Many marketers have heard the terms “thought leader” and “thought leadership.” But what exactly does it mean? How does someone achieve that status and why would you want to become one?
First, it is important to understand what an opinion leader is not. They are not just an expert or someone repeating knowledge that already exists. Instead, he is someone who has fresh, new ideas and perspectives. Therefore, the first step in creating thought leaders is to foster a business environment that welcomes innovative ideas and to identify the people within your company who best fit this description.
Once you’ve selected your best candidates, it’s time to introduce your ideas and insights to the market. Here are some effective ways to get the ball rolling:
- post content. Content marketing is a very effective means of introducing your ideas to the market. Formats to consider are whitepapers, webinars, blogs, audio interviews, and e-books.
- Talk to the press. Bring the ideas of your thought leaders to the editors of industry publications. They may be interested in republishing or redesigning a white paper you’ve created, or having your experts write an article or opinion piece for your magazine. Once you have begun to establish your thought leadership expertise, you will find that the press will begin to seek out your opinions; when they do, make sure your experts are open, available, and willing to accommodate reporters’ deadlines.
- Pursue speaking commitments. Whether it’s a free webinar or a keynote presentation at a major industry conference, every speaking engagement helps build the reputation of your thought leaders. Opinion leaders should look for speaking opportunities and make time in their schedules to accept every speaking request they receive.
- Take advantage of your website. Turn your website into a hotspot for useful information from your opinion leaders. Keep it up to date by featuring your latest white papers, media appearances, talks, and blog posts front and center. Make sure content is free and easily accessible to everyone who visits your website, without registration.
Once you’ve established thought leaders within your organization, you’ll enjoy a continual “snowball effect.” Like a snowball rolling downhill, your organization’s thought leadership momentum will increase with every interview, speech, and white paper. This leads to increased media exposure and invitations to high-profile speaking engagements. The result of an effective thought leadership campaign is a major brand boost for your organization, along with increased sales and revenue opportunities.