By Judith Spear, PR Account Manager
It’s harder than ever to make your business’s voice heard. In a world where every brand or corporation seems to have a lot to say about everything, it’s not so easy to cut through the noise. To try and overcome this challenge, more businesses are recognising the value of establishing themselves as thought leaders, able to offer confident, informed opinion and comment on the issues that matter to your industry and your customers.
Thought leadership is all about sharing your knowledge and ideas with others, highlighting your experience and expertise in a way that informs, influences and inspires, building confidence in your brand and positioning you and your business as a trusted authority in your field.
What is thought leadership?
First things first, what exactly is thought leadership? In basic terms, it’s all about positioning yourself and / or your business as an authority on particular issues or in a particular sector. Ultimately, thought leaders are trusted sources of credible information and opinions.
Why is thought leadership important?
Thought leadership has the potential to elevate you and your brand, positioning you head and shoulders above the competition via considered, informed and well written communications. It also has the potential to transform your PR efforts from being solely focussed on sending out press releases and announcements, instead offering expert comment and opinion on the burning issues of the day. For those at the top of their thought leadership game, they can become go-to commentators for journalists, who know that the responses they get will be insightful, intelligent and interesting.
How to cultivate thought leadership?
- Decide what you want to say
First of all, think about what you have to say. What are your core business messages? Have you got any unique perspectives on industry issues? What would you like to talk about, what are the issues that interest you? You’re almost always likely to speak more authoritatively if it’s a subject you’re passionate about. PR professionals can help you refine your messages, taking your knowledge, experience and opinions and transforming them into an insightful narrative that’s of interest to your target audiences.
- Identify your target media
Building relationships with journalists is key in developing your reputation as a thought leader. Again, working with PR professionals here can be very helpful. They know which stories and issues appeal to which publications and which journalists, and are well placed to communicate your insights and opinions for interviews, feature opportunities and articles.
- Use your own communication channels
We’re lucky that we have a whole host of communications channels at our disposal. If you’ve got something insightful to share, why not put it in a blog? Or, send it out in a customer newsletter? Better still, short, pithy comments work well on channels such as X and LinkedIn, often as part of a repost of a relevant article or news item. And, be consistent. Regular thought leadership contributions will help to cultivate your reputation as a thought leader.
- Deliver value for your audience
You need to make sure you’re not speaking for the sake of speaking. As the saying goes ‘empty vessels make the most noise’, so you need to make sure that your thought leadership output is more than just noise, instead delivering value to your audience. This could be a unique take on a certain issue, or tips on how to overcome particular business challenges. Whatever it is, ultimately, your audience should benefit in some way from your knowledge and expertise.
- Measure the impact
It’s important to gauge the impact of your thought leadership efforts. Are you securing more media coverage or are more people sharing your content? What about social media interactions – are more people engaging with you on your socials? Assessing the impact of your thought leadership output will help to pinpoint which topics generate more interest and which formats are the most accessible, helping to inform your thought leadership strategy.
Thought leadership activities have the potential to boost the standing of you and your business in your industry, delivering insightful, informative and compelling content to the very people you want to be talking to. Key to achieving this is the effective communication of your expertise, wisdom and experience. This is where we can help, working alongside you to unlock your thought leadership potential, cementing your position as THE trusted authority in your industry.
Want to know how Goldings Communications can help you establish authority in your industry? Get in touch.
