You may have heard the term “thought leadership” tossed around in marketing, but do you know what it means? This buzzword has taken over the professional space on social media, and many use it without truly understanding it. Becoming a thought leader encompasses much more than just expressing your professional opinion online – it means building yourself as a trustworthy resource to provide thorough and thoughtful information about your industry or line of work. When it comes to establishing yourself as a thought leader on social media, here are 4 ways to start:
Do Your Research
A good way to jumpstart your path to becoming a thought leader is to publish a thorough piece that relates to your industry. Whether it be a blog post, research article, or industry analysis, showcasing that you have a strong depth of knowledge in your area will set you apart from competitors who simply peddle their products. This type of content should not be promotional, but instead be an opportunity for you to talk about the parts of your industry you are passionate about.
Find the Right Questions
To grab an audience’s attention, you need to talk about things they care about. The best way to do this? Ask them. Invite your audience to ask you questions about your industry and answer them with confidence; mix your expert knowledge with personal experience to show that you don’t just understand the field on paper – you have lived it. If you don’t have an audience that is ready to ask questions just yet, start by researching commonly asked questions in your industry. When you consistently provide smart answers, the questions will start to follow.
Act On Your Feet
Want to throw yourself in the deep end of thought leadership? Go live. Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms offer the option to film live video, where your viewers can watch and listen to you in a more natural setting. Doing this allows you to showcase your expertise in real-time, and can prove to your viewers that you don’t need lengthy preparation to answer questions – you have the authority and knowledge to answer them correctly while on the spot.
Get Specific
If you have a broad industry, pick one vertical or specialty to hone in on. It is much easier to establish yourself as a leader for one specific area – and expand from there – than it is to successfully cast a wide net across a broad industry. Your specialty doesn’t need to be unique, but you do need to have a vast knowledge of the area you choose. Be strategic in deciding on the area you want to be a thought leader – make sure it connects to your bigger business goals and can play a part in your overall marketing strategy. Successfully establishing yourself as a thought leader on social media can lead to audience growth, lead generation, and sales conversion.
Almost 60% of business decision-makers said that thought leadership directly led to their awarding of business to an organization.
Be strategic about how you become a thought leader. KWSM is experienced in developing complete social media strategies to help you find your voice in thought leadership to drive leads and sales.
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