Authority Marketing: How to Elevate B2B Tech Marketing through Authority and Content

Authority marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy to generate predictable revenue growth for tech companies. In a recent episode of the “Predictable B2B Success” podcast, host Vinay Koshy sat down with Frank Husmann, the founder of Maxiality, an authority marketing agency with over two decades of experience in the field.

The episode delves into the profound impact of authority marketing, exploring how leveraging the expertise of company founders and subject matter experts can establish a robust market presence, attract valuable opportunities, and align marketing efforts with genuine customer needs. Frank Husmann shares valuable insights into the human-centric content strategies that transform companies into authoritative voices in their niche, enhancing both inbound and outbound marketing results.

Dive into this blog post to uncover the key takeaways from their conversation and learn how your B2B tech company can harness the power of authority marketing to thrive in today’s competitive market.

Watch the episode

About Frank Husmann

Frank Husmann, a seasoned entrepreneur, sold his SaaS company three years ago to take some well-deserved time off. However, his expertise in marketing and sales within the SaaS industry swiftly drew the attention of both company founders and investors. They sought his guidance to enhance their ventures, leading Frank to re-engage actively in the industry and providing invaluable support and advice to burgeoning SaaS companies.

Authority Marketing as a Strategy to Driving B2B Revenue Growth

Authority marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for driving business growth. This approach focuses on positioning a company or individual as a trusted expert in their field, leveraging their knowledge and expertise to attract customers and build brand loyalty. This comprehensive guide will explore how authority marketing can fuel sustainable growth backed by data, research, and expert insights.

What is Authority Marketing?

Authority marketing involves showcasing your expertise and knowledge to establish credibility and trust with your target audience. It goes beyond traditional marketing tactics by providing valuable insights and solutions to your customers’ problems.

Frank Husmann, founder of Maxiality, an authority marketing agency, defines it as:

“Authority marketing boils down to making sure that the expertise that’s inside of the company and inside the heads of most of the time, it’s the founder that we’re working with, but it can be any subject matter expert that is inside the company. We’ll use that expertise and make sure that it’s being sent to all the right channels where your ICP is at.”

Adam Witty and Rusty Shelton, authors of “Authority Marketing: How to Leverage 7 Pillars of Thought Leadership to Make Competition Irrelevant,” offer another perspective:

“Authority marketing is the strategic process of systematically positioning a person or organization as the leader and expert in their industry, community, or marketplace to command outsized influence over all competitors.”

By consistently sharing valuable content and insights, companies can position themselves as go-to resources in their industry, attracting opportunities and making the sales process more effortless.

The Power of Authority Marketing

Research has shown that authority marketing can significantly impact a company’s bottom line:

1. According to a study by Edelman, 81% of buyers say trust is crucial in their purchasing decisions.
2. Content Marketing Institute reports that 96% of the most successful content marketers say their audience views their organization as a credible and trusted resource.
3. A report by LinkedIn found that thought leadership content influences 58% of decision-makers in awarding business to an organization.
4. Research by Hinge Marketing revealed that high-growth firms are 3x more likely to use thought leadership as a marketing strategy than their no-growth peers.

These statistics highlight the importance of establishing authority and trust in driving business growth.

Key Components of Authority Marketing

To implement an effective authority marketing strategy, consider the following components:

1. Content Creation: Develop high-quality, valuable content that addresses your audience’s pain points and demonstrates your expertise.
2. Thought Leadership: Share unique insights and perspectives on industry trends and challenges.
3. Speaking Engagements: Participate in industry events, webinars, and podcasts to showcase your knowledge.
4. Media Appearances: Seek interview opportunities and guest appearances in relevant publications and shows.
5. Social Proof: Leverage testimonials, case studies, and endorsements to build credibility.
6. Personal Branding: Develop a strong personal brand for key executives or subject matter experts within your organization.
7. Book Authorship: Write and publish books or e-books that showcase your expertise and provide value to your audience.

Implementing Authority Marketing for Growth

Here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing authority marketing in your organization:

1. Identify Your Area of Expertise

Start by defining your unique value proposition and the areas where you can provide the most value to your audience. Frank Husmann suggests:

“What is something that he or she disagrees with that’s really common knowledge in the market? So your own unique point of view, and then just sit down like this in some sort of podcast setting and record that.”

