4 Tips For Becoming More Engaged As A Thought Leader

Becoming a thought leader isn’t an overnight process. It takes a fair amount of dedication to providing wisdom and content that’s original and entertaining. This is a battle, which is why we’re providing a few helpful solutions for becoming more engaged as a thought leader. Check them out below:

Start A Podcast

A smart strategy for getting more engaged in thought leadership is starting a podcast. With a boom in popularity, podcasts give people the chance to dive into whatever topic you’re into and give your brand an opportunity to pick a topic others might not cover as well. Podcasts are listened to by a variety of audiences; as noted by the Pew Institute for Journalism, 44 percent of Americans age 12 or over have listened to a podcast, which shows just how much of a variety there is. You might be wondering "what exactly is a podcast?" and "how do I get started with one?" They’re simple to get rolling.

One of the beauties of establishing a podcast is that you only need a quiet room and a quality microphone. Of course, you’ll want to pick a theme that’s narrow enough your brand can take ownership over as thought leaders, while also being broad enough that it can extend to a broad audience as well. Another consideration you should make is the type of guests you’ll want to have on the air, as well as how you’ll structure the content (for example, will you do a news recap of the week or have a featured interview series per each episode). The goal for this should be for your brand to have an entirely new medium of content for thought leadership, one that enables you to fully engage in the talking points of your industry.

Blog Consistently

Another important consideration to engaging more as a thought leader is by writing more blog posts. This doesn’t have to be heavy, thought-provoking articles, but rather providing insights to start a dialogue with your base. Not only does this help show your knowledge but also builds trust with your base. As noted in a survey presented by Business2Community, 90 percent of respondents felt thought leaders helped them gain trust with a vendor, which goes to show how far a few insights can go in assuring your customers that you’re the person for the job.

Although not every article needs to be a grandiose display of knowledge, it’s important to define your own lane with the content you produce. Give yourself a rubric of the type of pieces you’re trying to write, as well as the timeframe it’ll take to get you there. As staying on schedule with your pieces is a significant factor of consistency, try to plan your content out ahead of time, preferably aligning in tandem with whatever other marketing initiatives or campaigns you’re having. Try to get excited about this, as there’s a chance your pieces could go viral.

Engage More In Online Communities

Sometimes if you’re trying to get recognized as a thought leader, one of the best routes to take is through the trenches. This includes getting active in places like Twitter, Reddit or other forums, giving yourself a chance to learn firsthand what people in your industry think as well as how you can contribute to the discussion. Believe it or not, this is something fans respect and can get you visibility; as noted by Social Media Today, as of April 2018, over 330 million people were on Reddit with an average retention rate of 15 minutes and 47 seconds. Online forums can be a place to launch discussion if you know how to play your cards right.

One of the first obvious steps to achieving thought leadership in forums like Reddit is by taking on a genuine approach to topics. Remember, you’re a fan of your industry first and foremost, which you need to respect if you’re going to be talking amongst other fans. Try to shy away from too much self-promotion until it counts. These individuals can be some of the harshest critics if you come off as overly promotional, but they can also become some of the most loyal customers if you respect their communities--so don’t be afraid of jumping in a thread.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Email

Finally, a great compliment to any blog or content marketing strategy, email marketing can be an excellent solution for showcasing your thought leadership abilities. Not only is it an easy medium to digest information, but one people often check; because as noted by Relation Edge, 90 percent of Americans check their email at least once per day, showcasing that if you know how to write a quality email, then you stand a good chance of gaining retention. Try to brainstorm a few story highlights every week or every other week, as email campaigns can be a solid way to be informative and entertaining with your base.

What are some methods you’ve found successful in showcasing your thought leadership abilities? Comment with your insights below!

The Chief editor here at Billboard Health, wife and Mother of 1, Nutritionist and goal getter.