Your Brand Of Authority

Have you ever scratched your head at a “celebrity” in your industry, trying to figure out how he/she grabs so much client or media attention?

Case in point: pretty much every financial advisor I’ve ever met has a love/hate relationship with the fame of Suze Orman—she’s often the first person they mention when we talk unforgettable branding.

Related: Five Styles Of Personal Brand Authority.

It’s especially grating if you have more expertise, experience or gravitas than your more famous competitors.

You may well ask yourself: Why them and not me?

Luckily, the answer is NOT shameless self-promotion (I know that’s not in your nature anyway). Instead, it’s relentlessly sharing your expertise—in YOUR style—in strategically generous ways with your sweet-spot audience.

Let me give you a real life example from a woman in my circle that is genius at this: fashion consultant Lori Ann Robinson.

She’s built her own unique brand of authority that has landed her everywhere from The View to Good Morning America, using six critical elements that you can leverage for yourself.

She’s clear on her niche. She targets professional women over 40 who are “body-shape challenged” and looking for “clothing that fits and flatters”. If you take a peek at her videos, you’ll see she uses a consistently upbeat, honest, we’re-all-in-this-together vibe. She is NOT a shrinking violet—her candor is refreshing to her ideal audience (and serves as clear repellant for everyone else).

Her big idea is her linchpin. She’s baked her big idea—that professional women over 40 deserve to feel stylish and sexy—into everything she does. Her marketing videos, images, blog posts and webinars are jam-packed with very real enthusiasm about her belief system and mission in life.

She uses her credentials wisely. Lori Ann is not afraid to put her four Emmy nominations and television production experience front and center on her website and when she’s presenting. But she uses it as a credential, not as a club to beat her audience senseless.

She has a distinct voice. Attend one of her raucously fun webinars to see what I mean. You’re never quite sure what will come out of her mouth, but it’s always helpful and pointed without being snarky (somewhat rare these days in fashion circles). Think sunny with an edge.

She continually builds her tribe. Lori Ann understands her tribe and how they want to learn and engage. She knows that her audience likes to connect not only with her but also with each other. Her webinars have open chats and she set up a private Facebook group for multi-way communication.

She isn’t afraid to pitch you. I’m always fascinated when an expert gives away vast quantities of valuable content, but stops short of a pitch. Lori Ann inserts a pitch—usually a new one—in each of her webinars in a refreshing way. You know the pitch is coming—she tells you that at the front end—but it’s short, targeted and annoyance free. Yes, there is an elegant way to sell that still converts to revenue.

Still with me?

Lori Ann’s style probably won’t work for you—and that’s EXACTLY the point.

Your job is to focus on what makes you, well, unforgettable.

Because that’s where your magic lies.

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