your following. Use the added surface area of multiple social media channels to lead new followers to your blog/newsletter. Think of your content calendar as a hub & spoke model where each topic / idea can be used for multiple owned channels (blog, email, social). Streamline the content creation process for multiple channels so that you can spend more time engaging with your audience, A/B testing, etc.

Distribution can help in creating engagments and impressions big time. However, it's vital to ensure to tweak the tone and format according to the channel. Do you think you can just go and share your blog on LinkedIn? The chance is that it won't work because the algorithms are different. So, when you create a content, optimize it for each channel before distributing it.

Since I am a blog and web content writer, I am opining from that perspective. Always make sure the information you provide is useful for the audience. Provide as many information as possible. For example, if the keyword is Digital Marketing, you could: -Define what is Digital Marketing -The techniques involved in it -The benefits of it -Case studies that shows the benefits of Digital Marketing (Proof) and more. You get the idea.

Depending on your specific niche, conferences and conventions offer some of the most impactful and lasting opportunities to educate and inspire your audience with your content. Participating in panels or presentations at these events allows you to establish your authority in your niche while educating a room full of potential followers or collaborators. This creates memorable face-to-face interaction that is more likely to resonate with your audience both during and after your presentation. Conferences and conventions also provide unique networking opportunities to help you gain valuable connections and/or followers of your content.