Personal Branding: How Thought Leaders can Leverage it for Recognition.
The term thought leadership has come to be associated with different people, from motivational speakers to TV hosts, to celebrities and a particular elite segment of society. However, a thought leader is a skilled expert who offers unique insight and perspective on topical issues in a specific industry.
Examples of thought leaders abound in business, politics, culture and academia.?
Simon Sinek is a recognized thought leader who talks about business, work and life ethics. He became famous in 2017 when his video about why millennials are underperforming in the workplace gained much traction online. According to him, their parents failed these millennials, who cuddled and pampered them without giving them a vivid picture of reality and life. He then gave psychological, sociological, and neurological perspectives to support the reason for the pitfalls of the millennial generation. This video got millions of views and comments on YouTube, making him very popular and well sought after.
Seth Godwin is known for his disruptive and innovative stand in marketing. In his industry-acclaimed books like?Purple Cow?and?Permission Marketing, Seth spots trends in consumer behaviour. He proffers expert advice on how companies should respond with their marketing, sales, and overall customer experience. His ardent desire to live outside the norm by not using social media has seen his blog posts being shared daily by millions of people on the internet.
Neil Patel is a leader in the digital marketing community. He has helped many fortune 500 companies, startups, and small businesses leverage the power of social media and digital to grow and achieve positive results. Patel co-hosts a popular podcast called "Marketing School", where topics are discussed daily for 10 minutes. He has built trust with his audience, and his street savviness in teaching himself digital marketing to grow his company has worked out well for him.?
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Another gutsy and authentic thought leader, Richard Branson, is the founder of Virgin Atlantic. From the name of his company which is a departure from the otherwise conservative cultures of the British, to the advertising and storytelling for the brand, Branson employs an audacious and bold use of symbolism. For example, in the early days of Virgin Atlantic, the restrooms for the men had the toilet bowls shaped in the mouth of a woman, creating sexual imagery of fellatio. This narrative encouraged people to be authentic (I mean, which man does not like fellatio?). It urged people to unleash the wild side; it encouraged people to let go and damn all the consequences and not give a hoot about conventions and rules. The idea behind this bold and audacious move was to differentiate the brand by positioning it as boldly authentic. In time, there was an outcry against these unconventional and overtly sexual themes, and while at an interview, Branson's response to this was, "screw it, let's do it".
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John Legere, the former CEO of T Mobile, didn't have a hard time dropping the F word in the middle of a press conference because he believed that his unconventional ways resonated with his customers' authentic selves. His push for better work-life balance saw him host Slow Cooker Sunday, a live online show on Sundays, where he makes a novel dish in a slow cooker. The show had much traction on social media. He used #ShoppingSaturday on Instagram and Facebook when he went shopping on Saturdays to buy the ingredients for Slow Cooker Sunday. Legere wore his unconventional ways like a badge to keep his brand evergreen in the consumer's mind.
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So, how did these thought leaders become so popular and well respected? Well, the simple answer is through the power of personal branding. Personal branding is a conscious and deliberate effort to create a savvy and knowledgeable perception for an individual. This is achieved by positioning this individual as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating them from the competition through their demonstrated knowledge of topical and salient issues within that industry. Personal branding involves:
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How can Thought Leaders Leverage Personal Branding for
International Recognition
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1. Have a focus.
What is it you want to be known for? Let this be your key message and be consistent with it. It also helps to develop your content using your own voice, tone and style. For example, Branson is also known to write his own social media posts, despite having a marketing and publicity team working for him.
A writer for Inc Africa, Carmine Gallo, talked about when he and some journalists were invited to spend the day with Branson. As he was seated next to Branson on a plane, his assistant showed him a photo she had just taken, and Branson responded, saying that he liked that photo. He asked his assistant to text it to him so he could write a post about it. Authorities agree that the best personal brands are very deliberate, and they keep their message and content consistent and engaging.
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2. Be Genuine.
Like John Legere, the former CEO of T Mobile, who didn't have a hard time dropping the F word even at a press conference and was loved for it, people love authenticity and genuineness because it is a refreshing and rare quality to find today. This is because people can see right through pretences, and the more an individual tries to copy another personal brand, the more the audience will call them out for it. Experts say that being genuine and unpretentious makes your brand uniquely you. Also, being a master of your craft, skillset or industry before starting a personal brand helps; this will help you build original content while amplifying who you are.?
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3. Tell a Story.
The best way to project yourself as a thought leader is to be a storyteller. According to the author of?The Creative Curve, the most effective personal branding strategy is to build a true narrative; this is best done through written content or video. She posits that the most engaging way to communicate online is with video. The simple use of your smartphone to video message your audience creates an emotional connection with prospective audiences and clients and further generates trust with existing audiences.?
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4. Be Consistent.
According to Fiona Yong, director and millennial leadership coach (ICF ACC), you will get recognized as an authority in one area only if you are consistent in creating content in that area. This consistency should cut across communication, ambience and appearance. It is professional to pay attention to small details, as a failure to do this can derail personal brand effectiveness.
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5. Create a Positive Impact.
The impact of positivity cannot be undermined. Having a personal brand that creates a positive value is always appreciated. So what positive value does your personal brand create? Do you dish out wisdom and tips of advice that help people be more productive at work? Do you help people to accept, love and feel good about themselves? Do you create some lightheartedness by making people laugh and de-stress? What value does your personal brand offer the target audience? Creating value with your personal brand is a good way for thought leaders to gain international recognition.
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6. Live your brand.
Do you live your brand, or are you pretentious in your efforts as a thought leader? If you don't live your brand, in time, you will be revealed as and called out for being a fraud because deception can only take you so far. As a thought leader, you cannot separate yourself from your brand. According to Tim Salau, founder of Mentors & Mentees, "Your personal brand should be like a shadow. It needs to be an original and real manifestation of who you are and amplify what you believe." Your personal brand is an accurate representation of you.
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7. Leverage Word of Mouth.
The best publicity is by word of mouth. According to Aaron Orendorff, editor in chief at Shopify, "Personal branding is the story people tell about you when you're absent". After all, is said and done, the only thing we all have in our lives is our name and the reputation we can garner.
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8. Leave a legacy.
Once you've painstakingly built your personal brand with a reputation and community behind it, you need to think about living behind a legacy. What will you want to be remembered for? In his view, Blake Jamieson, the artist at Blake Jamieson LLC, posits that building a personal brand is much more than building a business because the only exit strategy is leaving behind a legacy. It is a lifelong process that takes a painstakingly and deliberate effort to build.??
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In summary, becoming a thought leader is a deliberate and planned process. It takes consistency, uniqueness and boldness to stand out from the crowd. Thought leadership is also an extension of your personal brand because your personal brand and the perception of who you are, project you as an authority in your field of expertise.?