How can you use PR to become a thought leader and expert?

It’s important to consider the second word in the phrase "thought leadership." Leadership means you aren’t sharing ideas that simply go with the flow. Thought leadership challenges norms but also offers strong arguments on where your view of the issue is coming from and why your audience should consider your unique direction. To be a thought leader you have to offer your perspective on the right path, not the path you think will get you the most followers or likes. True Thought Leadership is about authenticity, not controversy or clickbait. Offer true value and your audience will not only grow, but stick around for more, which is a great way to build value for your personal or corporate brand.

This is simple, identify your niche could be tech, consumer goods, media, education etc. Then start crafting and sharing content on social media about this particular niche. Share industry insights, expertise, and innovative ideas. Then engage in PR efforts such as media interviews, guest articles, speaking opportunities, and thought leadership content creation. For starters you'll have to put in the effort by looking out for the opportunities 'If Mohammed doesn't come to the tree, the tree goes to Mohammed" The bigger the platforms you get, the more your brand grows, the more opportunities you get. But all this takes patience and. consistency.

In my experience, crafting a compelling narrative to the intended audience is the biggest factor. Knowing your audience and finding your passion may be easier in comparison to finding out what to say to your audience and how.

Think about what do you want to be known for. When someone hears your name or finds you on a google search, what are the key words or phrases that you would want to be associated with your personal brand. When you are clear about the "thing" that you want to be known for - it becomes easier to start positioning your brand and finding the right outlets and opportunities that supports your "thing" - it also makes it easier for your target audience and even the media to find you as the "go-to person" in your industry.

The one question to use across thought leadership and PR is: does it shift the needle? Knowledge, content & unique insights are key parameters that create the distinction between good & great outreach. Good thought leadership is great PR in its own standing. And good, honest PR should be inspirational. What we eventually aim to achieve with both are creating aspirations, encouraging innovation & overall, stirring emotions. Here’s a checklist I use: 1. Be crystal clear on your desired goals, 2. Package your information strategically, with a strong view of the target demographic, 3. Choose your audience & platform well, 4. Analyse &use veritable metrics, 5. Each time, reflect, review and learn from past efforts. Lastly, break the mould.

Think like a journalist. The digital landscape is cluttered with mediocre content. Evade the echo chamber of redundant insights by articulating a distinct narrative. Strive for compelling, original thought that not only educates but challenges the status quo. Take a position, defend it with data and eloquence. Your content should spark discussion, encouraging an exchange of ideas. The objective? Elevate the conversation, become a catalyst for intelligent discourse in your sphere of influence. There are a million different ways you can take your thought leadership. Don't be boring.

We often hear comments such as "that was well-written" or "that was a good post". Good content comes from a good content strategy, which is a vertical in itself. A good content strategy starts with good strategic thinking supported by research and stakeholder engagment. The next time you hear "that's well-written" or "solid post", suggest to add "well-thought" or "solid thinking" to the mix. If you want to deliver solid content, sharpen your thinking skills. Read more, interact more, maintain a curious mind. Because, a weak mind cannot write a strong piece.

One can leverage PR to establish as a thought leader and expert by consistently creating and sharing high-quality content that showcases expertise in a specific niche. Here are the top things that one needs to focus on: 1. Develop high-quality, informative content that showcases your expertise in a specific niche. 2. Interact with your audience, collaborate with influencers, and participate in industry events to build your reputation. 3. Work with PR professionals to promote your content and secure speaking opportunities and media exposure to enhance authority in the respective field.

Content comes in many forms - and using AI to write it all is not the answer. Authenticity is the new disruptive. Creating content that actually relates to your audience is key. Your content should never be forced. There is no specific medium that is the answer, but consistency is. Thought leadership requires actual leadership to matter. So, be unique, be real, be authentic, and be relevant.

Content creation serves two purposes when it comes to thought leadership. The first is demonstrating your expertise and establishing trust to prospective clients. But the second, and equally impactful, is creating the same outcome, but for journalists. The idea here is to make it more likely to get featured in the media, which then further boosts your authority status through social proof.

I had a CMO call me, complaining that a fantastic thought leadership story "didn't light up the phone bank." I was surprised about the idea of a phone bank, but asked about how he socialized the article. He said he merely published a social post. Whoops! When you secure a great get you need everyone on board: your sales team needs to hit up all their prospects; your coworkers need to share it on social; your social media team needs to create a whitelisted campaign program to get the word out. Don't just expect someone to call. That's just too 1980's.

