Brand Authority for Small Business: What it is and why it matters

We all want to be more visible. For our ideal clients to find us more easily. For people to choose us over our competitors.

Whatever industry you’re in, there are just some brands that stand out from the others.

Brands that command trust. Brands that people go back to over and over again.

That’s Brand Authority.

It’s always been important. But it’s also pretty elusive. Especially for small business.

And in the age of A.I. where trust will become even more valuable, having a brand with authority could mean the difference between a business that thrives, and one that doesn’t.

So, what exactly is Brand Authority? Why does it matter for small business? And importantly, where on earth are you supposed to start if you want to build some for your brand?

Let me show you.

What is Brand Authority?

Brand Authority is the level of trust and recognition that your brand has with the people that matter to you.

It’s about reliability and quality.

It’s about being the chosen brand. The one on everyone’s lips. The go-to solution for the problem you solve.

Brand Authority gives you a competitive edge.

It lives in how your brand is seen, it lives in how your brand shows up, it lives in your Google ranking and digital presence (whether you like it or not), and it lives in your authenticity.

Why Brand Authority matters in small business.

If I had to distil Brand Authority down to just a single word, it would be TRUST.

And I think that’s why it matters to small business – even more than it does to big business.

Because trust in small business is harder to win, easier to lose and even harder to win back.

When you have Brand Authority, you’ve got a significant business asset that works hard for you – even when you aren’t personally in the room.

Brand Authority gives you have greater brand advocacy, repeat customers, and something that will make your business more valuable should you ever want to sell it.

With A.I. dominating in small business marketing, trust is going to matter more than it ever has before. Which means that Brand Authority is going to matter more than it ever has before.

If you haven’t put building Brand Authority as a high priority on your to do list, now is the time.

How can you build Brand Authority in your small business?

Brand Authority probably seems pretty elusive. Because it’s primarily based on an emotional connection with a brand.

And that can be hard to pin down. But it’s not impossible.

Here’s the top ways you can start building Brand Authority for your brand – no matter how big or small it might be.

Be consistent

Being consistent is one of the most overlooked elements of a strong brand.

And when I say being consistent, I don’t mean the frequency with which you post on social media.

Being consistent with your brand is showing up with your brand story strategy reflected clearly in everything you do.

It’s having a clear message that resonates with your ideal client – and then repeatedly communicating that message across every channel of your business from marketing to customer service and everything in between.

It’s about being consistent with your values.

It’s about doing what you say you’ll do. Showing up how you say you’ll show up.

It’s about having a website that matches your Instagram feed, that matches how you show up in the room when you’re networking.

Achieving brand consistency is the first step to building Brand Authority. If you aren’t being consistent, you need to fix that before you do anything else.

To have authority, you must be authentic

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionising marketing for small businesses.

But we have to use it carefully. Because it’s also bringing into question the trust that we build with our audiences.

We have to use Artificial Intelligence with our Authentic Intelligence - the term I’ve coined to describe what it will mean to show up as genuine, authentic, thoughtful and connected when it comes to marketing and building your brand.

Being authentic is going to matter.

You’re going to need to work out what makes your brand strong and true.

You’re going to need to be clear and consistent about it.

You’re going to need to know where you’re going, what you stand for, and why that should matter to the people you wish to serve.

Know your brand values and lean into them.

If you’ve got a set of brand values tucked away in a drawer somewhere, it’s time to dig them out.

When used proactively in your business, brand values are an incredible tool for not only creating consistency, but for creating emotional connection.

You brand values show what you stand for. They show what you care about.

And when you consistently live up to them, you can use them to build trust. Which in turn will build Brand Authority.

Focus on quality content

The rise of A.I. has also given rise to an absolute tsunami of really, really, really poor quality, repetitive content.

So, if you want to build Brand Authority, it’s time to focus on quality, not quantity when it comes to content creation.

This is supported by changes that are happening in search.

A.I. search results are completely rewriting the search results playbook. Brand Authority will matter if you want to keep appearing in Google search results, and that means we need to focus our attention on quality of content and not just packing blogs and other content full of keywords.

And with Google increasingly delivering A.I. search results instead of click throughs, authority will become even more important than keywords when it comes to attracting clients from search engines. If you want your content to appear in the result, it’s going to have to be good – and not just a carbon copy of what everybody else is saying.

I feel like it’s important here that you shouldn’t confuse repetition with consistency.

You want to be repeating your consistent message – not the message of everyone else who has used ChatGPT.

You can’t ignore Brand Authority if you want your business to thrive.

Brand Authority is what I like to call a long-game element of marketing.

You need to invest early, and commit to the journey so you can reap the rewards of what Brand Authority can deliver. Because while it might be hard to earn, it’s an incredibly valuable asset to have in your business.

Be consistent, be authentic, focus on quality content and be driven by your values and you’ll be on your way to building a brand that will thrive in this next era of business.