Thought leadership is not just about sharing your insights and expertise on a topic. It is also about creating a community of followers who trust you, value your content, and engage with your ideas. But how do you build and engage a loyal community around your thought leadership topics? Here are some tips to help you achieve this goal.
The first step is to identify your niche and target audience. What is the specific problem or challenge that you want to address with your thought leadership? Who are the people who are interested in or affected by this issue? What are their needs, pain points, and goals? By defining your niche, you can craft a clear and compelling value proposition that attracts and resonates with your ideal community members.
You must also understand that defining your niche is often creating a niche. When I first began writing and speaking in the categories I now focus on, I found no one, tackling the niche in the way I believed necessary. This is still the case, but many will look at what you're doing and think merely copying, or declaring they are in the category is the same as thought leadership. What's key to being a thought leader is actually leading the category in thought. That can only happen if you see something missing that is not there.
The next step is to create valuable content that showcases your expertise, insights, and solutions. Your content should not only inform, but also inspire, educate, and entertain your community. You can use different formats and channels, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, ebooks, newsletters, or social media posts, to deliver your content. The key is to provide consistent, relevant, and high-quality content that solves your audience's problems, answers their questions, and sparks their curiosity.
I recommend setting alerts through Google, Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc. that notify you about topics in your niche. It's an easy way to come up with a never ending source of relevant content you can share (and repurpose) for your audience.
I see too many organizations that create marketing content and call it "thought leadership." Thought leadership is demonstrating that you have unique insights (without a commercial pitch). To create thought leadership content, start with the audience and stay there. Play the role of honest broker. I'll tell a story that seems off the point, but stick with me. At my previous employer, I started a speaker series that brought in brilliant thinkers to stretch our thinking. After one speaker finished, I saw a top executive headed backstage, saying, "Man, I want him to consult for us." I asked what he had in mind. He said, "I don't know yet. But I want that brain working for us." THAT is thought leadership.
Everyone in business today understands that content is important, both from a marketing perspective and in creating a body of knowledge about your expertise. What is important is going beyond the obvious when it comes to producing content and driving new ideas, questions, and insights that inspire others to want to do more with you and learn more from you. Lots of content is a rehashing of what's already there, so in creating valuable content, you have the challenge of defining what's valuable. Instead of being reactive to what is already being talked about, what do you see that is not being talked about? And yes, different formats are important, but we are in a video and picture society today, so this should dominate your content approach.
@Dean Foust's comment is a critical point. You're sharing an idea/concept/insight in thought leadership. You're promoting a product or service in marketing content. Understanding the difference - and which you're truly trying to do - will improve your end product. Whichever it is.
The third step is to engage with your community and foster a two-way communication. You can do this by inviting feedback, comments, questions, and suggestions from your audience. You can also respond to their messages, acknowledge their contributions, and thank them for their support. You can also create opportunities for interaction, such as polls, surveys, quizzes, contests, live Q&A sessions, or online forums. By engaging with your community, you can build trust, loyalty, and rapport, as well as learn from their insights and feedback.
It's a missed opportunity to close a post without some call to action - a leading question or thought to get the comments going. By asking a question, you open the door to conversation with your audience. And remember to reply to comments - someone took the time to engage so responding to them is the best way to build and maintain that relationship.
I believe in real engagement. That means picking up the phone, sending an email, or texting your followers, fans, and supporters and finding out what is on their minds, and what challenges they are facing. Engaging with your community means learning more about them but not in a superficial way. Often pools, surveys, quizzes, and contests, generate reaction from those who might not be in your core audience. I have robust conversations away from social media, and I am pleased to say I know what is going on in the lives and businesses of a large number of my followers. This kind of engagement will enable you to build a more sustainable business and create new offerings that serve your community in more meaningful ways.
The fourth step is to collaborate with other thought leaders, influencers, or experts in your niche or related fields. You can do this by inviting them to guest post on your blog, podcast, or video channel, or by co-hosting a webinar, workshop, or panel discussion. You can also interview them, quote them, or mention them in your content. By collaborating with others, you can expand your reach, exposure, and credibility, as well as provide more value and diversity to your community.
Collaboration is important, and frankly this is something I have not done enough of. I am usually so busy with my own writing, speaking, events, and content projects that this takes a back seat. However, I have found when I am a guest on another podcast, or when I have interviewed others in the past this provides a boost in interest and new ideas. I do believe quoting others and mentioning others is a great way to provide additional perspective on your niche and provide additional clarity.
The fifth step is to showcase your impact and results with your community. You can do this by sharing testimonials, case studies, success stories, or data that demonstrate how your thought leadership has helped your clients, customers, or followers achieve their goals, overcome their challenges, or improve their situations. You can also share your own achievements, awards, recognitions, or publications that highlight your authority and reputation. By showcasing your impact, you can reinforce your value proposition, increase your influence, and motivate your community.
I have hundreds of wonderful testimonials, and I share them occasionally. Many people who observe and follow your work will respond to others that speak highly of you and the impact you've had on their lives and businesses. I also think case studies are valuable as they help your community understand how and why followers began to pay attention to your work, and the impact after they became engaged.
The sixth and final step is to keep learning and improving your thought leadership skills and competencies. You can do this by staying updated on the latest trends, research, and best practices in your niche or industry. You can also seek feedback, advice, or mentorship from other thought leaders, experts, or peers. You can also experiment with new formats, channels, or strategies to test what works best for your content and community. By keeping learning and improving, you can maintain your relevance, innovation, and excellence as a thought leader.
I believe wholeheartedly in continuous learning and improvement. As a thought leader this is vital, and it is my hope to find fans, followers, viewers, readers, and participants that feel the same way. I read multiple newspapers a day, I am reading multiple books a week, and I have a regimen of ongoing study. I am also an incurable observer, so I am always looking for the ideas not explored, not discussed, or the subtext of broader discussions. I have been writing, speaking, and publishing content long before the existence of social media so I recognize this as essential to my work, career, and audience. The flip side of this is building an audience that is as serious about learning and improving. That is your client base.
The most important key is to understand why people have joined the community in the first place. Was it to connect with others? Was it to access information they can't find other places? Was it share? All of these? Understanding whether they joined to passively consume information and observe conversations, or to actively engage is incredibly important. Delivering value for a passive community versus an active one looks very different, and mistaking one for the other can cause you to chase away members. Understanding the motivations, wants and needs of your community will ensure you don't waste your time - or theirs.