Authority: Our Community of Professional Content Marketers

If you’ve found this page, you probably have some questions about Authority — our private community of content marketers.

We bring new members into the community during focused enrollment periods, so that the Authority team and I can put all of our focus on giving our community members the best experience we can.

But before we talk about the details of that — let me connect the dots if you don’t happen to quite know what Authority is.

So what is Authority, anyway?

Authority is a community of content marketers that promotes and celebrates excellence.

Who are these content marketers? Well, lots of them are business owners who have taken the reins for their own marketing — even if they outsource some or all of the actual writing and content creation. They know they need an in-depth understanding of the strategies that work for real-world businesses with real bills to pay.

We also have many, many freelance writers in our community. They use Authority to stay on top of the skills that in-demand writers need to position themselves at the top of the heap.

And we have plenty of serious bloggers and podcasters, who are taking the next steps and turning their interesting content into sustainable (and enjoyable) businesses.

Finally, we have a solid group of savvy professional content creators who work in organizations (also known as “day jobs”), who know they need to stay sharp to keep advancing in their field.

It’s a large and diverse group — but what they have in common is a commitment to learning and growing, and constantly getting better at what they do.

When the “same old” ideas aren’t cutting it any more

You probably already read quite a few marketing blogs, or maybe you listen to marketing podcasts. I do, too.

Free sites are a wonderful resource. They can absolutely give you a solid foundation in the fundamentals.

But at a certain point, you need material that’s a little more focused and a little more advanced.

You have questions like:

• Email, blogs, podcasts, white papers, social, SEO — how do the pieces fit together? (Join Pamela Wilson and I for our Authority session on “connecting the dots” for your content strategy)
• How can I market myself when I’m so busy doing the work I get paid for? (Certified Content Marketer Megan Williams shared a rock-solid action plan in a recent session)
• How do I get started with metrics? And what do I do once I get the ball running? (Jessica Frick and Copyblogger partner Tony Clark have you covered)
• What’s going on with SEO? What’s different today, and how should I prepare for the future? (Brian Clark tackled this head-on with me in an extended Authority master class)
• I feel like my wheels are spinning — how can I figure out what to work on next? (You can go through Pamela Wilson’s process on How to Be Your Own Business Consultant, or sit down with us for a deep-dive “hot seat”-style consultation)

These are a tiny handful of the sessions covered in more than 230 hours of marketing education and advice — with more added nearly every week of the year.

You need high-quality education if you’re serious about developing your skills as a content marketer. But there’s another piece of the puzzle.

Face it: Normal people don’t get you

Creative folks aren’t always understood by all of those … normal people out there. (Some of whom you may be related to.)

And creative entrepreneurs and businesspeople? We’re even weirder.

Authority is a community of people who understand exactly why you’re so excited about that killer guest post you just placed, or the conversion rate on your latest white paper, or an uptick in your email opt-ins.

They understand the ups and the downs, because they’ve been there, too.

In late 2015, we’ve been focusing on boosting the community elements of Authority, creating more content that’s focused on the real-world successes and challenges of our members. We’re sharing what works, and what doesn’t, in today’s environment.

That means educational content that’s more meaningful and applicable to the situations you face every day. All wrapped in a supportive community that will lend an ear on those tough days we all face from time to time.