3 Steps of Authority Content – How Confident Writing Converts

Written by John Cow on September 11th, 2008

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It’s no secret in the blogging world: hitting high in the search engines alone isn’t enough to make it big online anymore. You need something else. You need a way to convert readers and visitors into buyers.

With the increasing popularity of blogs, competition is fierce. There are a handful of things that will make your site stand out among the vast sea that is the blogosphere. One of them is authority content.

You see, you need more than visitors to have a successful and profitable website; you have to establish yourself as an authority. Your website content and blog posts have to pack a punch. They have to engender trust. They have to demonstrate that you truly know what you’re talking about. When you say “get this product,” they won’t do it unless they believe in you.

But how do you do that? How do you write in such a way that your readers believe in you, and trust that you’re telling them the truth?

Here are three basic principles that will help your content drip with authority:

  • Write well. Grammatical and spelling errors cost you more sales than you think. Be diligent with your editing, and work hard to hone your writing skills. Know the rules of the language, and develop your own style and feel.
  • Keep it personal. You don’t have to reveal a single detail about your personal life to make people feel like they know you. Personal anecdotes that are light on identifying information and heavy on message are extremely powerful.
  • Believe in the products and services you recommend. The best salespeople in the world know that you have to believe in what you’re selling. A transaction benefits both the seller and the buyer. If the products or services you’re recommending are crap, your readers won’t come back.

So what comments do you have… any other tips???

PS –> For those of you waiting for the continuation of the “An Audlife dot Com” case study, I apologize for the delay in this. I have had a tool in the works (free and no opt in required) to help with this and I had hoped it would have been ready by now. We should be all set for getting back into it this coming Monday.

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12 Comments »

Comment by The Good Blog Guide
2008-09-11 17:50:59

Totally agree. It’s not just buyers, even readers have to be won over these days. Making a connection with readers is essential for customer loyalty. Mooooooo!! :grin:

 
2008-09-11 18:43:38

I think too often people aren’t personal enough. I see that as one of the biggest problems out of the three steps of authority content. Most the time people believe in what they’re recommending but then there are the ones that just recommend things to make money.

 
Comment by Ryan McLean
2008-09-11 22:09:52

Really good points. You do need something extra these days to even stand a chance of making it.

I think you definately need to be different in some way than all the other blogs out there if you want to be successful.

I am honest that I am a struggling entrepreneur and this is what makes me different to many other blogs

 
Comment by Hong Kong
2008-09-11 22:58:17

I’m writing my blog about 10 months so far. Before that I read about blogging for more than 1 year. The recommendation “write well” was plastered everywhere.

After these 10 months I can only give 1 advice to beginner writers: Write a lot. Naturally You will become better.

When I look back to the first posts on my blog and compare them to my latest ones I think they must be from two different writers.

 
Comment by Top CD Rates Subscribed to comments via email
2008-09-11 23:52:04

Excellent tips. Also, make the information useful. It is always a fine line between generating ad-revenue based on clicks (Adsense) and providing info to engage people and want them to stay and read and even come back.

Top CD Ratess last blog post..Alaska (AK) Bank Rates

 
Comment by SuiteJ
2008-09-12 03:32:54

Being personal is huge. People love it when you “open up”, and with so much to choose from out there, readers want to go to the ones they can trust. What better way to gain trust than to be open/honest in your writing (or videos)?

That definitely applies to what your selling/promoting as well. You’re always going to write a “better review” if you actually believe in the product your recommending. Plus, a reader can often tell if the author actually uses/endorses the product because there will be more “personality” in the writing as opposed to just “the facts”.

Great tips Cow!

Jay

SuiteJs last blog post..Get A Free Ebook Cover Design

 
Comment by amki Subscribed to comments via email
2008-09-12 15:50:01

It’s marvelous to see that good writing and correct grammar and spelling are being advocated again! Why don’t you put a ‘quickie’ correction box in that empty space just to the right of this comment where a note could be posted without a lot of fuss? At the moment, I would post “Don’t write ‘your’ when you mean ‘you’re.’

 
Comment by Normal Joe
2008-09-12 18:30:17

Of course, these tips are on point but easily forgotten by many. Just be real man, that’s what folks want. I agree though, spelling errors take away from your authority a lil bit.

And you absolutely have to believe in what you are promoting, if you don’t, why promote it?

Normal Joes last blog post..How To Reach Success Through Teamwork And Having The Right Friends

 
2008-09-12 18:52:11

I think you really need to know what you are writing about, stay confident and authoritative and write what you know, especially with flagship blogs.

I also agree with SuiteJ, be personal, crack jokes, let your personality show through, this can be very engaging, especially since you are never talking to people face to face, but through a computer.

Thanks,

JR

JR’s Internet Marketing Strategiess last blog post..Article Marketing Backlink Techniques

 
Comment by Allyn
2008-09-13 17:20:03

I really enjoy writing in a personal style. While writing, I pretend my readers are sitting in the room with me and I am talking to them.

THat feeling flows into the post and I think I’ve been pretty successful with it.

AL

Allyns last blog post..How To Rejuvenate Your Lawn This Fall, It’s Easy!

 
Comment by Josten
2008-09-13 22:20:28

I agree with this post, its so easy to tell when someone isnt being their true self through they’re posts on they’re blog. When i write i make sure its from the heart.

 
Comment by steve
2008-09-28 20:07:40

This is the best part of blogging. When the owner actually takes and active role.

Maybe the head steer will become so successful that he will no longer find time to respond to comments or when he will be super successful that comments won’t even be allowed.

Until then, we reap the benefits and this ain’t hay.

 
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