How do you get your thought leadership content to the right people?

The first step is getting clear on who your content is for. There’s a lot of debate today around how much to niche your audiences but I think you have to hone in on a specific audience. How niche may vary. From there, if you don’t have access to tools like like Sales Navigator, you can do a lot with LinkedIn advanced search, groups and targeted hashtags.

You need to be clear what your value add is to the audience and design your content accordingly. You need to establish credibility for your audience to take you seriously In today’s world it was all about communities. There should needs to be a coherence between your content and the audience you have started to attract in order to grow your community and to keep members engaged. It is all about sharing what is of value to your community, helping them solve problems. It’s a two way conversation and not just one way

If you're targeting a professional audience, LinkedIn is unparalleled. For example, during the pandemic, LinkedIn Live served as an indispensable platform for thought leaders, fostering real-time connections and community. As circumstances evolved, the shift towards newsletters and LinkedIn Audio Live began, broadening the reach while maintaining a professional touch. These mediums cater to professional content distribution, from the personalized touch of newsletters to the interactive nature of audio live discussions. This progression highlights the significance of selecting channels that align with your audience's professional needs and adapting your thought leadership strategies accordingly.

We always want to take a look back at how a piece of content performs to optimize for future content.? Like any campaign or activation, review how your content is performing throughout the campaign for better success. Remember, it’s important to set reasonable expectations and know that social media and content marketing is a long game. You’re not going to put one post out there and instantly get hundreds of sales. Like any good relationship, it’s all about communication over time.

Building relationships is the cornerstone of thought leadership, aligning perfectly with Reid Hoffman's vision for LinkedIn as a platform for fostering business connections. Engaging with your audience goes beyond content dissemination. It's about initiating dialogues through comments, questions, polls, and stories, soliciting feedback, and offering value. Leveraging social proof, testimonials, and case studies not only exhibits your credibility but also demonstrates your authority. Collaborating with other thought leaders, influencers, and experts in your field amplifies your reach and reputation. This interactive dynamic is integral to creating a network reflective of LinkedIn 's original intent—to form substantive business relationships.

Redefining and refreshing your content is key to keeping your message relevant, and LinkedIn Learning can be a valuable resource in this endeavor. This platform empowers you to explore new ways to present your ideas, such as turning a blog into an instructional video or a podcast into a visual slide deck. LinkedIn Learning provides the tools and insights necessary not just to update your content with the latest information but also to repurpose it across various formats and platforms, aiding in reaching and engaging a broader audience with your thought leadership.

In choosing a niche, it maybe a good idea looking at important topics that people are NOT talking about. You can use google search trends, popular hashtags on LinkedIn to determine this. Identify a few of these and trial balloon content in these areas on LinkedIn. This is how I found the topic of Secrets of Digital Disruptors that i write mostly on. Of course you have to have expertise and unique points of view on the topic for you to be taken seriously and be seen as an authentic voice. Interviewing top experts in a topic initially can help you identify the area you want to zoom into. Also by publishing these interviews with experts you can get your content strategy moving along until you feel comfortable to create your own.

It is important to be open about going back and modifying some of your content based on inputs that comes from other experts among your audience. As much as we want to share our thoughts, true thought leadership is all about continuous learning and refinement. Many a times, you will find that your thought leadership will become much sharper as you continue to improve based on new inputs. It will also help increase your reach as people will want to read someone who is constantly updating.

To stand out as a thought leader on LinkedIn, focus on authenticity, empathy, and deep knowledge. Be consistent and genuine in your posts, centering on your expertise to create valuable content. Use LinkedIn's search filters and creator tools to target the right audience. Engage genuinely to build trust and expand your influence.