5 Easy Ways to Demonstrate Thought Leadership

A thought leader. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Thought leaders are experts in their fields who are frequently called to speak at public events or hold webinars to share their knowledge.

However, speaking engagement gigs are not so easy to land, especially if you’ve just begun your business endeavour. Thankfully, you don’t need a live crowd to demonstrate your thought leadership – you can simply use the Internet – a place that is full of different people from all over the globe.

In the contemporary digital landscape, presenting oneself as an expert in your field is critical. However, simply telling potential clients that you’re an expert won’t do the trick – you also need to demonstrate it.

It should be obvious by now that establishing yourself as a thought leader may help you improve your career, open new doors, and offer value to your organisation. You’ve probably heard a million times that content is king, meaning that as a smart executive, you need to develop a professional identity and thought leadership strategies that can help you provide useful resources to your audience.

As a CEO of a successful WordPress agency, I firmly believe that anyone can become a thought leader and profit from the increased exposure. You just need passion, knowledge, and a unique viewpoint to share with the world. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that these are things we all have.

It’s important to understand that content and blog writing are crucial components of your digital marketing strategy. Speaking from my own experience, I can tell you that regularly updating your blog with fresh content will provide you with new ideas for your social media posts and will increase traffic to your site if you leverage the power of SEO.

This is why I think it’s essential to have an on-page blog that’s updated at least once a week. Remember that your content must be of the highest possible quality and demonstrate that you are a thought leader in your field.

With all that being said, here are 5 easy ways to help you build thought leadership and further expand your company’s influence!

1. Define Your Target Audience and the Message You Want to Send Them

Since I run a company of my own and help other businesses to have the websites of their dreams, I always ask my clients about their target audience. You’ll be surprised to hear how many of them tell me how their products and services are for “everyone”.

This is a big no-no. Your message will fall by the wayside if you define your target so broadly. Remember that the more precise you are in your audience identification, the more likely you are to reach and engage that audience with your thought leadership strategies.

So, instead of investing significant time and money to get your valuable content in front of “everyone”, concentrate on the individuals who are most likely to appreciate your expert advice. After all, these are the people who will spread the word about your company.

I recommend you craft a purposeful, genuine message for a specific audience so you may generate and distribute content that is actually beneficial to them. Focus on topics where you have the most expertise or think about the many sectors within your business that could benefit the most from your ideas and insights.

2. Make Use of Social Media

Being engaged on social media is one of the simplest ways to display thought leadership. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter can be the perfect places to connect with your target audience and share your content with them.

It is also a good idea to share the content of other thought leaders. If you come across a terrific piece of writing that is relevant to your sector, don’t hesitate and reshare it on your own profile.

When it comes to social media, I feel like the most important thing is to separate your personal and professional accounts. After all, you don’t want to advertise your thought leadership while at the same time tweeting irrelevant memes.

3. Post Your Opinions on Quora

Have you considered having a Quora account in addition to social media networks like the ones I mentioned in the previous point? Quora is the perfect platform to demonstrate your thought leadership, as this question-and-answer website lets you answer the questions of other users.

I recommend you begin by creating a free Quora account and filling up your profile, which should include a profile picture and a brief, compelling bio. Then you may start using Quora to look for questions about your industry.

For example, as a WordPress expert myself, I use the search term “WordPress” to locate queries I can answer. I suggest you make your responses as informative as possible and provide a link to your website or social media accounts.

4. Take Advantage of the Video Format

Why not use video to illustrate your thought leadership? You’re probably aware that video is one of the most popular types of content on the Internet. Thankfully, creating a high-quality web video is now easier than ever.

You can simply take the smartphone out of your pocket and begin recording. I recommend you film yourself giving expert advice or vlog a day in your life to give people an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at your daily affairs.

After that, just upload the video to your YouTube channel and don’t forget to share it on your social media profiles too.

Remember to take advantage of live video, as well. People may engage with you in real-time through this particular format. This will allow you to establish a connection with your audience and help them to get to know you better.

5. Create a Narrative to Humanise Your Brand

Your organisation will gain a face and a human touch if you include a personal narrative. It’s a known fact that people don’t want to just hear a bland ad about a product and its features or functions. They prefer a human tale that can make them feel connected to their own journey, problems, and accomplishments.

You can tell the personal story of how and why you started your business or how your past experiences have affected your present job.

As a journalism graduate, I can tell you that your audience is looking for a human perspective. Consider how news stories, especially those carried on television, nearly always have a human element to them. That relates to everything from disasters to politics.

Use this same approach when creating a narrative around your brand to show people that you’re a real human being, just like them.

Start Demonstrating Your Thought Leadership Today!

I won’t sugar-coat this for you. The truth is that it takes time to be known and accepted as a thought leader in your field of expertise. Every thought leader needs to start somewhere, and it requires time, effort, and a commitment to quality.

Whether you’re just starting out in your profession or have already established a small business of your own, the suggestions I shared with you in this article are sure to help you become a thought leader in no time.

You can only profit so much by retaining all of your wisdom to yourself. When you share it with the rest of the world, though, your career may soar to heights you never imagined.