People who are thought leaders are usually experts on particular subject matter or they have the ability to forecast trends both now and into the immediate future. Thought leadership is not who is the most popular. It is more about innovation, guidance and expertise. If you have created a presence or become a recognized source of guidance in your industry, you may already be on your way to thought leadership. Your blog is an important tool in building thought leadership, whether you’ve decided to be a leader in your industry or work on building your brand. With a blog, you have control of both your strategy and content, to become the go-to person in your area of interest.
- Have quantifiable goals
- Plan a strategy for reaching your goals
- Make sure the work is manageable
Coming up with good ideas is a simple form of thought leadership. It is the process of figuring out what is important to people, now, next week or next month. If you are thinking beyond what everyone already knows, you are now leading thought. Don’t be dismayed if someone challenges your thinking. It goes with the territory. Aspire to be quoted. If others think what you are saying is of interest, they will attribute what you are saying and writing. Do some research to find out what other thought leaders say, but don’t mimic them or consolidate the thinking of others. Come up with your own original thoughts.
For thought leadership, it is important to write regular posts on your own blogs, but don’t stop there. Offer to guest blog on other domains, especially those of respected industry players and organizations. Keep your profiles up-to-date on the major social networks and be sure they link to your blog. In addition, seek out important social networking sites in your own industry and participate.
To be a successful thought leader, be where you most want your audience to find you. Make your blog your hub and build from there.
Blog Post Written by Spencer Powell
Spencer is the Inbound Marketing Director at TMR Direct. Spencer specializes in helping clients create and execute effective inbound marketing campaigns.