So you want to be an expert? Seems like just about everybody does these days, and social media makes it relatively easy, and very inexpensive, to take steps to gain expert status, or thought leadership. We work with a wide range of clients, primarily in business-to-business (B2B) related industries, many who are business consultants wishing to establish themselves as thought leaders in various industries. Here are “3 Steps for Gaining Traction as a Thought Leader”:
1) Actually have expertise in the subject area where you wish to become a thought leader.
Seems obvious, but we’ve been approached by people who want to establish influence who really don’t have the background or credentials to effectively stand out from their competition. As Abraham Lincoln reportedly said: ” You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
2) Clearly target a specific audience you wish to influence/engage with.
It’s not about sending messages to the masses, but about connecting with a specifically defined audience that will help to drive specific goals/objectives.
3) Provide valuable information for your audience — not promotional messages but real value.
We’ve worked with companies that insist on sending only promotional messages, having CTAs (calls to action) in every post and basically being all about “me, me, me” — that doesn’t work. What does work is understanding your audience and what’s important to them, understanding the value you can provide that is different/better than what others are providing, and sharing that value freely.
Do these three things, consistently, and you’ll be positioning yourself well to gain traction as a thought leader.
Becoming an influencer doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistency and perseverance — and authenticity! There has to be some there, there!
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About Us
Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve desired results.
(Strategic Communications is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.)
Stay up-to-date on the latest traditional and digital marketing trends and insights for communication leaders: subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.
Recommended Reading:
21st Century Secrets to Effective PR
Direct Mail in the Digital Age
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning
Tags: becoming an influencer, content marketing, influencer, media relations, pr, public relations, thought leader, thought leadership