The 4 Authority Content Lenses: a model for publishing with clarity and confidence (includes 36 real-life and hypothetical examples)
The internet is drowning in generic content. Here's a simple, updated 4-lens model I've used for a decade to help founders and professionals cut through the noise and build real authority.
Back in 2014, I introduced a simple content model to help founders, professionals, and marketers make sense of the stories they were sharing. I’ve taught it, refined it, and riffed on it periodically ever since.
Here’s the kicker: while the platforms and algorithms have changed, the model has become even more vital.
Let’s face it, the internet is choking on generic content. Endless how-to blogs, templated LinkedIn carousels, thinly disguised self-promotion. Everyone’s publishing, but few are cutting through.
How then can we be smarter in how we create and publish authority-building content?
Authority today isn’t about creating more content, it’s about creating the right content that’s going to reinforce the positioning you want in the marketplace.
That’s where the Authority Content Lenses come in.
Four ways of shaping your ideas. Four distinct perspectives that, when balanced, project authority, build trust, and get you chosen.
THE 4 LENSES
1. Utility lens
The expert’s comfort zone. Utility content solves problems, answers questions, and fills gaps. In short, it skews educational.
✅ Real-world examples:
Andy Crestodina (Orbit Media) – his SEO and analytics guides are generous, detailed, and trusted industry references.
Lisa Woodruff (Organize 365) – turned household organisation into a system people could follow, step by step.
Mike Morrison (Membership Geeks) – his content became the go-to utility resource for building and scaling online membership businesses.
John Espirian (LinkedIn trainer & speaker) - describes himself as “relentlessly helpful”, and he sure is that; John has been educating people on all things LinkedIn for years, and continues to do so across multiple forums.
💡 Hypothetical:
An exercise physiologist publishes a free library of explainer videos on common injuries, showing not just exercises but how to avoid re-injury.
An employment lawyer runs a monthly “plain-English” LinkedIn series translating the latest workplace law changes into what they mean for managers and employees.
A psychologist produces short videos on how to manage anxiety before public speaking.
A nutritionist shares a “7-day meal planning framework” that people can download and actually use at home.
An architect creates a visual guide showing “before and after” diagrams of common home renovation mistakes and fixes.
⚠️ THE TRAP: Phoning it in. Bland, checkbox utility content doesn’t build authority, it just adds to the noise. Authority comes from depth, transparency, and the willingness to share what you really know. And remember: generic educational answers are now a swipe away in AI tools. What people can’t get from ChatGPT is your perspective, your lessons learned, your real-world stories. Fuse your practical advice with context and lived experience!
2. Vanguard lens
This is the thought leader’s natural domain. Vanguard content is bold, provocative, and a little risky. It’s the “out the front” lens, where you plant your flag and challenge assumptions.
✅ Real-world examples:
Seth Godin – reframes marketing as the generous act of earning trust and permission, not the frantic chase for attention.
Chris Do – provokes creatives to rethink their value, teaching that they should charge for strategy and thinking, not just execution.
Joanna Penn – pushed the publishing world to confront AI early, long before it was mainstream, sparking new conversations about creativity and technology.
April Dunford – reframed how founders think about positioning, showing that it’s not about features but about shaping the context in which your product is understood.
David Hieatt – not content with reviving denim manufacturing in Cardigan, he uses The Do Lectures to ask what it means to stay human, local, and mission-driven in a globalised world.
Sarah Evans - challenges PR leaders to rethink visibility in the age of AI, arguing that search is no longer about clicks, it’s about durable authority.
💡 Hypotheticals:
A financial advisor publishes a manifesto arguing the retirement industry is broken, and that midlife professionals should design “third chapter” careers instead.
A nutritionist publicly challenges the diet industry, arguing that weight-loss culture has failed and that the future lies in longevity and strength, not the scales.
An employment lawyer pens a provocative LinkedIn series claiming workplace harassment policies don’t go far enough, calling for a radical rethinking of accountability and culture in professional services firms.
⚠️ THE TRAP: Playing it too safe. Vanguard content works precisely because it makes you a little uncomfortable. It’s where visibility spikes and reputations are forged. Don’t be afraid to build your ideas in public - share them early, let people push back, refine as you go. The point isn’t to be “right” from the outset, it’s to lead the conversation. True thought leaders don’t just broadcast, they bring people along for the journey and stay open to other perspectives.
3. Human lens
The most underused, yet often most powerful, of the four content lenses. Human content reminds people there’s a person behind the professional (or the business).
✅ Real-world examples:
Telling personal stories – why did you start your business in the first place? What have been some hard-earned lessons learned along the way? (Check out this Mark Schaefer blog post about the ways he fails in life every day).
Shining the spotlight on your team members, partners, collaborators and customers (here’s a great example of a ‘getting to know you’ post on the CEO of Trust Insights; The Physio Co. also does this well.
Publishing ‘behind-the-scenes’ photos or videos - individuals in particular, people whose personal brands are the business, can do this effectively by sharing photos and videos on social media that provide glimpses of what goes on behind the scenes of their professional lives e.g.
a candid snap from backstage just before you step on stage at an industry event
a photo of the view out the window from your new home office
Some ‘happy snaps’ from an interstate or international business trip - Blockchain APAC’s Steve Vallas is fantastic at doing this👇
💡 Hypotheticals:
A design studio founder posts about how juggling parenthood and entrepreneurship led them to build flexible, family-first workplace policies.
