Here are four ways to turn your brand into a thought leader – and why you need to follow them now.
Consumers and end-customers are looking for trustworthy guidance and information more today than ever before. We are all bombarded with tons of content, but a great deal of it is just promotional or advertorial. In many cases, it is no more than a disguised sales pitch.
Brands that have become thought leaders have become trusted sources. They have proven to consumers and end-customers that they can provide information that is in their best interest, helping them in their personal or business lives.
So how do they accomplish this?
Below the video are four ways to build this trust and promote your brand as a Thought Leader:
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Become a Resource, not a Salesperson
For some, sales is in our blood. We are always looking for a new opportunity to promote our products and services. In my experience, some of the most successful CEOs are natural-born salespeople. However, when it comes to promoting your brand as a Thought Leader, you need to change gears. You need to become a resource. Put your products and services aside. Use your blogs and videos along with your social media presence to address end-customer pain points, offering solutions and useful comments.
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Get Published
Sure, trade publications do not hold the power they once did. However, to apply the words of Mark Twain, the report of their death is greatly exaggerated. The successful ones have learned how to survive.
To be viewed as a Thought Leader, your organization must get published. Many trade publications welcome contributed articles. If you follow the rules – avoid being overly promotional or advertorial – and provide content the editor believes her readers will learn from, getting published on an ongoing basis is one of the best ways to build your brand as a Thought Leader.
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Stay One Step Ahead
Brands that are Thought Leaders have expertise to share and the experience to recognize coming trends. They may have correctly predicted events in their niche or industry, but they cannot stop there. They need to keep an eye on the horizon and be prepared for the next changes to come along.
Being a Thought Leader means more than just keeping up; it means staying ahead of the curve, anticipating innovations in your industry and equipping others to meet future events.
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Look for New Ways to Promote Your Thought Leader Status
During the pandemic, I was asked to deliver a COVID-related presentation on cleaning and disinfecting for a chamber of commerce. I was not told who would be attending the presentation, just the number of people that had signed up.
At the end of the presentation, during the question-and-answer period, I realized that many of the attendees were the owners or managers of local gyms. Within a few days of the presentation, one gym after another contacted me. They hired me to visit their location and advise them on ways to properly maintain their facilities to help protect the health of their members and their staff – and I should add, stay open.
Not realizing it at the time, i had proven myself as a Thought Leader to these people. You can do the same. Keep looking for ways to communicate your brand’s expertise, views, and demonstrate how your brand can and does provide worthwhile and trustworthy information.
Connecting with people, understanding what concerns are on their mind, and responding with credible and quality insights, is all your brand needs to be a powerful Thought Leader.
Robert Kravitz is president of AlturaSolutions, Which Provides Content Marketing Strategies for the Professional Cleaning Industry. He can be reached at: solutions@alturasolutions.com