Actionable Takeaway: Conduct a thorough audit of your company’s expertise, including the knowledge of key team members. Identify 3-5 core areas where you can provide unique insights or solutions.

2. Understand Your Audience

Conduct thorough research to understand your ideal customer profile (ICP) and their pain points. This will help you create content that resonates with their needs and challenges.

Actionable Takeaway: Create detailed buyer personas for your target audience, including their demographics, challenges, goals, and preferred content formats.

3. Develop a Content Strategy

Create a comprehensive content plan that includes various formats, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, and social media content. Husmann recommends:

“We are creating less blog articles, for example, but we’re creating way more content on all the different channels that our ICP is at.”

Actionable Takeaway: Develop a content calendar that outlines topics, formats, and distribution channels for the next 3-6 months. Aim for a mix of evergreen content and timely, trend-based pieces.

4. Leverage Video Content

Video is becoming increasingly important in B2B marketing. Husmann predicts:

“I think that every B2B marketing team will be video first. So video will be the number one thing that they’re gonna use for everything.”

Consider creating a mix of long-form video content and shorter snippets for social media platforms.

Actionable Takeaway: Invest in basic video production equipment (e.g., a good camera, microphone, and lighting) and create weekly video content, such as expert interviews or quick tips.

5. Amplify Your Content

Use a combination of organic and paid strategies to distribute your content. Husmann suggests:

“We’ll analyze what we’ve done and we’ll amplify the best snippets basically with ads. And most of the time that’s on LinkedIn.”

Actionable Takeaway: Allocate 20-30% of your content marketing budget to paid amplification, focusing on platforms where your ICP is most active.

6. Measure and Iterate

Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of your authority marketing efforts. Husmann recommends focusing on:

• Sales Qualified Opportunities (SQLs) from marketing
• Pipeline velocity
• Brand searches (using Google Search Console)
• Size of retargeting audience on ICP

Actionable Takeaway: Set up a monthly review process to analyze these KPIs and adjust your strategy accordingly.

The 7 Pillars of Authority Marketing

In their book, Adam Witty and Rusty Shelton outline seven pillars of authority marketing. Let’s explore each of these pillars and how they contribute to building authority:

1. Branding and Omnipresence: Develop a strong, consistent brand across all platforms and ensure your presence is felt wherever your target audience is active.
2. Content Marketing: Create and distribute relevant content to attract and engage your target audience.
3. PR and Media: Secure media appearances and coverage to expand your reach and credibility.
4. Speaking: Deliver presentations at industry events, conferences, and webinars to showcase your expertise.
5. Lead Generation: Use your authority content to attract and nurture potential customers.
6. Referral Marketing: Leverage your authority to generate referrals from satisfied clients and industry partners.
7. Marketing Technology: Utilize marketing automation and analytics tools to streamline your efforts and measure results.

Actionable Takeaway: Assess your current marketing efforts against these seven pillars. Identify areas where you’re strong and need improvement, then create a plan to strengthen your weakest pillars.

Case Studies: Authority Marketing Success Stories

1. HubSpot: By consistently producing valuable content and free tools, HubSpot has positioned itself as a leading authority in inbound marketing, driving significant growth and becoming a $1.3 billion company.
2. Salesforce: Through thought leadership content, events like Dreamforce, and a strong personal brand for CEO Marc Benioff, Salesforce has established itself as the go-to CRM solution, growing to a $21.25 billion revenue in 2021.
3. Adobe: By creating the Digital Economy Index and regularly publishing industry insights, Adobe has positioned itself as an authority in digital experiences, contributing to its $15.79 billion revenue in 2021.
4. Gary Vaynerchuk: Through consistent content creation across multiple platforms, Gary Vee has built a personal brand that has led to successful businesses, speaking engagements, and book deals.

Overcoming Challenges in Authority Marketing

While authority marketing can be highly effective, there are some common challenges to overcome:

1. Consistency: Maintaining a regular content schedule can be demanding. Consider using AI tools to assist in content creation and curation.
2. Measuring ROI: It can be challenging to attribute revenue directly to authority marketing efforts. To gauge impact, use a combination of attribution models and customer self-reported data.
3. Standing Out: With increasing content saturation, developing a unique voice and perspective is crucial. Focus on sharing original insights and data-driven content.
4. Balancing Promotion and Value: Avoid being overly promotional. Husmann advises:

“You don’t wanna talk about your product. You wanna talk about problems that your clients are facing and you wanna talk about your journey and wanna talk about the results.”

