Reputation is key, no matter the industry. Not only do you want to build a good reputation, but you also want to have a big reputation to keep customers coming back again and again.

Have you ever asked yourself why you choose some businesses over others? A huge  part of your decision has to do with authority. We often associate authority with expertise.

But part of being an authority in your niche has to do with how you are being perceived. So how do you build your reputation? The easiest way is to look at the top ranking blogs in your industry and see what they look like, what they have to offer and their SEO strategy.

Here five ways to build a reputation in your niche:

1. Provide Genuine Value (And A Bit More).

Always deliver genuine value. Sometimes all you need to do is listen. That’s something people remember and you definitely want people to remember your name. And when you listen, you gather a lot of information about what your clients’ needs, which puts you in a great position to deliver.

Make it your mantra to go just one more step beyond what you’ve promised. Respond positively to all feedback and always act friendly and professional. You can even go beyond thanking them and give them small tokens of your appreciation. When you please your clients, especially unexpectedly, you become memorable.

2. Get Your Name Out There.

It could be through…

• Writing guest posts

Your website should include a blog that’s continually updated. This allows search engines to crawl your site regularly, making you more visible to the online communities. Another great strategy is to make an agreement with a high-ranking blog to act as a regular contributor. It ensures ongoing exposure and boosts credibility.

• Speaking

Public speaking is a great way to get your name out there. Prior to any event, make sure you get all the facts about audience number, subjects covered and what technology you’ll have access to.

If you’re unsure about your speaking skills, make a short video of yourself doing your presentation and have a friend comment on your performance. To polish your public speaking skills, take a college class or join your local Toastmasters club.

3. Build You PR Campaign.

Public Relations is one of the most effective ways to get your name out there. There are many ways to mass distribute your press releases and track down journalists looking for specific articles. These are great ways to gain exposure and build your reputation.

4. Stay True.

Gaining the trust of the people you want to work with is essential and authenticity plays a huge role in that. How do you become more authentic? First, be honest with yourself and who you are. Tap into your inner self and make sure you remain true to yourself. Second, get comfortable revealing who you are and choose the level of exposure.

5. Stay Professional.

Professionalism is what keeps authenticity from becoming too personal. It’s easy to befriend customers and clients, but too much friendliness can lead to crossing boundaries and making them uncomfortable.

This has more to do than just wearing a suit and a tie. It’s about presenting yourself in a way that creates confidence in your clients that you know what you’re talking about and can deliver what you’ve promised.

The greatest benefit of becoming an authority in your niche is more than just capturing current sales; it’s future revenues and making people remember who you are.

Joshua Hood

+Joshua Hood is an SEO expert who graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Economics in 2002. He has experience doing SEO for both small businesses as well as 3 years experience in New York City doing SEO for big businesses and ranking for the most competitive keywords that exist in SEO. He is also an expert in internet marketing and has done marketing arbitrage and performance(affiliate) marketing for a variety of fortune 500 companies. He attributes his success to philosophies he learned that employ out of the box thinking as well as fundamental principals of economics and mathematics applied to marketing techniques combined with creative approaches to finding the subconscious triggers that evoke the masses to take action to buy or give their information and raise their hand and say "I am interested."

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