The key to building an authoritative media presence is using all the available resources. Plus, a successful authority strategy includes identifying target audiences and understanding how audiences gather information. According to Pew Research Center, the digital trend remains strong for 2015. News readers continue to move beyond traditional print publications such as newspapers and magazines, and focus on digital news for updates. News sites are prime opportunities to build an online presence since reports often include quotations and interviews from field experts.
Online opportunities to highlight expertise and enhance brand authority include sources such as online newspaper publications, podcasts, radio broadcasts, and digital news web-sites such as CNN and CBS. These outlets are a simple addition to an authority platform approach. Podcasts, for example, are downloaded 41 percent more in 2015 than in the previous year. The unique, audio-journalism format of a podcast goes with listeners to work, to the beach, while driving, shopping and exercising, and experts are highly desirable to be interviewed for the most popular podcasts. Most every product has a podcast niche from fitness to sewing and cooking to fishing, and many podcasts are produced on a weekly basis.
Radio-listening is no longer reserved for driving in automobiles or blasting the boom box that has been delegated to the garage. Listeners now use online radio at work, in cars, on vacation, and while doing chores. Listeners can log in and hear home-town broadcasts even when they are out of town on vacation. The percentage of online radio listeners continues to rise, according to the Pew Research Center. In January of 2015, 35 percent of adults used their smart phones to listen to online radio stations while driving. Mobile radio stations provide significant opportunities to be an authority to answer call-in questions.
Local and national television and cable news stations are also competing for viewers. Many stations such as ABC, CBS and CNN have online partner web-sites for immediate news updates. Many of these updates occur on mobile devices and approximately ¾ of the top digital news sites are visited more often by those using a mobile device than by those using a desktop. However, visitors sitting in the comfort of their home or office while on their desktop tend to spend more time viewing the news. Only 10 out of 50 mobile users spend more time on news sites than desktop users. A few of these mobile-popular sites include CNN, Chron, The Chicago Tribune and the LA Times. The convenience of accessing news at any time is ideal for users, plus with the environmentally friendly trend of making less waste, online news sources match with the times. For increasing presence, local or state online news stations are ideal interview and promotional opportunities.
Mobile access to news keeps authority presence in viewer's hands, ears and on their minds. This trend-worthy resource for building authority is proving that it is not a fad. Digital news is here to stay and those seeking an authoritative presence need to include this avenue in their marketing plans. Since mobile viewers often spend less time on the web-sites than desktop users, quotes and interviews that are short and direct have the most impact and the best chance to earn the trust of the viewer.