Credibility. We all want it.
But you can’t buy it. It must be earned.
Here is how and why to build credibility through writing.
When you’re trying to break into a new field or a new market, you have to find a way to stand out, so people notice you. “Hey, I’m over here!”
That’s where many people stop. Once they shout, “Buy my product. Buy my service,” many cross their fingers and hope someone will take a chance and click BUY NOW.
But regardless of the field you are in, you need to go beyond getting someone’s attention and give them a reason to trust you to solve their problem. Their problem could be that they hate their job or don’t know if they’ve saved enough for retirement. They may want to lose weight, or they are just bored. So, why should they trust you? What will make them take the leap of faith and spend their hard-earned money with you instead of seeking out another solution?
The link between being aware of you or your company and the trust necessary to make a purchase is credibility. The higher the price point of your solution, the more credibility you’ll need to build trust.
There are a few ways to build credibility. Customer reviews and referrals are powerful drivers of sales in your business. Yet, they are limited in their reach to the number of current customers and their willingness to leave a review and spread the word for you.
To throw gasoline on the credibility fire, savvy business professionals turn to content marketing. Content marketing is sharing information, inspiration, storytelling, and the like in forms like blogging, podcasting, and videos. Of course, when you compile your knowledge into a book, you’ve built a powerful tool for marketing your business.
It’s a long-term strategy to build credibility through writing. It’s not a get-rich-quick solution. Despite what the “gurus” are telling you, you won’t strike it rich with a perfect blog post (or 10 or 50) or even just by writing one book. Writing a book takes time, but the impacts, when done well, can change the course of your business.
When I made a career pivot in 2014, from professional juggler and children’s entertainer to book coach and self-publishing services provider, I needed credibility! Although I had been quietly writing and studying the publishing industry for years, no one knew what I knew outside of a small writing community. Why would anyone trust a juggler to publish their book? I had a credibility problem.
My solution — write a book.
Before I hung out my shingle as The Happy Self-Publisher, I studied everything I could about the quickly changing field of self-publishing. I compiled all of the knowledge I gained and wrote a book. But I didn’t stop there.
I used the opportunity to share my philosophy about how I view the world of publishing and what it means to be an author. When people read my book, they know I’m not an “all you have to do” person or “you’ll be rich by next week” type of business owner. People will know that I know my stuff because, after all, I wrote the book on it. But they will also know I’m in it for my readers, not to sell snake oil to the gullible to fill my coffers.
Writing the book, and subsequent others, allowed me to open the doors to my business with confidence. The books showcased my expertise and built my credibility with potential customers. When combined with book reviews, Google reviews, testimonials, and referrals, I’ve narrowed the credibility gap from when I started.
Of course, there is always room to solidify your position. One book is great. More quality content is better. Each blog post you write or book you publish allows you to answer your customers’ frequently asked questions or give your customers a base of information to make informed buying decisions. Because of the lower price point of a book than your other products or services, you’ll potentially reach and help more people with your book than you can in your business. Their reviews help your credibility too.
To build credibility through writing, you need to show up with helpful or entertaining content consistently, so they know you’ll be there when they need you. Whether you give your book or other content away for free or charge a fee, each word you pen helps you and your reader get closer to your goals.
Build credibility through a consistent effort in persistent pursuit of solving your readers’ most pressing problems, and they will turn to you and your solution at the height of their greatest need.
Are you ready to build credibility in your business by writing a book? If you’re struggling with finding the words or you just want to make sure this makes an impact, register for the Adventures in Writing Nonfiction online course. Write your book easier, better, and faster than going it alone.
