Feedback is essential for any thought leader who wants to deliver value, relevance, and impact to their audience. But how do you solicit and incorporate feedback in a way that builds credibility and trust, rather than undermining it? In this article, we will explore some best practices and tips to help you achieve this goal.
Before you ask for feedback, make sure you have a clear purpose and objective for your content. What is the main message you want to convey? Who is your target audience? What action do you want them to take? Having a clear purpose will help you frame your feedback request and focus on the most relevant and constructive aspects.
Not all feedback is created equal. You want to seek feedback from sources that are credible, knowledgeable, and aligned with your purpose. For example, you might ask for feedback from your peers, mentors, experts, or clients who have experience or interest in your topic. You might also use surveys, polls, or analytics to gather feedback from a larger or more diverse audience.
And, don’t ask for feedback if you’re not going to respond to the people who give it. If your content has one-sided engagement, people will stop caring about what you have to say.
When you receive feedback, be open and respectful to the perspectives and opinions of others. Don't take feedback personally or defensively. Instead, try to understand the underlying reasons and motivations behind the feedback. Thank them for their time and input, and acknowledge their contributions. Show them that you value their feedback and that you are willing to learn and improve.
Always, always sleep on it before replying to a negative comment. Give yourself a chance to see the feedback from multiple perspectives.
You might receive different types of feedback, such as positive, negative, neutral, specific, vague, or conflicting. You need to filter and prioritize the feedback based on your purpose, goals, and criteria. For example, you might focus on the feedback that is most relevant, actionable, and consistent with your vision. You might also group the feedback into themes or categories, and rank them by importance or urgency.
But again, just because specific feedback may not qualify as a priority doesn’t mean you should ignore it. If that person has engaged with you in good faith, the worst thing you can do for your brand is nothing. A simple “Thank you” or thumbs up can go a long way.
Once you have filtered and prioritized the feedback, you need to incorporate it into your content in a way that enhances your message, value, and impact. You might need to revise, edit, or add content based on the feedback. You might also need to explain or justify your decisions or choices. When you incorporate feedback, communicate how and why you did so, and how it improved your content. This will show your audience that you respect their feedback and that you are committed to delivering quality content.
Incorporating feedback effectively can be tricky. People are excellent at identifying where there’s a problem, but they can’t often give good advice about how to fix it – even if they think they can. For that, you have to learn to trust your gut.
The last step is to evaluate and iterate your content based on the feedback and the results. You might use metrics, indicators, or outcomes to measure the effectiveness and impact of your content. You might also ask for more feedback or follow-up questions to refine your content further. By evaluating and iterating your content, you will demonstrate your continuous learning and improvement, and build credibility and trust with your audience.