Establish Authority

Let me tell you a story.

I once bought a bike and had buyers remorse. I also felt self-conscious about returning it and didn’t want to burden the shop that sold it to me.

After a test ride around the neighborhood, I bump into the mailman. He takes one look at my new whip and starts going off about frame geometry, wheel sizes, colorways… you name it. Clearly a bike guy.

I told him I felt self-conscious about my choice and he said to me: “I believe everyone should love their bike. Return it.”

His expertise—and the reassurance of a knowledgeable friend—gave me the guts to go through with the return it for a bike I love.

Your job is to provide that reassurance in your copy. To become the knowledgeable friend. An authority who knows what they’re talking about.

Here’s how.

How to Establish Authority#

Establishing authority is about demonstrating that you—or your product, service, or idea—are uniquely suited to solving your reader’s problems.

Questions to Ask

• Do you follow any specific jurisdictions or rules?
• How long have you been in your field?
  • After 30 years, we know gutters
  • You might only do this once in your life—we do it everyday
• Is there anything you’re the biggest at? The smartest? Most well-equipped? Most popular? First? Fastest growing? Hardest working?
  • The Most Crowdfunded App in Kickstarter’s History
  • Motors and Pumps: Largest supply in Pennsylvania
  • Most stolen book from public libraries
• What makes you an expert in your field?
  • How to use a strap-on, according to queer sex experts
• Where you post your ads/content can display authority?
• Can you associate your business with a stereotypical locale?
  • Brooklyn pizzas, NYC publishers, Hollywood studios, Amish construction, Paris perfumes, Glasgow pubs…
• Can your name create authority?
  • Computer Discount Warehouse
• Can you lean on any previous product’s success?
  • Creator of America’s #1 selling vibrator
  • Author of The Kickass Copy Playbook
• Can you tell your success story in a sentence or two?
  • “I went bankrupt a long time ago… then I found this… and now I have financial peace and you can too.”
  • “Using the exact plan you’ll learn in this book, I grew my business from four employees working out of a basement to a $15M operation in just six years.”
• Can you show the success of your customers using story, testimonials, case studies, referalls or hard numbers?
  • The average user saves $600 in two months and $6000 their first year
  • 9/10 customers get the solution they need without becoming paying customers
• Do you have any awards, press, accolades, businesses you’ve worked with (show logos)?

Authority in the Wild#

A Final Note on Authority#

When it comes to establishing you or your product’s authority, don’t overdo it.

Your readers are reading your copy to transforms themselves—not to hear how great you are. Your job is the check the box and move on.

Action Items/Homework/UX#

Find a way to communicate your authority. Once you’ve got something you like, include it in every piece of communication you send out.

Onward ➔#

Now that you’ve obliterated your objections and established your authority, it’s time to… which you’ll do on the following page.