Authority is the key factor to making money. What does being an authority mean? Remember your school days? There used to be that one school teacher-Favourite of all. Everybody would like to follow him/her and always be ready to listen to what he/she had to say. ALWAYS RESPECTED, LOVED & TRUSTED. This is what authority means. It means you are trusted, your knowledge is respected and that people can look up to you for help.   Let me share a statistics with you to illustrate the importance of authority building-  59% of shoppers prefer to purchase from the brand they know and trust.   So, what does it take to be an authority? To be  an authority you need  to have enough of the required knowledge with which you can confidently help people. Once you build your authority you can dominate any field or any industry. It means that people will listen to what you have to say and also trust you. Therefore, it comes with a responsibility too. In recent times building your authority has become even more crucial as people do not have enough time to spend on gathering or going through too much data or information, analysing the pros and cons. They are always looking for a simplified solution.. an authority in the required field whom they can trust and follow. So, how do you  build your authority so that people can look up to you when they need a solution? Here are 5 ways which will help you build your authority. #1 Identify your niche. Jack of all trades and master of none does not work anymore. To be an authority you need to be the best in the field. Therefore, pick a niche that is a good fit with your strength. Ask yourself a simple question “What is that one thing that I can do my entire life and not get bored with it?”  Focus on what you really love. Pick a field/ industry you love the most. #2 Build on that Niche. Authority is earned not claimed.  It takes a lot of hard work and time. Do whatever it takes to build on the right knowledge so that you can help others confidently. Learn from the experts in the field. Identify 5 such experts (could be both national and international). Follow them. Read their books, blogs, attend their programs. Make sure that you learn from the right people.  Then, apply these learnings. Means- use what you learn. By doing this you will increase your understanding of the concept. In short- Become a product of your own product. #3 Build & Nurture your community. Once you have identified your niche and started to sharpen that niche it's time to build your community. Your community consists of people who would need your help and expert advice to solve their problem. You can build your community on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, any social media platform where you can find your ideal client. After which, be there for them, Influence and educate with your content consistently to add value to their lives. #4 Publish your most important ideas. A book or an e- book.. Create your own unique and reliable content and try to get them published as it instantly adds a lot of authority. Writing blogs on high traffic Blogging sites can also help earn credibility and build authority, if you have interesting perspective and provide valuable content.   #5 Testimonials. Best way to gain authority is by testimonials. We tend to trust more when we see desirable results from people like us. Share the success stories of some of the people whom you have helped, to show the benefits of investing their attention, time & money in your products or services. When you make a difference in other people’s lives, they feel happy to give testimonials. These testimonials not only give a sense of satisfaction but also help you grow and succeed in the long run. They prove that your ideas work in real life.   All these means that you have to be strategic when it comes to building your authority.