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Content Marketing Isn’t Just for Lead Gen. It’s for Authority Gen.

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Savannah Abney
Savannah AbneyChief Content Officer
authority-generation

Content marketing is often viewed purely as a tool for lead generation. And while it can be, there’s so much more value to it. 

In the past, businesses and marketers have focused on creating content that turns audiences into paying customers. They use the sales funnel to attract potential customers and turn them into clients. There has been a shift in how this process works though. 

While content marketing is essential for lead generation to get clients and grow your business and so on, it is no longer only used for monetary gain. Instead of lead generation, we’re talking about authority generation. Authority generation focuses on developing your credibility, authority, and value proposition rather than just selling your products or services. 

The goal is to be somebody of value for your current clients, potential clients, and even people that will never be clients. 

Content marketing is constantly evolving and its shift from generating leads to establishing authority and credibility in your field is one of the biggest changes and opportunities.

The Traditional View: Content Marketing for Lead Generation

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Traditionally, content marketing has been synonymous with lead generation. The primary goal has been to attract potential customers through valuable content, guiding them through the buyer’s journey until they are ready to make a purchase. This approach has been effective in driving sales and growing businesses.

However, this focus on leads can sometimes lead to overly aggressive tactics, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. In a recent conversation with one of our clients, they pointed out how many professionals on LinkedIn seem to use the platform solely for hard selling. These professionals post content that is heavily promotional and designed to sell. While this can generate leads (sometimes), it often doesn’t leave a positive impression. This type of approach can feel off-putting and lead to people ignoring your content or unfollowing you altogether. 

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The Shift: From Lead Generation to Authority Generation

Content marketing should not be limited to lead generation. Instead, it should also focus on building authority and credibility—authority generation. 

While content can and should generate leads, its value extends far beyond that. By creating content that positions you as an expert in your field, you build trust with your audience. The easiest way to do this is to focus on being of value to your audience and to truly come from a genuine place of wanting to help people. Your audience will feel that authenticity and in turn they’ll have more trust in you. This will help build stronger relationships, higher client retention, and yes–more leads.

There’s a famous quote by Albert Einstein: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” The essence of this quote is crucial in the context of content marketing. Your goal shouldn’t be to become an influencer or guru within your space so that you get unlimited leads. Rather than focus on success, try to become valuable. Focus on creating content that is truly valuable to others. From sharing your unique expertise to proven data to new trends, break down information in a way that is easy to understand at any level. 

Most of all, even if it’s difficult, try to provide all of this without expecting anything in return. While that may seem to go against everything that a business stands for, you have to remember that before being a business owner, you provide a service that is intended to help others. 

Let us be clear, there is nothing wrong with wanting to use content marketing for lead generation, you should. In fact, you should consider trying content syndication for lead generation. But, like any marketing tactic, it should do multiple things for you. So don’t limit content marketing to lead generation, lean into authority generation as well.

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The Value of Being Genuine

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Think about times when you have felt the most connected or impressed by brands. It’s likely when they were being genuine. We can feel when others are being genuine.

When you genuinely aim to help your audience, they can feel it. By posting content that goes beyond promotions and sales, people begin to see you as a reliable source of information and a trusted guide. 

The authority generation approach goes further than just attracting leads; it attracts loyal followers who are more likely to become long-term clients. Plus, when people really love and connect with a business, they are more likely to encourage others to check out that brand. 

Shift your focus from purely generating leads to establishing yourself as an authority. Instead of pushing for sales, share your experiences and insights, offering genuine advice to your network. This approach will not only build your credibility but also attract more engaged and interested prospects while strengthening existing ones. 

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Setting the Right Expectations

Before diving head first into this, you need to set the right (and realistic) expectations. You need to acknowledge that this process is not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take months to fully step into this authority role. Building authority and credibility takes a lot of time and consistency. 

Set expectations to follow as you start and work through this process. This means setting expectations for the type of content you’re going to post as well as how often you’re going to post it. Beyond the practical work, you need to understand the reality of the situation. Set realistic expectations on how long it’s going to take to work your way up to being an authority figure. 

