Which is these three is most important: Authority, Branding, or Social Media?
I’m going to answer that question for you today, but before I do let’s discuss what each of these does for you.
Social Media
We’ll start with social media because, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter until you’ve established the other two.
Social media is a tool. It’s a means to an end, not an end to itself. If you have nothing to promote, then being on social media is just a presence. You can’t generate leads for a product that doesn’t exist. You can be an expert at building relationships through social media, but if you have no place to take those relationships once you’ve established them, then you’re doing all your work in vain.
Social media is an important marketing tool, but it follows from branding and authority. It doesn’t establish them.
Branding
Branding is the act of defining yourself, your company, or your product. Obviously, you have to have a product or business entity before you can brand it.
While branding is important for establishing your identity in the marketplace, there’s still got to be an element that precedes it. That element is what I’ll discuss next.
Authority
Authority is the voice behind your identity. In some ways, authority establishes your identity. In other ways, however, it communicates it.
You can use social media to present your authority, but your authority is the raw material of your company’s brand. Your identity in your niche derives from your authority. Before you can do anything else, you have to establish your authority. That is done by creating useful, valuable content that is consistent and earns respect among your peers.
Social media, branding, and authority are all important for online marketing, but the first two follow on the heels of your authority. Put first things first.