# Authority Content Strategy > Plans content strategies for building authority with research pieces, original frameworks, and data studies. - Skill: `reaperinvest/authority-content-strategy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/authority-content-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/authority-content-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/authority-content-strategy --- # Authority Content Strategy ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Plan a content strategy specifically designed to build authority and expert positioning - Create original research, frameworks, and data-driven content that gets cited - Design a content system that elevates you from practitioner to recognized expert - Build a library of reference-worthy content that attracts media, speaking, and partnerships **DO NOT** use this skill for general content marketing, social media scheduling, or SEO blog strategies. This is for authority-building content — the kind that gets quoted, shared by peers, and referenced in industry conversations. --- ## Core Principle AUTHORITY CONTENT IS NOT ABOUT PUBLISHING MORE — IT IS ABOUT PUBLISHING CONTENT SO ORIGINAL AND EVIDENCE-BASED THAT OTHER PEOPLE CITE YOU AS THE SOURCE, TURNING YOUR NAME INTO A REFERENCE POINT FOR YOUR DOMAIN. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Domain** | "What specific topic do you want to be the authority on?" | No default — must be provided | | **Current authority level** | "Are you currently known in your space? How?" | Unknown — building from scratch | | **Existing content** | "What content have you already published?" | Blog posts and social media | | **Data access** | "Do you have access to proprietary data, customer insights, or industry data?" | Customer insights from own business | | **Content capacity** | "How much time per month can you invest in authority content?" | 10 hours/month | | **Distribution channels** | "Where will you publish and promote?" | Blog + LinkedIn + email newsletter | **GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.** --- ## Phase 2: Strategy ### Authority Content Hierarchy ``` ## Content Tiers (from highest to lowest authority) ### Tier 1: Original Research (quarterly) - Industry surveys and reports - Data studies from your own customer or audience base - Benchmark reports with proprietary data - Annual "state of" reports → These get cited, linked to, and covered by media ### Tier 2: Original Frameworks (monthly) - Named systems, models, or methodologies - Visual frameworks (matrices, pyramids, cycles) - Decision-making tools - Step-by-step processes with original naming → These get adopted and attributed to you ### Tier 3: Deep Analysis (bi-weekly) - In-depth case studies with real numbers - Contrarian analysis of industry trends - Teardowns of successful strategies - Predictions with supporting evidence → These get shared and debated by peers ### Tier 4: Commentary (weekly) - Hot takes on industry news - Responses to popular content - Short-form insights and observations → These keep you visible between big pieces ``` ### Content Calendar ``` ## Quarterly Authority Content Plan **Month 1:** - Week 1-2: Publish Tier 3 deep analysis - Week 3: Tier 4 commentary (2-3 posts) - Week 4: Tier 2 framework piece **Month 2:** - Week 1: Tier 4 commentary (2-3 posts) - Week 2-3: Tier 3 case study - Week 4: Tier 4 commentary + promote existing pieces **Month 3:** - Week 1-2: Tier 1 original research (data collection + writing) - Week 3: Publish and promote Tier 1 piece - Week 4: Tier 4 commentary on the research findings ``` **GATE: Present the content hierarchy and calendar for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Build ### Original Research Playbook ``` ## How to Create Original Research **Step 1: Choose the question** What does your industry wonder about but nobody has measured? Example: "What is the actual email open rate for solopreneur newsletters in 2025?" **Step 2: Collect data** - Survey your audience (minimum 100 responses for credibility) - Analyze your own customer data (anonymized) - Scrape public data sources - Partner with a complementary business for larger datasets **Step 3: Analyze and visualize** - Find the 3-5 most surprising or useful findings - Create charts and graphics for each finding - Write headline-worthy insight statements **Step 4: Package and publish** - Full report (PDF, gated behind email opt-in) - Blog post summarizing key findings (ungated) - Social media graphics with individual data points - Press release or pitch to industry publications **Step 5: Distribute** - Email to your full list - Share on all social channels - Send to journalists and bloggers who cover your space - Present findings at events and on podcasts ``` ### Framework Creation Guide ``` ## How to Create a Named Framework **Step 1: Identify the process you already use** What do you do repeatedly for clients or in your own business that gets results? **Step 2: Structure it** Break it into 3-5 clear steps or components. Name each one. **Step 3: Name the framework** Use a memorable name: "The [Adjective] [Noun]" or "The [Number]-[Action] [System]" Examples: "The Leverage Loop," "The 3-Phase Launch System," "The Authority Flywheel" **Step 4: Visualize it** Create a diagram — cycle, pyramid, matrix, or flowchart **Step 5: Teach it everywhere** Use the framework in blog posts, talks, social content, and client work until it becomes synonymous with your name ``` ### Case Study Template ``` ## Case Study: [Title] **Situation:** [What the client or company was facing — with context and numbers] **Challenge:** [The specific problem to solve] **Approach:** [What strategy or framework was applied — reference your own if applicable] **Results:** [Measurable outcomes with specific numbers] **Key insight:** [One takeaway that the reader can apply to their own situation] **Timeline:** [How long it took to achieve these results] ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Authority Indicators Dashboard ``` ## Track Monthly - Content pieces published per tier - Backlinks earned (especially from industry sites) - Social shares and saves (quality over quantity) - Media mentions or interview requests - Speaking invitations received - Times your framework or data was cited by others - Email list growth from authority content - Inbound leads attributing content as the source ``` ### 2. Content Quality Standards ``` ## Authority Content Must-Haves - [ ] Original data, analysis, or framework (not rehashed advice) - [ ] Specific numbers and evidence (not opinions) - [ ] Professional visuals (charts, diagrams, graphics) - [ ] Cite sources for any external data used - [ ] Include a clear methodology section for research pieces - [ ] Offer a unique perspective not found in existing content - [ ] Written for experts and ambitious practitioners (not beginners) ``` ### 3. Distribution Amplification ``` ## Maximize Each Piece of Authority Content 1. Publish on your owned platform (blog/newsletter) 2. Create 5-10 social posts highlighting different insights 3. Pitch the findings to 3-5 relevant podcasts 4. Send to 5-10 journalists or bloggers who cover your space 5. Present the findings in a webinar or live event 6. Reference in all future content and speaking 7. Update annually with new data (creates a recurring franchise) ``` --- ## Example 1: Marketing Consultant Authority Strategy ``` Domain: Content marketing ROI for B2B SaaS Tier 1: Annual "State of B2B Content Marketing" report (survey of 500 marketers) Tier 2: "The Content Revenue Framework" — 4-step model connecting content to pipeline Tier 3: Monthly teardown of a SaaS company's content strategy (with public data) Tier 4: Weekly LinkedIn commentary on content marketing trends ``` ## Example 2: Business Operations Authority Strategy ``` Domain: Systems and automation for solopreneurs Tier 1: "The Solopreneur Efficiency Report" — survey of 300 solopreneurs on time usage Tier 2: "The Leverage Stack" — framework for deciding what to automate, delegate, or eliminate Tier 3: Bi-weekly case study of a solopreneur who reduced hours while growing revenue Tier 4: Weekly LinkedIn posts challenging hustle culture with data ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Publishing rehashed advice** — if your content could have been written by anyone who Googled the topic, it is not authority content. - **No original data** — opinions without evidence are blog posts. Authority content is backed by numbers. - **One big piece, no consistency** — a single research report does not build authority. Consistent publishing across all tiers does. - **No visual framework** — ideas without visual structure are forgettable. Create diagrams people can screenshot and share. - **Ignoring distribution** — the best research in the world is useless if no one sees it. Spend as much time distributing as creating. - **Targeting beginners** — authority content speaks to peers and advanced practitioners. If beginners are your only audience, you are not building authority, you are building a following. --- ## Recovery - **No data access:** Survey your audience. Even 50 responses from a targeted audience produce citeable insights. - **No original framework yet:** Document what you already do. Every experienced practitioner has a process — naming it and visualizing it creates a framework. - **No time for research:** Start with Tier 3 (case studies and analysis). They require less data collection and still build authority. - **Content is not getting picked up:** Improve distribution first. Most authority content fails because of distribution, not quality. Pitch it directly to people who should see it.