5. Time and Resource Constraints: Building authority takes time and effort. Start small and scale your efforts as you see results.

Actionable Takeaway: Conduct a SWOT analysis of your current marketing efforts to identify potential challenges in implementing authority marketing. Develop strategies to address each challenge proactively.

The Future of Authority Marketing

As we look ahead, several trends are shaping the future of authority marketing:

1. Video-First Approach: With platforms like LinkedIn pushing video content, companies must adapt their strategies to include more video.
2. AI Integration: While AI won’t replace human expertise, it will play a crucial role in content ideation, optimization, and personalization.
3. Personalization at Scale: Companies can deliver more personalized authority content to their audience segments as technology advances.
4. Multi-Channel Distribution: Brands must create content that can be easily repurposed across various platforms and formats.
5. Increased Focus on Employee Advocacy: Companies will leverage their employees’ personal brands to amplify their authority marketing efforts.
6. Voice and Audio Content: With the rise of podcasts and voice search, audio content will become increasingly important in authority marketing strategies.

Actionable Takeaway: Experiment with emerging content formats and technologies, such as interactive video or voice-optimized content, to stay ahead of the curve in authority marketing.

10 Steps to Implement Authority Marketing

To help you get started with authority marketing, here’s a 10-step process:

1. Define Your Expertise: Clearly articulate what makes you or your company an authority.
2. Identify Your Target Audience: Develop detailed buyer personas for your ideal customers.
3. Create a Content Strategy: Plan your content topics, formats, and distribution channels.
4. Develop Your Personal Brand: Craft a compelling personal or company brand story that showcases your expertise.
5. Build a Strong Online Presence: Optimize your website and social media profiles to reflect your authority.
6. Produce High-Quality Content: Consistently create valuable content that addresses your audience’s pain points.
7. Seek Speaking Opportunities: Look for chances to speak at industry events, webinars, or podcasts.
8. Engage with Your Community: Participate in industry discussions and forums to share your expertise.
9. Collaborate with Other Experts: Partner with other authorities in complementary fields to expand your reach.
10. Measure and Refine: Regularly analyze your results and adjust your strategy based on what’s working.

Actionable Takeaway: Create a 90-day plan to implement these 10 steps in your organization, setting specific goals and milestones for each step.

Conclusion

Authority marketing has proven to be a powerful strategy for driving business growth, particularly in the B2B space. Companies can position themselves as industry leaders and attract high-quality opportunities by consistently showcasing expertise, providing value, and building trust with their audience.

As Frank Husmann summarizes:

“If you do that consistently for some time, you will become the expert in a niche. And if you do it even longer, then you’ll be the authority in the niche. And that just makes sure that you just draw opportunities towards you.”

By implementing the strategies and tactics outlined in this guide, businesses can leverage authority marketing to fuel sustainable growth and establish themselves as trusted industry resources. Remember, building authority is a long-term investment that requires patience, consistency, and a commitment to providing genuine value to your audience. Start small, focus on your expertise, and gradually expand your authority marketing efforts as you see results.

Some areas we explore in this episode include:

• Authority Marketing in B2B Tech: Using company expertise to establish authority and drive predictable revenue growth.
• The Concept and Process: Authority marketing through founder interviews, content creation, and blending inbound and outbound strategies.
• Strategic Approach to Authority Marketing: Defining a unique perspective and focusing on clients’ problems and company results.
• Integrating Marketing, Tech, and Sales: Frank Husmann’s approach to combining these aspects with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Content Creation and Coaching: Coaching clients for effective communication and storytelling with tailored interview questions.
• Emerging Trends in B2B Marketing: Companies becoming media entities, increased video content, and AI integration for efficiency.
• Measuring Marketing Success: Transition to qualitative metrics, ROI tracking with tools like HubSpot, and targeted PPC strategies.
• Creative and Offline Marketing Strategies: Utilizing offline methods like handwritten mail and roundtable sessions for unique engagement.
• Content Library and Amplifying Success: Building and analyzing a content library, focusing on audience engagement, and moving away from MQL-centric approaches.
• Shifting C-Level Mindsets: Encouraging C-level executives to prioritize authority and brand value through demand generation strategies.
• And much, much more…

Listen to the episode.

Related links and resources

Connect with Frank Husmann

• LinkedIn

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