When you are starting to put your message out to the masses that you are offering your services to the community at large, credibility can go a long way in influencing others, enough to make them feel comfortable with giving you money in exchange for your services, and when you are starting out? How much credibility do you have? Not much. But you can bridge the gap by establishing verifiable credibility, and here is how to establish your own credibility.
In my branding trifecta, there are three components that are necessary to create the foundation of your credibility. They are (1) dot-com (2) names (3) website.
1. Dot-com
When you get ready for this phase of launching your business brand and your individual credibility, note that you are not going anywhere without the appropriate domain names (specifically, dot-coms) in place.
So before we sew up the domain names, we must review your name(s) first.
2. Names
You will need two or three dot-com domain names. The first is your name. You can search GoDaddy.com to look for your-name.com, without any dashes. For example, I wasn’t able to get davidmasters dot com because that was already taken, but I was able to get davidmmasters.com so that (David M Masters) became my name, and I started using it ever since.
The next dot-com you need to get is the one that represents what you do. I wanted to get transformation specialist, but that was already taken, so I settled on transfigurationspecialist.com, which is actually a better representation of what I do.
Finally, you will want a dot-com domain name that is the name of your business.
Only get domain names that end in dot com, and if your first search doesn’t turn up any matches (because someone else already owns them) keep searching for alternatives and buy one that resonates with you.
Once you know what your names are, you can go back to (1) and purchase the domains.
3. Website
You will need 2 or 3 simple websites that do not need much information but can work for you as online business cards, which will show up when people search for you, what you do, and the name of your business.
This is the foundation that will serve as the basis of the credibility you will be building from here on out.
The best way to establish yourself as an expert in any field is to
4. Publish Your Book
This is really easy to do. Of course, it will definitely take effort on your part and you could hire out someone to ghostwrite your book for you, but I feel like you are better off doing it yourself.
Don’t worry about whether this is a literary masterpiece, or not. This book, while it is written by and about you, is not about you. It is about the audience that you are appealing to as your target audience.
Think about when someone introduces you next as, “Coming up next is the author of” insert the name of your book, followed by your name (which you also have the dot-com for). Now, you have instant credibility because you wrote the book on it. Who would question your credibility? No one.
And publishing your book has never been easier or faster, thanks to on-demand publishing by Amazon and other on-demand publishers. Just type up your manuscript, upload it, along with your cover art (you can use any of the free templates, or have one designed by someone on fiverr.com), and press publish.
Of course, the better your manuscript is formatted and edited the better, but don’t let anything get in the way of writing and publishing this book.
Of course, we’re not done, yet.
5. Citations
You will need to get citations (not to be confused with traffic tickets). These are mentions of you in the media, so that when people search for you, they will be able to find you. This is what news reporters will be looking for before they reach out to you as an expert in your field.
Get your name and your thoughts out there via social media, blogs, audio or video streams, or other content online, and it is not just enough to have your statements appear but to actually be found interacting with your peers and others online, leaving digital footprints (proof of credibility) behind.
6. Be Accessible
Make sure all of your websites and online media have your contact information and respond to any attempt to be contacted as soon as possible. Accessibility and approachability lend to your credibility, plus opens the doors to other opportunities for exposure. I get invitations to participate in events all the time, just because I am approachable, and people can easily contact me.
Let them contact you by any method that is easiest for them (not just a contact form on your web site). Make sure you arm them with accessibility from any variety of places, such as an assortment of social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), email, or phone.
7. Establish Your Voice
By interacting with others online and leaving traces of your thoughts, you are developing a digital identity, and ideally, a unique voice that projects your perspective on life, what you believe, how you think, and how you feel. This helps to build credibility with your audience, so be careful about how you represent yourself online.
8. Blog
Creating a blog on your-name.com is an excellent way for you to preserve your voice and message online. You can decide to do it regularly, or not. But note that the bloggers who post regularly get the most credibility. You have to decide what is the best schedule that will work out for you, being aware that consistency equals reliability and dependability in the digital arena.
And start showing up online, when and where you can, and as appropriately as possible.
Remember, you are your brand, so keep that in mind for every online interaction that you have.