Building any sense of authority within blogging can be a challenging and lengthy process. It is during this time where most may get disillusioned and give up ..

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Building Your Blogging Authority Online
by Christo pher Green
T here are many hurdles in the blogging process, but if we assume
that you’ve created a blog and have the will to write, how do you
make your thoughts heard above the general chatter of the
blogosphere? In the majority of cases the purposes/goals of any
new blog are going to be based around increasing
exposure/traf f ic/enquires/purchases etc, even if you are not out to
make money, what will matter is who reads when you publish.
Building a f ollowing or any sense of authority within blogging can be
a challenging and lengthy process and it is during this time where
most will become disillusioned and give up. But if you’re serious
about establishing yourself as a serious and credible blogger, the f ollowing tips may help.
Ident if y your Niche and Writ e about it .
Whilst it is probably well assumed that being able to write compelling content is the highest f actor in
building your authority, but really this is just the f oundation of your blogging process. More than that,
however, you are going to have keep to regular and dedicated content production to show you have a
library of work which you want to be known by.
More to the point though you should really try and f ocus what your niche (or Unique selling Point) is
going to be. Whilst it is well and good writing about a wide range of subjects, the chances of your
building authority as a generalist or all-round good writer is much slimmer because you are not speaking
to anyone in particular. If you can build yourself a strong position in a particular niche and make a name
f or yourself , you can begin to expand f rom there.
What t o Writ e?
Take an existing topic and turn it on it’s head, view it f rom a dif f erent angle or prospective – it can lead
to unexpected results which you can build a name f or yourself with.
Take issue with something someone else has said – don’t be an ass about it, but don’t be af raid
to disagree with someone and certainly don’t be af raid to tell them about it. You can build some
quite f ruitf ul relationships by reading, understanding and disputing what other experts are saying.
Just write something – this isn’t meant to be vague or f lippant, but I really can’t stress enough
how important being proactive with your content is. T his is the bread and butter of blogging, but
it’s where f ar too many people f ail and give up.
Net work
Being a successf ul blogger is based very heavily on who you know and where
these contacts will take you. Unless you’re lucky enough to start out with a big
break or a ready and waiting audience, you are going to have to get help your
peers along the way. Find who are blogging in a similar area to you, reach out
to them say “hi”, start a discussion, get your name out there. T his will usually
begin with posting comments on another blog itself , but the power of social
media has meant that this will likely be one of the most used tools in the
process.

2. What you mustn’t do is start sending links to the most prominent writers in your f ield expecting them to
give you coverage to all their f ollowers – they are probably inundated with such requests and end up
ignoring the vast majority. T his networking phase can seem very cynical, only making contacts to f urther
your own success, but this doesn’t mean it has to be this way. If you have any passion or interest f or the
area you are blogging about these contacts you’ll make are your peers and share the same interests as
you too!
If you make the networking too conspicuous and cynical, however, making f riends will be dif f icult and
chances are that you’ll just alienate the people who hope will help you in the f uture.
Once you’ve made some contacts, shown that you know a thing or two, then you’ll be ready to start
showing them examples of your own work and seeking sharing opportunities.
Where t o net work?
Google – search f or the subject area which you are working in, this is the best starting point. Be
warey though, because those results f ound highest in the search results are going to be the
highest prof ile bloggers in that space and providing there is any signif icant traf f ic in this niche,
they might be too big/busy to listen to your approaches f rom the beginning. Head to page 3, 4 and
5, look f or bloggers who have similar interest and greater exposure (even only slightly) and start
reaching out to them.
Social Networks – similar to the above point (and f rankly the most obvious here!), social
networks are probably one of the best ways of being seen, by bloggers big and small. Reply to
tweets of your peers, retweet others, and share relevant links you think they might like – show
them your f ace without making a nuisance of yourself .
In person – T he best relationships you can f orge will be the ones you make in person. Go to
conf erences, business meetings, pre-made networking sessions. T his is how people have made
contacts f or decades and is a much more proven method than the above two points. A
conversation with the right person over a drink may open more doors than months of tweets or
comments.
Blog Elsewhere
Much of your time building your name as a blogger is not going to be blogging on your site. Echoing the
sentiments above, the content is only the start – building up your reach and exposure needs to start
elsewhere. Once you’ve networked and made some connections, people may asking you to write an
article or two f or them, or f ailing that, you will be in a better position to of f er up some content f or them.
T his ef f ectively is guest blogging, and because of the more spammy end of the SEO spectrum it has
started to f eel somewhat tainted – however, when done well guest blogging can be one of the most
powerf ul tools in building your presence online. You as the blogger get to share your thoughts with a
new and larger audience (as well as gaining link back to your site) and the website publishing your blog
will gain the benef it of your expertise and well written content.
Where do I Blog?
Is the blog relevant? – If there is some overlap between your subject and the blog you want to write f or,
you’re going in the right direction, not to mention the f act that you are more likely to have your request
accepted.
Is the blog bigger than yours? – Focusing on visitors alone isn’t the greatest approach, but if
you’re trying to increase your own reach, naturally a larger audience is going to be a better
opportunity.
What is the blog’s reputation like? – Fans of blogs are usually a loyal bunch, likewise, the
f eelings surrounding some of the larger blogs can be highly polarised between those who love it
and those who loathe it. If you get a big blogging opportunity you should consider what it will do

3. f or your reputation, whilst some clearly think any exposure is better than none at all – bad PR
is extremely hard to manage and could ruin you bef ore you even begin.
Final T ips
Here are some f inal nuggets of inf ormation to set you upon your way, there’s a lot more to learn, but
this will help you get of f to a better start (rather learning these lessons a f ew years in like I did!).
1. Use one prof ile image - pref erably one of yourself and use it across all the channels you post on.
Some would pref er to just use an avatar or picture they’re f ond of , but people respond much
better to a real f ace.
2. Use your real name (or realistic pseudonym) – be consistent and be a real person, again, if you’re
building relationships you want to show people you are a real person.
3. Use Authorship - If you haven’t created a Google+ account and setup authorship, you could well
be missing out on one of the largest innovations in search f or a little while – don’t be lef t behind.
4. Be patient - this all won’t happen at once, take easy steps and pace yourself . T here will be
moments of greater activity and moments of slowness – take the rough with the smooth and most
of all stick with it!