The following guest post confirms what I’ve been discussing about authority publishing. Specifically, there are three takeaways Adam Witty shares about authority marketing that coincides with my own views. Those are:

1. Book authoring is the best way to establish your unique authority within your niche;
2. A book enhances your message and make a great calling card;
3. It should not be about your ego.

From here, I’ll let Witty tell it in his own words.

By Adam Witty

When people think of your industry or profession, do they instantly think of you the way they might think of someone like Mark Cuban or Elon Musk?

And if they don’t, does it matter?

It does – at least if you want to take your success to another level, says Adam Witty, ForbesBooks co-author with Rusty Shelton of Authority Marketing: Your Blueprint to Build Thought Leadership That Grows Business, Attracts Opportunity, and Makes Competition Irrelevant.

“One step that many CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals miss out on is that, while they understand the value of having a visible and respected corporate brand, they fail to understand the importance of having a personal brand,” says Witty, the founder and CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks.

“If you can make your name synonymous with the field you work in, you gain an advantage over competitors. But being viewed by others as a go-to expert doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of an intentional process called ‘authority marketing’ that builds your visibility and your credibility.”

One way to establish instant respect and credibility is to write a book where you share your knowledge, a route that a number of CEOs, financial professionals, and others have taken, says Witty, the author or co-author of several books himself.

But there are other important ways to spread your message and build your authority, such as using PR to gain media coverage on TV, on radio, and in newspapers, and sharing your ideas and observations on social media.

If you’re successful at promoting your personal brand, what will you reap? Witty says a few examples of what success might look like include:

• Your name will have widespread reach. By making use of social media, podcasts, news media, and paid promotions, you can improve the odds that your personal brand will be everywhere. “When someone searches your name on Google, they will need to pack a lunch because there will be so much content to read through,” Witty says.
• It will be easier to recruit people into your organization. As your status as an authority grows, job candidates will be drawn to you, allowing you to be pickier about who you hire, Witty says. “You can attract the best of the best rather than spending money on advertising and settling for whoever responds,” he says.
• You can leverage your authority to generate leads. A person’s status as an authority can create a significant rise in referrals and potential leads. “Authority not only increases the volume of leads, it will increase the quality of leads,” Witty says. “Companies and individuals who know of you will be eager to work with you.”
• You can advance your career. Moving up the corporate ladder can be a slow, frustrating process – especially at big companies, Witty says. “Even if you already have a management or executive role, there may be a higher position, you really want,” he says. “How do you stand out from all the other employees and outside applicants who want that same role? If you’ve established your authority, you will naturally.”

Although Witty says there are plenty of reasons an authority marketing initiative makes sense, he cautions that you should undertake one only for pragmatic business or missional purposes.

“This should not be an exercise in ego,” he says. “Trying to become known to the masses just for the sake of being a household name isn’t the goal. This is about strategically elevating your authority to grow your business.”

Looking for a ghostwriter or a book publishing consultant to help you take your ideas to completion? I can help. Contact Taylored Content LLC today.

Download “14 Types of Authority Content”

About Adam Witty

Adam Witty, co-author with Rusty Shelton of Authority Marketing: Your Blueprint to Build Thought Leadership That Grows Business, Attracts Opportunity, and Makes Competition Irrelevant, is the CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks. Witty started Advantage in 2005 in a spare bedroom of his home. The company helps busy professionals become the authority in their field through publishing and marketing. In 2016, Advantage launched a partnership with Forbes to create ForbesBooks, a business book publisher for top business leaders. Witty is the author of seven books, and is also a sought-after speaker, teacher and consultant on marketing and business growth techniques for entrepreneurs and authors. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily and USA Today, and has appeared on ABC and Fox.