Be A Thought Leader in Your Industry
“Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas; turn ideas into reality, and know and show how to replicate their success.”
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As a business who aims for a positive reputation, respect, and customer retention, being a thought leader is critical. Thought leadership all starts with intuition, prediction and most often reveals itself in the form of content. You are continually answering those hard-to-tackle questions your consumers have and at times anticipating the questions before they even get the chance to ask. Too many business minds veer away from this term out of insecurity or fear that they lack the knowledge to take on such a role.
If you offer effective solutions to your target audience’s problems and consider yourself to be an expert in your field, you have every reason to be a thought leader. No matter what role you play within your brand, this leadership is attainable with knowledge and passion. The true goal here is to stay relevant to the 21st-Century consumer’s questions and concerns. In doing so, you have taken a role in the conversation and your brand visibility will strengthen.
So, how do you realistically begin to attain this title?
Engage the consumer. Yelling in a cave is fun and all, but when the only response you are getting back is your own, it isn’t productive.
Tell your clients and competitors that you are here and ready to offer innovative solutions to their problems. Engage them with successful case stories and other past experiences that increase credibility. Start new conversations and bring in more people to talk about the big questions of your field while voicing your own opinions and offering helpful advice.
Be a source of information. If you’ve managed to get their attention, be an ever-filling, relevant source for the questions associated with your target audience’s needs and desires. Do the research and plaster it on your website.
Consider adding the following to your site:
These will help you open every avenue possible to help you become your very own database.
BUT, be a human database. While you want to be the source for information, don’t forget to add some personality and remind your audience that you are a person behind the brand. A personable database is more entertaining and interesting than one that just spits out answers.
To be a passionate, caring, and reliable source of information, will turn up the volume of your voice. The more the consumer is able to connect with your voice, the more he/she will trust the products and services associated with your brand.
You’re already in the business and you know your field well, take your brand to the next level and be a thought leader! All you have to do is speak up with helpful advice and to the right audiences. Be informative, engaging, and consistent. Go get em’ tiger.
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