Introducing AMPLIFY YOU: Insights on content & thought leadership to achieve your biggest goals

Hello, tech world.

Yes, thought leadership is important.

But how do you do it, in a way that works for you, especially if it’s not your day job to be Oprah, Beyoncé, or Bill Gates and you don't have a giant team of experts to assist?

How do you raise your visibility while you’re a busy exec?

And how do you stand out when everyone's starting to use ChatGPT and those other LLMs?

I’ll tackle those questions and more in this new newsletter with insights on content and thought leadership to achieve your biggest goals.?Thanks for reading along and sharing your thoughts. (These tips also work for those who want to leave corporate someday and succeed on their own as a coach or consultant.)

If you remember one thing, make it “Target Audience.”?

If you remember one thing, make it "target audience," the audience you intend to reach. I joke that no matter the question in communications, the answer is “target audience.” (I learned this in my first corporate communications job at one of the world's largest private companies. Before then, when I was a journalist at Fortune and the Silicon Valley Business Journal we talked about readers and viewers, and during Web 1.0, when I was editor in chief of (the original) Women(dot)com Networks, we talked a lot about communities and that unfortunate word, users.)

Meditate on these questions:

• What does your target audience want to know?
• What are their hopes and fears??
• How can your talents, services, and products help them?

If you are passionate when it comes to answering these questions, you’re well-positioned to start writing posts and coming up with great stories for podcasts, interviews, and discussions.

A winning formula = Target audience's hopes and fears + your product / service + your passion & stories

If you have many interests, it can be hard to zero in on just one audience to focus your energy. Yet all the research explains that people need to know you for that one thing…and then later you can add other services, bells and whistles, and more offerings.

When forced to pick an audience, I chose tech executives.? (And these days, thanks to digital transformation and the digitization of everything, tech is almost everywhere, so it’s not exactly overspecializing to say tech.)

Here are some of the people my colleagues and I have helped achieve their goals with excellent content and connections:

• Cybersecurity executive — he sought higher visibility for his excellent insights on cybersecurity. We helped him draft exciting and informative posts, articles, and guest articles. Plus, as we do with all clients, we opened up our networks and introduced him to movers and shakers in policy circles and in the recruiting world. Soon after he landed a much bigger role at a juggernaut of a company.
• World-famous AI expert — this person reached out for our help to write a meaningful, memorable, and well-received commencement speech.
• Angel investor — this advisor sought coaching to launch a now popular newsletter.

Strategy, then content

You will want to have your basic positioning and strategy in place before you tackle content.

Then, to zero in on which content will work best for you, consider who you're trying to reach (yep, your target audience), where they hang out, and, not least, the kinds of content that you feel comfortable using and watching. (After all, if you're not comfortable, you're not likely to stick with it and consistency is, of course, key.)

The written word, when done well, has staying power, and not just for Marcus Aurelius or Emily Dickinson. Years later a piece you wrote can still attract attention. Fun fact: If you publish a newsletter like this one, it'll soon show up high in Google search results (thank you, LinkedIn.) You don't have to do all the writing yourself! You can dictate your insights with the help of Rev or Otter. Or hire us or other expert ghostwriters who can write in your unique voice.

To ponder podcasts for a moment, I considered creating a podcast series and took a good course from experts but it seemed like a ton of work, and I decided that being an occasional podcast guest would be a better fit! (If you do start a podcast and get past episode 3, you're in rarified company. Marketing exec Adam Singer says, "about 90% don't get past episode 3. That's 1.8M who quit.")

If you love video, you now have many tools at your disposal.

Whatever you’re doing or whatever combination you’re doing, you’ll want to leverage it and make the most of it.

If you land a Forbes Tech Council column, be sure to keep your pipeline filled with good content ideas rather than letting the space go to waste. If you’re speaking at an upcoming conference, this is not the time to be shy. At a minimum, let people know in advance with a pithy post that you'll be there. Share a few highlights after.

Next time: a framework for your content strategy?

Laurie Kretchmar is a communications strategist and writer, helping tech execs and leaders get higher visibility and recognition for their ideas — without them having to spend hours writing. She gathers C-suite level people for invitation-only Roundtable discussions. Schedule a 1:1 here.

What clients are saying:

"Laurie Kretchmar has in-depth knowledge of how to create compelling content, a quick and intuitive grasp of her clients' goals, and a proven ability to deliver high-quality products and services. She is committed to the highest standard and is a complete joy to work with — her positive energy and enthusiasm are an added bonus to her expertise and competence."

"I found her guidance and advice to be invaluable. She is creative, detail-oriented, and can handle complex issues with grace and diplomacy."