Right now. Yes, now, 11:25 am on Cyber Monday was the busiest time last year for online transactions. In 2012, Cyber Monday registered sales that made that day both the biggest shopping day of 2012 and the biggest shopping day online—ever. This year, Nielsen estimates that almost half (46%) of holiday shopping will be done online. That shopping spree will account for an estimated $2.2 billion in retail sales. All online. No storefront required. Grabbing your piece of that retail pie is why it’s essential to establish your online authority.

Converting your authority into sales

Do you know which social media platform led in Cyber Monday sales growth last year?

Not Facebook. Not Twitter. Pinterest.

That’s right. Pinterest. People pinned sales referrals to the tune of 105% growth for the social networking site, resulting in a 15% share of online sales referrals. That’s an impressive conversion explosion. Why? Because consumers trust Pinterest in ways they no longer trust Facebook and Twitter as online authorities. Facebook has become the antithesis of authority, especially when people share ridiculous stories about the UN taking over the Alamo. This story had 5,600 likes and 911 shares and was completely untrue.

Building your authority for less than $1 a day

Online, you earn authority through your expertise. But, how do you get your customers to trust your expertise? Start by subscribing to Copyblogger’s Authority program.  Copyblogger can teach you how to build that trust and your business.

Enter the contest or get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.