Trusted Authority Formula - Part 3: VISIBILITY

Go from unknown to known in the digital-first world: The Trusted Authority formula breakdown

Welcome to part 3/3 of the Trusted Authority Formula.

So far, we have covered capability, meaning the result you can deliver based on your credentials and character and your credibility: aka social proof that you are trust worthy. It could come from any or all 3 O’s that we discussed: own (meaning you hold certain credentials, are part of an association, have had the recognition or can proof the result yourself (for example when you have gone viral with your content without being a copywriter or social media professional).

Developing your own signature framework, method or system falls under this category as it makes the intangible which is what most knowledge-based businesses are, more tangible and with that, more credible because you show people behind the curtain.

The next O is other’s credibility and that means you are associating yourself with those who are already recognised in the field. It may be through interviewing them, having them as your mentor or sponsor, having an endorsement from them etc.

The final O stands for ‘on the go’, meaning you are demonstrating your credibility by currently doing it and sharing your learnings. For example- you want to become a oublic speaker but have never spoken. Simply by sharing what you do, your learnings, your amendments based on them, your results etc makes you credible because you are transparent.

Being an authority doesn’t mean that you have to have all the answers already. You become an authority whilst going through the process.

Part 3- the final piece to the Trusted Authority formula is Visibility.

I always say: you can’t be considered when you can’t be found so visibility is a key element to become the Trusted Authority.

If you think it means being everywhere and having to be famous – think again.

Visibility means being visible to the right people and for the right reasons.

It might even just be one person, a leader from a different department that you’re trying to get into. It might be being top of mind for an events manager when they need a keynote speaker for their next conference on the topic you want to be known for.

Being visible comes down to being intentional which comes back to knowing your positioning which we covered in part 1 and then developing a strategy that allows you to consistently and continuously show up.

For me, my most important platform is LinkedIn, but I never put all my eggs in one basket which is why I have this podcast as not everyone is active on LinkedIn. I also have an Instagram account which is more my creative outlet, but I have also gotten a few clients from there. A big part for me is also public speaking at conferences and events as well as on other people’s podcasts. That also helps with the credibility piece which we discussed in part 2.

Another outlet for me is hosting my own events, may it be joint webinars and trainings as well as my own masterclasses that I promote mainly via my email list as it gets a lot more traction compared to social.

Finally – I also guest blog and pitch myself to journalists. This is how I got featured on news.com.au and CEO magazine, got a live TV appearance on Ticker TV and also got published in the Business Edit. None of them were paid for.

This ticks all boxes – capability through content creation, credibility through being chosen and visibility as you can get in front of other people’s audiences.

Do you start with pitching to HBR and the Wallstreet journal? Of course you don’t. You also don’t start with live TV. You start by identifying relevant industry journals and publications. They are always on the hunt for valuable and relevant content from experts in their field. By you translating your knowledge in an easy-to-follow journal article or blog post, you become the authority and here we are – back in full circle.

So to summarise:

The 3 elements that make someone a Trusted Authority are:

Capability – Credibility and Visibility 

Can you only have one to become the Trusted Authority? You probably can. The traction however will take a lot longer to get and with that, the results. The good news is that all aspects are aligned as we just discussed. It comes down to knowing and owning your sweet spot that you want to be known for, back it up with credible credentials in one way or another and make it visible to the right people.

Easy- not that simple. This is why I developed my signature program, called the Trusted Authority which is a 12-weeks high touch and intense program where we go through each of those elements and apply the theory on practical and relevant exercises, so you get the results quicker and with a lot more certainty about what to do and when.

The next cohort kicks off in January and enrolment is open now. For those who are fast-action takers and enrol before the 20th Dec, you will get 2 extra 1:1 coaching sessions with me, a personalised LinkedIn audit as well as a professionally written bio that you can use for your LinkedIn profile, your media or speaking kit.