Note: As part of a contest on one of my favorite sites Copyblogger, the goal was to write a 250-word essay on why one should become an online authority. Here was my submission

As part of his Linchpin book launch, Seth Godin made an offer to his blog readers. Anyone who donated $30 to Acumen Fund would get a review copy of his book. 3,000 books were given away in less than 48 hours. As you can see, an online authority can move the needle with speed and with ease.

Being an online authority brings out the F.I.R.E within you. Let me explain.

1. Fun | What could be more fun than seeing your ideas come to life with speed and ease?

2. Influence | Your followers will not only look up to you for ideas and thought leadership, many of them will also take action based on your ideas.

3. Reach | You network will grow which in turn will expand the space of possibilities for you to make a bigger difference.

 4. Effortless Giving | Seth Godin raised close to $100K for Acumen fund in less than 48 hours. Seth’s “work” in those 48 hours was limited to writing and publishing a blog post highlighting the offer. You too can practice effortless giving once you become an online authority.

Yes, it takes a lot of investment and commitment to BECOME an online authority. You also need to continue to make some investments to keep that place. But once you are there, you can bring out the F.I.R.E within you.