Personal development and achievement should be taken very seriously as an entrepreneur. There is no boss to remind you of ladders or ranks, you and only YOU can prepare yourself for what you need for your niche and what your audience would expect to see from you. That’s when we must build ourselves up as the authority in our niche.
I’m not saying you should have doctoral degrees from Ivy League schools but within each specialty or niche (especially online) people look for certain qualifications to check for authority or expertise.
It’s just like going to your doctor’s office, you go in and expect to see some sort of certificate showing they’ve been Board certified or when you enter a pizza place you’ll see a food sanitation certificate by the door. It’s expected and appreciated.
I’ve been a long advocate of education and certification since that was my background before I endeavored into the entrepreneurial world. I found that no matter what field a person was in they needed to always keep abreast of their specialty. It’s the same thing for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. We have to keep on top of our game! That’s when authority becomes your visual marketing tool.
The 3 Impactful Visual Marketing Authority Checkpoints
1. The “Featured On…” Section
There are many coaches out there that are teaching people different ways of gaining this type of PR or marketing exposure so you can have beautiful Featured On sections that can make great impressions.
However beware of coaches that say it’s okay to list tv networks or other popular sites that you have been quoted or featured on that was not related to your niche. For example, I was featured on a popular site giving motherly advice however I’m not going to list the site on my site as they didn’t feature my quote regarding my business expertise but on my personal mothering experience.
Little story:
I had taken a LinkedIn training and the instructor had advised people to take advantage of when sites (especially news sites) quote you. No matter if it was for personal or business, no one had to know, the news site logo can then be used to place in the photo and if any of the course registrants didn’t know how to do it he’d be happy to refer them to his graphic designer. Umm… yea what a guy, what a pal! Anyhow I’d like to warn people of these types of tricks. Just because people have fancy networks next to their photo doesn’t necessarily mean they were showcased or featured regarding their niche or specialty. Dive a little further for details of their network appearance!
Also you may be wondering too… How in the world do I get featured in these popular posts or news sites? Well there’s a site called Help A Reporter Out (HARO). You get emailed a listing of requests from reporters who need additional information for their stories. If you are able to provide the information needed then you can be featured on a news source. Nice, right?!
You can learn more about how to use HARO by Erika Madden from Olyvia Media, she has an amazing post that will help you answer the requests like a pro.
For your Featured On… section, you can have a page dedicated to the sites where you guest posted, been quoted or interviewed on. Some people like to have a Featured On… section on their sidebar or on the footer of their website. It really all depends on preference. I’ll show you an example below:
2. Credentials
I’m a big fan of any type of any training, certification, or any level of test that helps a person achieve something new or enhances a skill. On a website or person’s about page specifically, they may have their certifications or educational background listed. This helps people narrow down if the person has the qualifications to really help them with what they need. Any time you are learning something new, it’s always good practice to find a certification or diploma related within the niche that you can get involved with to stay on top of the most current trends. You can find great courses through Udemy, Lynda, and free diploma courses through Alison.
When you complete your certifications or diplomas, you typically get a badge or certificate to place on your site. I recently completed my Inbound Certification through HubSpot Academy. See it in my sidebar —>
It’s also below!
[tweet_box inject=”Having credentials listed on your site can make you an authority in your field and become your visual marketing tool. @tigerlilyva11″]Having credentials listed on your site can make you an authority in your field and become your visual marketing tool.[/tweet_box]
3. Testimonials
This is always a BIG question I hear – should I dedicate a whole page or should I have testimonials throughout the entire website? I know many people do both but I prefer it scattered throughout. Another question is – Which testimonials are best? Videos of course! Yes. Three minute videos that are precise that have details of what results have been achieved are always great.
Take a look at this beautiful site from Tracy Wright Corvo Photography – she has a video testimonial alongside her extraordinary headshots of her client. Just breathtaking!
However if a video testimonial can’t be done, written testimonials can still provide powerful results when they can show the results of the work provided.
Here are a couple of great examples of testimonial pages that have images and real results from clients (impressive, right?!):
When Authority Becomes Your Visual Marketing Tool in 3 Impactful Ways
You may not have all 3 ways to display on your site and that’s okay because that’s something to work up to. However do you feel it’s something important to have to show authority?
Let me know in the comments.
Take care,
Tigerlily 
Lillian, thank you for including my website testimonials in your article! And for the other great tips on visual marketing authority. Love your site!
Hi Erika,
Of course!
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Lillian
Great post Lillian,
Social proof really adds when it comes to determining how authoritative a blogger or internet marketer is, having things like the Featured On, testimonials and some forms of certificate will really affect how people sees you online.
I really enjoyed this post Lillian,
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Theodore,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for visiting my blog!
There is so much more, I believe, that internet marketers and bloggers need to establish to represent themselves to gain that authority online rather than offline, due to scammers and such.
Take care,
Lillian
Great post Lillian,
I liked the display of testimonials and some form of certificate will really affect how people see you online. I have a pic of my certificate but never even thought of displaying it before.
I really enjoyed this post Lillian, as always.
Visiting you from the PAC Rotator.
Hi Kathryn,
You should display your credentials for sure!
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Lillian
Hi Lillian
That’s a great post – and it’s given me an idea… I’ve been featured on some bloggers’ sites, so I need to round up those posts and make something of them on my own site!
What a great idea…
Joy
Hi Joy,
YES! I’m so glad it’s inspired you to do that. I’m working on my own Featured On page. Let me know when you have yours ready. I’d love to see it!
Take care,
Lillian
Great advice
You really do have to decide how you want to define yourself and you have to get serious about building up your niche authority.
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. I follow so me folks who specialize in being seen a lot in very public spaces like Periscope handing out a LOT of great advice
Do what suits your niche and your brand but think about it and get serious about building your authority. You just can’t ignore this ab and succeed in our very public world.
Hi Mary,
Glad you agree with this advice!
You’re absolutely right that this a very public world. Everyone must find their way through the crowded platforms to see what works best for their business.
Thanks for stopping by,
Lillian
Great share! I have 2 out of your 3 points covered – testimonial and credential. Featured on section would be awesome! I also see you are HubSpot certified. I’m up for re-certification soon! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Hi NT,
HA! I’m 2 out of 3 as well. I’ve gotten my Featured On section completed and I posted my HubSpot credential on my sidebar. I’m still working on my testimonials page. I’ve got them scattered throughout my site but I think it’s nice to have them in one spot.
Be sure to display your certification! That’s awesome you’re certified too.
Take care,
Lillian
Really a very nice informative and ideal post. Many people will get their answers in this. Everyone must find their way through the crowded platforms to see what works best for their business. I like your whole blog. Thanks for it.
Hi Tarun,
Glad you liked this post! Indeed everyone must find their way through the crowd.
Happy you visited the blog! Please do come visit again.
Take care,
Lillian
Awesome share. building authority is a huge task and a time taking process. When some has reached to that level, other people are just following them and here the marketing has become very easy. But at the same time expectation is also linked. Thanks for reading a wonderful article here.
Hi Santanu,
You’re absolutely right about expectation. With authority there comes responsibility to your audience.
Thanks for reading!
Lillian
Hi Lillian
What a post and authority does tell the whole world that you know what you are doing. The three ways to display authority as a visual marketing tool is awesome.
Having a featured on is a great idea. Also testimonials and credentials are authority boost. Thanks for sharing. Take Care
Hi Ikechi,
I’m so glad you liked this post on authority!
Take care,
Lillian