A consultant writes about the anxiety of losing their first big client, and what it taught them about resilience and boundaries.
A law firm partner posts a short video tour of their office, introducing the support staff who actually keep the practice running.
A wellness coach shares a personal story about burnout, and how that experience reshaped the way they now work with clients.
A tech founder posts a behind-the-scenes photo of a failed product prototype, explaining how it led to a breakthrough idea.
An architect tells the story of a junior colleague who solved a tough design challenge, spotlighting their contribution rather than taking the credit.
A podcast host reflects on the awkwardness of their first episodes, and how consistency, not polish, was what helped the show gain traction.
A financial advisor talks about the mistakes they made with money in their 20s, and how those lessons now inform the way they guide clients.
⚠️ THE TRAP: Hiding behind logos. Human content sometimes feels risky, but it’s what builds trust and affinity. Vulnerability is a strength multiplier in today’s digital-first world because people resonate with those who show it publicly.
4. Brand lens
The most familiar for business owners and leaders. Brand content is where you share company news, launches, wins, and promotional calls-to-action.
✅ Real-world examples:
Professional services firms announcing new partners on LinkedIn, or advertising agencies promoting the fact they’ve won an award.
Promoting your owned, earned media efforts (or event appearances e.g. Taurus Legal Management👇
💡 Hypotheticals:
A solo nutritionist celebrates her new book launch, but pairs the announcement with a personal story of why they wrote it.
A boutique mental health clinic posts on LinkedIn: “Thrilled to welcome Dr. Jane Lee as our new Clinical Director. Her specialties in trauma and adolescent care fill a gap in our services.”
An educational software developer launches a new feature: “Launching today: our AI-assisted feedback tool, built to help writing students get actionable insights in real time.”
A consulting firm wins an industry award: “Honoured to be named ‘Consulting Firm of the Year’ by XYZ Awards - grateful to our clients and team for making this possible.”
A boutique branding agency celebrates a new hire: “Join us in welcoming Sofia Rodriguez to the team - her eye for typographic detail is already elevating our design projects.”
⚠️ THE TRAP: Overdoing it. Many brands live almost entirely in this lens, which is why their feeds feel like endless self-promotion. Branded content matters, but only as part of a balanced mix. Remember, you’ve got to earn the right (sounds like a good name for a newsletter!) to interrupt people with your one-way promotional message.
Which way do you naturally lean?
In my experience, most professionals and business owners I’ve dealt with have tilted toward one lens or the other:
Subject matter experts lean heavily on utility. It’s their comfort zone: teaching, explaining, helping. No-one ever went wrong being useful and helpful!
Thought leaders thrive in vanguard. They push ideas forward, provoke, and inspire. They’re not trying to solve your pain-points, they’re trying to change the way you think about a certain topic or issue.
And then there are those who manage both equally. Not easy, but it can be done.
Personally, I think you should focus on producing either utility or vanguard content, but also infuse your efforts with a good smattering of human content, while limiting overtly promotional brand content.
Bottom line: When it comes to authority branding, stretching yourself across the lenses makes sense as it provides people - your audience - with a more 360-degree view of the ‘professional you’.
Why human and vanguard are the edge
Notwithstanding the above thoughts, given many business owners and professionals tend to focus on utility and brand content, I believe therefore this means there are opportunities with human and vanguard content:
Vanguard - bold content that sparks conversation, gets cited, and earns disproportionate attention.
Human - relatable stories that build trust faster than any whitepaper ever will; let your audience “see the whites of your eyes”!
It’s no coincidence that the voices who stand out today - from Seth Godin to Mark Schaefer to Chris Do and Ann Handley - all lean hard into these two.
The overlaps matter
The Authority Content Lenses aren’t just four boxes to tick. The overlaps are where the real magic happens. For example:
Utility + human = relatable teaching. A physiotherapist explains rehab exercises while sharing her own recovery journey.
Vanguard + brand = bold positioning. A consultant launches a new service and publishes an essay on why the industry needs to rethink outdated practices.
Utility + vanguard = teach-and-transform. A guide that doesn’t just show you how, but reframes why it matters.
This is where content becomes more than marketing. It becomes authority.
Final thought
The Authority Content Lenses aren’t about making life harder. They’re about making your content sharper, more intentional, and harder to ignore.
So here’s the challenge: audit your last dozen pieces of content published on your social or owned media channels. Which lenses are you using? Where are you over-relying? Where are you blind?
Because in 2025, authority doesn’t come from being louder. It comes from being clear, consistent, and courageous across the lenses that matter most.
👉 So … which lens will you choose next?
Onwards!
TY
In case we haven’t met yet …
Hi, I’m Trevor. I help genuine founders, experts and thought leaders build visibility, influence and trust - on their terms, in their voice.
Would you like to discuss how I can help you in a mentoring capacity to build your profile and reputation as a trusted and credible expert or thought leader in your industry? CLICK HERE TO BOOK A NO-OBLIGATION 20-MINUTE ZOOM CALL
This is SO well thought out - a very useful framework! Thank you...bookmarking this one!