Social Media Roundup: Become Your Industry’s Authority

When it comes to content production, develop the kind of authoritative voice you’d trust. Also: Optimize your creative thinking.

It’s no secret: Quality reigns in today’s content-overload world. Set yourself apart by striving for authority and becoming a trusted source.

That, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Cream of the Virtual Crop

Why authority is important. No, critical. Why you have to earn it and what a job that is. http://t.co/CIoAIfHoP4  (opens in a new tab) by Seth Godin #AssnChat  (opens in a new tab)

— Amanda Lea Kaiser (@AmandaLeaKaiser) January 31, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Separate the wheat from the chaff: It’s vital for your organization to produce quality content that’s authoritative, not spammy. But what exactly is authority—and how do you harness it? “Authority is recognizability and trustability,” marketing expert Seth Godin writes for Copyblogger  (opens in a new tab). “Authority comes from consistent generosity, from truth telling, and from empathy. It comes from showing up. It comes from telling your truth and consistently sharing your point of view.” There will always be the pressure to ditch authority in effort to make more money, to expand your network, or to gain more followers. But in the long run, it won’t make you stronger if the authoritative voice isn’t there. (ht @SmoothThePath  (opens in a new tab))

If It Rains, Make It Pour

Daily tasks taking over? 6 ways to be a visionary again @MarlaTabaka  (opens in a new tab) @Inc  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/7I1zTFnCui  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #innochat  (opens in a new tab) #creativity  (opens in a new tab)

— Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) January 31, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Creative block strikes us all, but it’s never reason to throw in the towel. Feel like you’ve lost your vision? Get out of your routine, writes Inc.com contributor Marla Tabaka  (opens in a new tab). “Innovation is about seeing things in a different way. If your brain is accustomed to being on auto-pilot, it’s not exercising its capacity to innovate,” she writes. Among Tabaka’s suggestions: Get out of your rut by taking a new route to work or spending a break at a museum; brainstorm—and keep doing so after touching upon the first idea; and perhaps most important, don’t take yourself too seriously. “Sure, not all of your ideas will be brilliant but don’t beat yourself up for it. I seriously doubt that even Steve Jobs expected to come up with genius ideas 100 percent of the time. You’re looking for that gem; remember, they’re rare,” Tabaka writes. (ht @ChatterBachs  (opens in a new tab))

What inspires your creativity? Tell us in the comments.

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