When you become a thought leader, you don’t have to really go around seeking publicity, the media will make a beeline to meet you and seek your views. However, becoming a thought leader is not that simple, it’s something that calls for a well-planned and executed strategy. Working on it with a passion and integrity will ensure that you build something that will make you an inspiration to many besides boosting your personal image and brand.
Thought leadership is a concept that has been very strongly emerging on the PR landscape. What is thought leadership really? A thought leader can be defined as an individual or an organization with innovative ideas and a distinctive point of view. It can also be a new line of thinking that has been imbued with the potential to impact society or a particular market or industry.
Bill Gates was passionate about computers and this laid the foundation for Microsoft. His parents had always encouraged him to think independently and encouraged hard work, ethics, consideration for others and determination. This stood him in good stead and he went on to become the legend he is. Instead of hoarding his knowledge, he has shared a lot of it and mentored many. This has made him one of the most powerful thought leaders in the world.
Warren Buffet is a powerful thought leader and wizard in the arena of finance and investing. With a net worth of US $ 84.4 billion as of November 1, 2018, he is the third wealthiest person in the world. He is a great philanthropist as well and has given away a huge share of his earnings to charity. His innovative ways of investment have caught the attention of the media and they keep following him to get some nuggets of financial wisdom.
Why be a thought leader?
Being a thought leader puts you in an enviable position as the expert in the industry. Thought leadership is about having that kind of credibility that commands respect and trust. A great part of thought leadership is all about how you are perceived. For instance, there could be two people who are endowed with equal skills and knowledge and if one is low key and the other stays in the news and is active on social media, the known person will be the one who will attract greater interest.
Share content that’s useful
Whether it’s your interviews to the media or social media posts, make sure that they are meaningful, relevant and useful to your customer. This will create customer engagement and they will follow your media coverage and social media posts. When there are issues that impact your industry or brand, communicate about these.
Be there when your client seeks information
When your client is making a buying decision, it pays to be available at that point. Make sure you have an active customer support service and social media presence where you can respond to your customer immediately. For common questions, share the information with customer support staff and for other queries, quickly respond to the customer.
Acquiring knowledge
Being a thought leader means being knowledgeable. Read a lot, read up on diverse topics and of course topics relating to your industry as well. Only when you have enough inputs, will you have enough to share. Watching videos and listening to podcasts is a great way to up your knowledge levels too.
Stay focused
Every industry is vast, pick a niche that you will specialize in and work on this. This is what will ultimately make you the go-to person in the industry and add value to everything you do.
Get a boost for your business
The ultimate goal of working on thought leadership is to boost your business. Since thought leadership establishes your credibility, the impact on the growth of your business is bound to show.
Enjoy the ripple effect
When you are a thought leader, you will see the influence reverberate across the industry. As more and more people come to know about you, you will get better recognition. Invites to speak at events and to write articles may come your way. The media will seek you for views and bytes.
