How can you use Thought Leadership to build credibility and differentiate yourself from competitors?

Pick a niche not solely based on your passion, but also where you can stand out (easily). Popular niches are very crowed with opinions. So it's difficult to be unique and grow a following. Standing out isn't also about better, but being different and compelling. A rose among the thorns. ??

Thought leadership represents intellectual stimulation, an informed POV and perspective on a said topic. Hence it can be effectively used as the voice of the leadership and as a branding tool.

Start with what you stand for - your values and beliefs. People connect through shared values. Start with pressing issues that your audience is looking to resolve. Think about how your narratives can add value to them.

remove everything within the work you do that creates inner conflict.. you are left with what you are truly meant for. reveal greatness within.

N?o só o seu nicho, mas defina quem é interessante interagir com você e fale para ESSAS pessoas. N?o tente falar com todo mundo para n?o acabar falando com ninguém.

Have a point of view. Don’t just summarise data and events. Instead synthesise. Inspire your audience to think differently about their business by sharing insights.

A thought leader shares their own stories from their own experiences. This in itself makes them unique and sets them apart from their competitors. These stories, when shared with the right audience, showcases the thought leader’s authenticity.

Thought leadership is not just about sharing knowledge, it's about sparking curiosity. When creating content, your aim should be to provide value that resonates with your audience. Your thoughts should not just be consumed but contemplated. They should provoke thought, stir debate, and leave your audience with questions that keep them coming back for more. This is the art of meaningful content creation. It's not just about being heard; it's about being remembered.

Don't just share facts. Help your audience connect the dots between observation and insights. Make your content easy and pleasant to read. Use stories, analogies and case studies to build context for the insights you are sharing. This was exactly what I did when I wrote my book "Not a marketing textbook", I made special efforts to make sure they don't read like boring and dry textbooks with complicated jargons. Make your content relatable to the others so that your valuable insights can benefit others.

Value comes from the recipient and not just the creator. It's a contrast of the investment (of time and effort to consume/read/understand) to the returns resulting from an expected or actual improvement from the current state. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers. Did their lives become significantly better as a result of your content? If the value is minute, then the time and effort spent reading your content may not be worth it... otherwise known as a waste of time ??

Content distribution is not as simple as just flooding the market ??..though honestly I hoped it was. Start with your readers' content consumption journey. Where and why are your readers at the mediums you are considering? For example, it's wrong to distribute heavy content where it's meant for downtime. Sharing a complex economics paper in a lifestyle fashion medium...not effective. Another point is amplification. Some mediums like LinkedIn amplifies your reach beyond your existing followers. Some are crap that restricts to a miserable subset. Find which medium works better for you.

Thought leadership is a journey, and the channel you choose is your vehicle. Whether it's a 1500-word article, a visually bold infographic, a deep technical webinar, or a 30-second TikTok-style explainer, each platform offers a unique way to connect with your audience. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. The right choice is the one that resonates with your audience, aligns with your message, and amplifies your voice. RIt's not just about broadcasting your thoughts, but about creating a meaningful dialogue.

Go to where your audience is and study what their frame of mind is at those different platforms and curate the narratives to appeal to them. SEO optimization is important too - this will help you to be more discoverable

If content is king, distribution is queen. Make sure that your content gets found/ engages your audiences by amplifying it via integrated campaigns.

Engagement is the heartbeat of thought leadership. If your audience is asking questions, it's a sign that your content has not just been consumed, but has sparked curiosity. This is your cue to engage. Remember, there are no wrong questions. Each question is a window into your audience's mind. Answer patiently, and more importantly, listen. Be curious about their questions. This is not just a conversation, it's a connection.

A word of caution not to be controversial for the sake of it. ?? I've seen content creators posting emotionally charged and often contrarian/opposing views for the sake of it. However, there are no actual insights offered by being different. Do not forget you are writing for both man and machine. Have a nice (and difficult) balance of both. Ultimately it's not just an exercise to game the visibility algorithm. ??

Cultivate two way conversations, not monologue. Invite them to share their comments and views. Make the efforts to respond to them. I think it's smarter to build your audience instead paying for audience.

Thought leadership is both a responsibility you get but also one you have to take. Engage your audience and share as much as possible while being authentic and honest in your storytelling. Tip to getting started could be to share 2-3 learnings each week in full transparency. What worked, what failed, what did you learn? By sharing, your authenticity and voice will be noticed and you will start to become a thought leader.

While expertise is crucial, I've found that leading with curiosity can be even more impactful. This means not only sharing what you know but also what you are learning and questioning. It invites others into a dialogue, fostering a community of learning rather than a one-sided broadcast of expertise. In an age where it's easy to chase likes and shares, true thought leadership is about staying authentic to your core message and values. It's better to have a smaller, engaged audience that values your insights than a larger, dispassionate one. Finally, thought leadership should inspire action. Encourage your audience to take concrete steps, experiment with new ideas, and apply your insights in practical ways.

If you are clear and focused about who you serve then it's easy to create thought leadership that is relevant to them. You need to be expressing ideas that are beneficial to your target market and solutions to issues they are struggling with.