Some questions you should ask yourself include:

  • What should I expect from my results on social media platforms?
  • What should I really be striving for?
  • What should this really look like?
  • How should I look at this in the context of my business?

Don’t expect immediate results, new clients, and a big following. Focus on developing long-term relationships with your existing clients, growing new ones, and establishing a solid reputation in your industry. 

The LinkedIn Landscape: A Breeding Ground for Sales

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We can’t talk about authority generation without bringing up LinkedIn. The platform offers a unique opportunity for professionals to build authority and get leads. However, if you’ve been on LinkedIn recently, then you know just how flooded with sales pitches and promotional content it is.

We’re guessing that if you’ve seen or received these salesly pitches, then you know how annoying it can be. Why is that? Well, it just doesn’t feel genuine. 

When someone is only posting promotional content, it feels like they just want to turn you into a customer (AKA they just want your money). You don’t want to make other people feel like that. 

Instead, focus on providing value through educational content, advice, and sharing your expertise. LinkedIn has become a breeding ground for sales and spam, but it’s also a fertile ground for those who want to establish authority.

By consistently delivering valuable content, you can become a go-to resource in your industry. This doesn’t just apply to LinkedIn; it applies to all content marketing channels, including blogs, podcasts, videos, and social media. The key is to be consistent and genuine in your efforts to educate and connect with your audience.

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The Benefits of Authority Generation

If we haven’t made it clear yet, there are a lot of benefits to authority generation. Not only does it build trust with your audience but it proves to them that you’re a business they can rely on. As we mentioned, there are a lot of purely salesy marketing tactics out there and that can lead to a decrease in trust from audiences. By doing the opposite, by providing value to people, you can reap the benefits. Trust is hard to come by these days so you can stand out from the crowd by simply being genuine. When people trust you, they are more likely to engage with your content, go to you when they need guidance, and eventually become customers. 

On top of that, authority generation can lead to increased organic growth over time. As you gradually establish yourself as an authority figure in your space, you’ll likely receive more opportunities to show off your expertise. For example, you can be on a guest podcast, speak at industry events, collaborate with others, and be involved in webinars. There are amazing opportunities for organic growth. So if you’re ever asked to be a guest for any of those scenarios, we encourage you to say “yes” because they will further amplify your reach and influence, attracting even more prospects to your business.

Lastly, we wanted to reinforce how authority generation can help you create more meaningful connections with your audience. As we’ve explained, creating content that provides value in a genuine way is going to do wonders for your business. Not only will it amplify your authority and credibility but it will lead to those strong connections with your audience. When you provide real value, you attract followers who are actually interested in what you have to offer. 

A Balanced Approach to Content Marketing

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There are endless benefits to providing genuine value to your audience. If you’ve been searching for something to give you an “edge” or you just need help getting new customers, then try out authority generation. 

While lead generation remains a crucial aspect of content marketing, it’s important to recognize that it’s more effective to focus on authority as well. Having a balanced approach—using content marketing for both lead generation and authority building—leads to more sustainable and successful outcomes. Content marketing is not just about attracting leads; it’s about building an engaged audience that trusts your expertise.

If it wasn’t obvious, we’re pretty passionate about helping businesses provide value to their audience. If you want to start expanding your content to be a part of authority generation, we’re the team to help. We will create all the content you need to establish yourself as an authority in your industry and give you advice along the way. Interested? Get started here.

Ready to Launch a Content Marketing Plan for Your Small Business?

We know that carving out the time, resources, and energy to create ongoing content for your brand or business is a full-time job. That’s why we created Breezy – your instant content marketing team.

You don’t need to hire multiple full-time employees to handle all of the strategy, planning, writing, designing, and publishing of content. You also don’t have time to wrangle tons of different freelancers to get this all completed. You need one expert team that can help get all of the amazing thought-leadership and subject matter expertise out of your head and into formalized, engaging content that keeps you top of mind with your audience.

We’re that team!

See how we can help your small business, startup, or agency with a free consultation.

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