Authority Opinions: Building Authority & Impactful Content Creation

We talk about building authority opinions, why they’re important, and how to use them in your content. In this episode, host Britney Gardner revisits the concept of authority opinions and explains why they need to be more than just regular opinions. By sharing personal experiences and practical examples, Britney highlights the significance of backing up authority opinions with real evidence and integrating them into a comprehensive content strategy. She also discusses the transformational power of crafting clear and impactful authority opinions and their role in filtering and engaging with the most aligned audience. Tune in to learn how authority opinions can elevate your content and resonate with your ideal clients.

Authority opinions are going to do one very important job: they are going to tell them, yes, this person is worth following and hanging out with, and following and seeing if we can get on the same page, or, no, this person is not for me. That, friends, that is a wonderful place to be, when people see what you are about and they’re like, I would be best served elsewhere. You want those people to think that. That is a good thing.

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Highlights in this episode:

• 01:00 Persuading, filtering, and claiming authority in business.
• 05:32 Content success requires strategy, authenticity, and refining.
• 08:50 Listen, comprehend, apply, share real-life stories.
• 12:26 Consistent content builds trust and authority over time.
• 15:38 Build confidence, trust, and ROI with content.
• 19:43 Filtering for clients aligned with natural science.
• 21:06 Seeking feedback and success stories for businesses.

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.

Key Takeaway:

Authority opinions allow your audience to easily determine if you’re aligned enough that they should hire you and continue following you.

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 peopl