6 Ways to Create Authoritative Content (Even if You’re Just Starting Out)

Before you start following the common practice that says “content is king”.
You need to know one thing… 

Writing tons of blog posts without a strategy is a sure way to have a blog that no one reads. Sure, content is king but you need to have a strategy to succeed with content marketing. So what’s the solution? Creating authoritative content. 

Let me explain… 

When you publish a random article that is not based on a proven framework no one will share and link to your content that’s why I am going to share with you 6 ways you can create content that establishes you as an expert even if you are a Beginner. Let’s get started.

#1 Case Studies

Let’s admit it. We all love facts and data. 

If you can publish articles with data to back up your arguments you will be seen as an expert in your space. The question is how do you find data to back up your arguments? The answer is Case Studies. 

When you publish case studies you can build trust and authority in no time. Case studies are one of the most authoritative types of content. 

Here’s why. 

Instead of telling your reader why a technique will work your sharing your results (data) which is proof that it works. 

The basic formula for the case study content is this :

• Take action.
• Get a result. (Data)
• Share your results in an article (proof)

Case studies can be created in many ways.
For example, you can share small wins with your audience. You don’t have to have some life-changing results like “getting 1 million-page views”. 

It can be as simple as getting your first 1000 email subscribers. Here are some tips to create case study content.

First, identify a problem that your target audience seems to find hard to solve that you have already accomplished. Next, write down the steps you take to achieve your results. Finally, write down the results you got. 

Once you have the 3 steps in place it’s time to put it all together and share it with your audience. And that all there is to it.

#2 Trusted Infographic

Infographics are a great way to distill complex concepts into easily digestible content. A study reveals that 65% of the people are visual learners, so creating visual elements will ensure your content gets seen by many more people.

That’s why creating infographics is a great way to establish authority but not just any infographic. A trusted infographic. 

Now, what do I mean by a trusted infographic? A trusted infographic is one that tells a story of with statistics and data.

For example, take a look at this infographic on “13 Scientific Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Infographics” That’s how you tell a story with an infographic and increase your credibility.

#3 Report on New Trends & News

Experts talk about the importance of publishing evergreen content, but writing on trending topics or reporting on the latest breaking news is one of the many ways you can be the go-to expert for the latest updates on a specific topic.

Most large publications focus mainly on trending topics rather than evergreen content.

Even if your blog doesn’t publish content on news & trending topics you can still put together a detailed summary of facts on the latest trends in your space and you will be surprised with the results. 

Go ahead and give it a try. Piggybacking on what’s Trending is one of the easiest ways to generate tons of traffic and create content that people engage with.

#4 Crowdsource Blog Post

Creating a Crowdsource blog post is a great way to leverage other expert and influencers expertise which in return will increase your credibility.

A crowdsource article is where you reach out to other influencers and ask a question around a common problem and then compile the answers into a massive blog post. 

The more experts you can get to contribute to the crowdsource blog post the more authority you will build once you publish it you will also be able to leverage the influencer’s audience to get more readers. 

For example, you could reach out to 50 experts and ask them what’s their # 1 strategy for building an email list. Not all the experts you reach out to will contribute but in my experience the more persons you contact the more response you will receive.

#5 Counter-intuitive Ideas / Controversy

I think you have come across at least one of these content types before. You know, the type of content that takes a stand against popular beliefs and use data and facts to back up the argument. 

One of the best examples of this is a blog post on social triggers call The “Content Is King” Myth Debunked. This blog post takes a stand against the common belief in the blogging community that “content is king” and shows proof that design is more important than the content itself. 

In fact, the content itself got over 200 comments. 

This goes to show that using controversy is a good way to build a following of loyal fans.

#6 Approach A Topic From A Different Angle.

Does this sound familiar? You read 5 blog posts on the same topic and all five pieces of content are saying the same thing just in a different way. 

Of course, you have been in that situation before and from my experience, it’s like landing on a website with a bunch of ads and pop-ups. In other words, it’s annoying.

So how do you solve this problem? approach a topic from a different angle. 

Here is the truth:

If everyone is writing about the same information this gives you a great advantage to stand out from the crowd if you approach the topic from a different angle and once you do that you will gain instant authority in your space.

Conclusion

Content marketing is more than just creating a bunch of content. In Fact, there are over 1.5 billion websites on the world wide web today so if you want to succeed with blogging you need to create authoritative content that will help you stand out from the crowd online.

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