Marketing mix is key to content delivery. Campaigns should be constructed in a manner that has the marketing delivery methods working together. If you have an email, think about how that contents to your website. If you have PR, think about how that relates to your social.

Consider creating a blog that will highlight your content such as live interviews or written interviews that will increase the visibility of your expertise and also optimize your SEO standing if someone were to search your name or brand. Adding your own words to expand on your thoughts shared will also help to legitimize your place as a thought leader.

Companies that want to do thought leadership right either have to a) invest in audience-building efforts to ensure the right eyes get on their views, or b) dedicate a portion of their marketing budget to boosting thought leadership material with paid media. Either way requires there to be a budget for content distribution. And I would not recommend putting SEO in thought leadership. SEO is by definition writing that targets robots, and writing for an algorithmic advantage drains the life from copy. You can either write for human readers or you can write for Google's algorithms. You can't do both at once. So pick one.

When it comes to content creation, it is important to diversify your content verticals. While having one core content channel is valuable, it is more impactful to start with an overall content strategy and then filter down into your channels from there. My main advice is not to overstress where you show up, but why you show up through your content. Secondly, ensure that all your content efforts speak the same language and narrative, no matter where you put them. For example, if you post unique articles on your blog, find ways to distribute those same articles on LinkedIn or clip quotes and insights to use in your newsletter or commentary to send media.

Engagement is the heartbeat of your thought leadership. It's where your expertise meets real people, real questions, and real conversations. Responding to their inquiries, sharing your personal stories, and valuing their opinions—it all creates a vibrant community around your expertise. Live events and interactive sessions take this connection to a whole new level.

Engagement is key, and perhaps the most difficult attribute to master when it comes to becoming a thought leader. It takes time, effort and most of all a sense of genuineness with your public or audience. If you are engaging with them individually or in small collectives, they need to know you are invested in the relationship. Your style can't be cookie cutter, copy and paste. It should come from you and be recognizable as being so. It requires emotional content, but most of all, it requires investment from both parties. Your publics and audiences will call you out it they see you are trying to fake it, so keep it real, and let them know you are doing so.

Awards and Recognition: Apply for industry awards and recognitions. Winning or even being nominated for awards can enhance your reputation as an expert. Case Studies and Testimonials: Share success stories from your work. Case studies and testimonials from satisfied clients can provide concrete examples of your expertise. Thought Leadership Platforms: Consider launching your thought leadership platform, such as a podcast or YouTube channel. This allows you to control the content and build a dedicated audience. Respond to Current Events: Provide expert commentary on current events or industry trends. Journalists often seek expert opinions for news stories

Authenticity plays a pivotal role in establishing a foundation of trust with your audience. It involves candidly sharing your personal experiences, encompassing both the challenges you've encountered and the successes you've achieved. Additionally, a commitment to delivering valuable information and insights tailored to your audience's needs is paramount. Soliciting feedback on your content is equally essential, signaling a genuine commitment to continuous improvement. Timely and personalized responses to audience comments, whether on your blog, social media, or YouTube channel, as well as swift and personal replies to direct messages and emails, are further facets of effective audience engagement.

Follow-up and engagement shows authenticity. No matter how good your content is, a post and ghost strategy will cause it to fall flat. Additionally, commenting and engaging in other thought-leadership conversations will increase exposure for your own. People remember how a moment or another person makes them feel. So, remember that your content has the ability to encourage a reader to walk away feeling encouraged, more knowledgeable, empowered, or interested in learning more. Every content piece may not be a hit, but writing with intentionality and purpose will increase the success probability.

Collaboration fuels innovation and growth. Partnering with influencers is like merging your expertise with a powerhouse of ideas and experiences. It's a two-way street of learning, supporting, and amplifying each other's voices. Identifying the right influencers, nurturing genuine connections, and finding creative ways to collaborate are the keys.

Influencers are individuals who boast a substantial, loyal following, wield a high level of trust, and yield significant influence in your industry or niche. Collaborating with such influencers can aid in expanding your network, amplifying your reach, and bolstering your credibility within your chosen sphere.

