The Art of Authoritative Content

The strongest brands hold opinions. Because of their opinions, they build authority. And because of that authority, they establish trust. Patagonia is a classic example. 

Now that holiday shopping is in full swing, we’re all frantically googling for gift inspiration. The internet is overwhelmed with gift idea listicles. Recently, I noticed that I’m exclusively turning to Wirecutter to tell me what to get. I head directly to their homepage instead of even typing a gift topic search term into Google.

I think it’s because Wirecutter has mastered the art of authority. They tell me their opinion on the best gifts. Instead of an article that lists gift baskets to buy, they share an article titled “Gift Baskets That Don’t Suck.” 

I don’t just trust them because they claim that something is the best; I trust them because they tell me how they’ve extensively researched all the possible options and narrowed it down. It makes me feel like they’re my personal assistant who’s putting in the research work so I don’t have to.

I also trust them because they show me that they understand my problems. They empathize. In their piece on the best wearable sleeping bags, the author writes in the first person about how outdoor social gatherings during the pandemic left her freezing and uncomfortable and desperate for a warm solution. “Yup.” I think as I read, “I’ve been there. I’m her.” I keep reading fully trusting that she’s going to tell me the right wearable sleeping bag to buy and that I’m going to love it. 

As companies think about publishing holiday shopping guides or publishing lists of consumer or software products at any point during the year, their teams should think about how to center their pieces around opinions. It’ll make what they share more original and make it stand out from all the other listicles. That opinion will build authority. And done well, especially when it includes empathy for the reader, it’ll also build trust.