How to Build Credibility as a Trusted Advisor in The Information Product Industry

Thank you for reading my latest article, "How to Build Credibility as a Trusted Advisor in The Information Product Industry". I regularly write about content creation, marketing, strategy, freelancing, and product information on LinkedIn and Content Varsity.

In today's world of information products, trust is the most valuable asset, whether you have decided to create and sell courses, eBooks, templates, memberships, or digital products to your audience.

One thing you have to realize is that they need to see you as a go-to advisor. This raises the question: How do they know you are an advisor? How do you build that kind of credibility? Let us start by asking, what do you do to gain trust?

First, you have to establish yourself as a trusted advisor. You need to have the skills, expertise, experience, and knowledge. It's mandatory because it's a prerequisite. But that's not all. You must also be authentic, transparent, and honest in all your dealings. In today's world, where things change in the twinkle of an eye, it's not enough to create valuable content, and people will recognize you and trust you as an advisor.

You have to build a reputation based on your practices, relationships, and your ability to solve problems, motivate, inspire, and transform people's lives, building their confidence in you as an advisor. This article digs into the techniques you can implement to become a go-to authority in your niche within the information product space.

The first one is how you share your expertise consistently.

You need to create valuable content, engage with your audience, and consistently provide problem-solving tips to elevate their lives. This shows some transparency. All you are doing as an advisor is helping your audience succeed.

To build trust, focus on these key areas:

Creating valuable blog and social media posts, videos, and podcasts to solve their needs consistently.

Ensuring all content delivers real value.

Furthermore, you can consistently provide high-quality content. Let's look at:

1. What strategy are you going to use to drive your valuable content? It's for you to focus on problem-solving content.

You must focus on delivering content that resonates with audience desires and can solve real problems within your niche. For example, Elise Dopson is a B2B SaaS content strategist specializing in B2B SaaS content marketing. She creates content that addresses the specific challenges faced by SaaS companies.

Why does this approach work for her? She understands the specific needs and desires of her target audience.

What strategy is your content focusing on? Is it a specific niche, and do you deliver high-quality, problem-solving content? If yes, then you are on the right track. You must provide real value to your audience before they can purchase your products.

Most people think that with the emergence of artificial intelligence, this practice will become obsolete—it's still relevant. Artificial intelligence can make you more efficient and productive. Consistently, you need to create social media and blog posts, videos, articles, and podcasts to address audience pain points and offer them actionable solutions.

2. Think of what you will show to your audience (who will become buyers) as proof that they will trust you as an authority.

There is nothing that builds credibility like proof; it's evidence they can see, feel, and touch. You can also share case studies and highlight success stories of how your information products have transformed lives or businesses.

I want you to note that testimonials, case studies, and reviews build trust faster than anything else.

3. What makes the audience (or intent buyers) trust your expertise and knowledge?

Activate your participation on social media platforms like LinkedIn and others. Engage in relevant conversations and forums to exhibit your expertise and knowledge. You answer pertinent questions for your audience, share your expertise, and genuinely, you will build the right connections.

4. What makes you an authority? Learn to be authentic and transparent.

Most LinkedIn content creators use this strategy to engage more connections and turn them into customers or clients. You have to share your journey and talk more about your failures as tips to elevate their thinking about becoming successful no matter the obstacles. Highlighting more of your failures is as important as your success.

Being genuine and authentic helps you relate more with people who will, in turn, believe in and trust you more. For example, Brene Brown is a research professor, author, and speaker who gained immense popularity for her work on vulnerability, shame, courage, and empathy.

She shared her personal stories and failures, which created a powerful connection with her audience. She has written best-selling books and has been featured on TED Talks and podcasts.

Being transparent and authentic made her very open about her struggles with things like anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. And it resonates with a lot of people who follow her stories about her struggles; it also creates a very strong connection with her audience.

Don't be afraid to share your experiences, including your challenges and failures. It demonstrates how authentic you are, humanizes your brand, and attracts the right people to your circle.

5. What's one way to keep you relevant as a trusted advisor?

How do you engage with your audience? You have to find a way to address their feedback. Reply to their comments, answer their questions, or host a Q&A session to solidify your position as a trusted advisor.

Demonstrate your commitment to continuing to help them solve their problems, succeed, and elevate their lives. This will help you build lifelong relationships.

Trust takes time to build; invest your time in it because it's the foundation of long-term success. So, if you want to build credibility as a trusted advisor in the information product space, you have to look at the value you give. In return, it will yield significant outcomes.

You must focus intensely on your expertise, skills, knowledge, and experience—these leverage to build credibility and establish you as a go-to authority. Remember, trust is earned, not given. Start today by providing consistent, value-packed content, and watch your credibility soar.

Ready to elevate your authority in the information product space? Ask for your FREE guide, "The Trusted Advisor Blueprint," for actionable strategies to build credibility and attract your ideal audience. You can DM me or send an email to [email protected]

Start building your legacy today!

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Leslie Ademola, Ph.D

A serial entrepreneur and thought leader in the creator economy, Leslie has built a $2.8M+ empire in under four years by mastering the art of content-driven business growth. As the founder of Money Copy System, Copiseduction, Copyize, and Genius PS, Leslie empowers entrepreneurs, freelancers, and copywriters to scale their businesses to $1M+ annually with proven systems in copywriting, lead generation, and authentic content marketing.

Leslie, creator of the 7-Figure Content Hack, provides actionable frameworks that transform content creators into industry leaders, turning ideas into life-changing businesses.