Collaboration with other influencers will make your content more engaging. But be careful about the influencer. Make sure that the influencer and your image are on the same dynamic and page. Research a lot about the influencer before collaboration. One little inconsistency from the influencer side will harm your reputation.

Engage in industry forums, and fully immerse oneself in online and offline professional networks. Make genuine contacts with influential people, journalists, and opinion leaders and share insightful information to establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information. Genuine involvement cultivates cooperative connections, enhancing your proficiency and augmenting the pool of information in your sector.

Collaborating with respected voices helps grow your influence as an expert. Identify top influencers in your industry through their blogs, social media, events, etc. Try to build mutually beneficial relationships. Offer to write guest posts for their blogs to reach their audience. Suggest interviewing each other for podcasts or publications. Propose co-hosting a webinar or panel. Support their work on social media first before asking for anything. When they advocate for you through collaborations, it bolsters your reputation. Partnerships with the right people accelerate your rise as an expert. Look for opportunities to provide value to them. Influencer collaborations expand your credibility and reach.

Becoming a thought leader and expert is a gradual process, and it requires authenticity and a commitment to adding value to your industry and the broader community.

Remember that thought leadership isn't all about self-promotion but about providing true value, insights, and solutions to your industry or audience. And, in the ever-evolving landscape of PR, one thing remains constant: the value of being genuine, relatable, and authentic. Today, more than ever, people want to connect with real stories, real experiences, and real voices.

It's easy if you are a NY Times Best-Seller or Michelin Chef. For "the rest of us," we must cobble what we can from what we have yet make it sound as good as "Michelin Chef." How? Numbers work, in my opinion. You are probably doing a lot, so add it up. Turn what you do hourly or daily into early. A recruiter might talk to 5 people an hour. Not impressive. But that's 40 a day. Still not much. How about a business day year, say 250 days. It's 10,000. I helped TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE get jobs. If you have no expertise yourself, how many people did you talk to. One I saw the other day was "I'VE READ 100 BUSINESS GURU BOOKS and I'll tell you what I learned" High five on one!

When using PR to become a though Leader, showcasing your previous and current successes will help you reach your goals faster and build a great reputation. Here is a 3 steps framework you can use to build your reputation and initiate action from your target audience: 1- Share a Success Story by showing how you brought value and why you were able to contribute to the success 2- Express your expertise, years of experience, how many customers you’ve helped, why customers chose you, what makes you stand out 3- Establish a clear Call To Action: what do you want your target audience to do? Sign up to your Newsletter, join your webinar, subscribe to your channel, watch your latest webcast …

I agree here but I would suggest not to overthink it or overdo it. It will be natural to share achievements, milestones and public recognition as they happen. Testimonials could be great for your brand as a thought leader if you offer products or services, but, if not, it may be too pompous for social media. There is enough social proof in the likes and comments on online platforms. In some cases, I would suggest to let that do the talking.

If you want to become a thought leader, then the "Thought" has to come from you and not your Communications team or PR agency. You are the expert/specialist with the core knowledge about your domain. Your perspective, views and opinions are technically, yours. No one else can imagine it for you. Share your "thought" with your Communications team and/or the PR agency and they will be able to articulate it and communicate it on the right media channels, platforms and forums. This is how the process should flow and not the other way around. Thought Leadership can't be retrofitted!

Tell a story,. In everything you do as an authority, make sure you tell stories. Tell stories that resonates with your audience. Use stories to share content.

Your personal brand is the most important client you will ever have in your career and it's the only one guaranteed not to leave you. Take care of it!

One gateway to thought leadership is providing regular insights to media in an industry you are able to follow more closely than they do (such as when they have a broad beat and you are deep in the weeds with a specific one within that umbrella). You might not always have a POV on these tips, but once you have a good cadence with a reporter, you can then offer up executive perspectives when relevant. I happen to track data in my industry, so when sharing numbers on breaking news, I will proactively have an exec craft an exclusive quote that adds a narrative component to the data. It won't always get used, but it usually does.

It's important to remember that thought leadership and public relations require a long-term strategy. I always approach this work with the mindset that results or strategies may not gain immediate momentum, and that's okay! Your story, message, and content will grow and change as you continue to evolve and expand. Allow yourself the space and creativity to experiment with what works, assess the results, and then adjust accordingly.