A thought leadership program is an excellent way to showcase your company and/or company executives by sharing knowledge, talent, predicted outlooks, and trends with those interested in your industry. Positioned correctly, a robust and consistent thought leadership program can be a gamechanger for a company in a crowded field of competitors. With a myriad of social media channels, almost anyone can try and position themselves as a thought leader. However, whether or not those ideas are valuable and promotable takes careful crafting, planning, and timing.
Here are some ideas to consider for a successful thought leadership program:
- Start with blogs which feature original content. The emphasis here is on original and not just repeating industry news. True thought leaders take chances and have enough confidence and industry knowledge to step away from the crowd by sharing visionary thoughts and commentary. You may not be right 100% of the time but if you’re willing to share valuable insight, you’ll stand out.
- Pitch those ideas to reporters who cover your industry. Trend stories are usually well received and reporters are always looking for a good source to provide intelligent, thought-provoking comments and background.
- Conduct an industry survey or collaborate with an educational institution to back up your thoughts and/or provide further comment on what the future holds within your industry.
These first steps will help build up your reputation as a thought leader. As the program progresses, look for speaking opportunities to share your vision. Expand your thoughts into white papers. Be willing to serve in leadership positions with industry associations. This will give you a broader platform for sharing your insights and further increase credibility.
Don’t expect quick results. Most successful thought leadership programs take a while to evolve. Becoming a thought leader requires a willingness to devote time to actively participate in the program. Once achieved, true thought leadership can help position the leader and the organization as a trusted source that others will want to connect with and do business.