Thought leadership is a relatively new idea that’s gained a lot of momentum in the past few years. It’s become a popular label because it communicates an elite status that only a select few can achieve. However, anyone can become a thought leader in their field and influence and educate others with a bit of hard work and strategy.
In this post, we’ll explain what thought leadership is, what it takes to become a thought leader, and how achieving this status can influence sales.
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What Is A Thought Leader?
The term “thought leader” refers to a person or company who’s considered by a large group of people to be an authority and credible source of information in a specific field. Their wisdom and knowledge are highly sought after, and their word is considered valuable in their community.
A thought leader can be a public speaker, scholar, business owner, or anyone in a specific field whose word has been proven accurate and valuable. A certain level of success, money, or connection is not necessarily required to become a thought leader.
How To Become A Thought Leader
Becoming a thought leader is not an impossible task; however, it will take hard work, dedication, and consistency. Following are a few things you should do if you’d like to achieve this status in your industry.
Learn And Define Your Niche
While everyone has talents and abilities in some areas, no one is an expert at everything. Take some time to stop and think about what you’re really good at, what you know a lot about, and what you’re genuinely passionate about. Use this information to nail down your niche, focus purely on that topic, and build your thought leadership around it.
Diversify Your Content
You can’t be an effective thought leader if you aren’t making good use of the different types of content. The most effective thought leaders typically use various content types to reach and influence their audiences. You should share with your audience using some combination of video, blog posts, guest posts, podcasts, infographics, emails, and so on.
Be Visible
While no one likes an individual who seems self-absorbed, there’s nothing wrong with being visible and involving your audience in the great things you and your company are doing. In fact, doing so (with tact) is an important aspect of establishing yourself as a thought leader. Attend public events, speak on panels, do charity work, or participate in philanthropic promotions, then share with your audience about these efforts. Although your investment in these areas may not result in an immediate return, they will, over time, go a long way toward establishing your authority.
Never Stop Learning
Another very important part of being an effective and impactful thought leader is to never stop learning. Always take time to learn more about your niche and improve the way you operate within it. Read books, attend workshops, talk to people in your niche, and network in order to improve your brand and your influence.
How Thought Leadership Boosts Sales
You probably already have a general idea that thought leadership can positively affect online business, but following are a few of the specific ways becoming an authority can build your business.
Increases Brand Awareness
Thought leadership is a means of building brand awareness in a way that paid advertising simply can’t. That’s because, as a thought leader, you, as a person, are intimately connected to the promotion of your brand. When you’re crafting content, pursuing a speaking engagement, or networking with other entrepreneurs, your brand is connected to you personally.
Shortens the Buyer's Journey
In addition to increasing brand awareness, becoming a thought leader in your industry can actually shorten the conversion process for your customers. Customers are deeply influenced by how many people are familiar with you and your products, and they’re more likely to want to work with you if they know you’re an authority on a topic surrounding those products.
When a customer finds your product or service and realizes they already have some knowledge about your business or you, they’re more confident about what you have to offer and may be more likely to buy.
Makes Your Business More Trustworthy
As we stated above, customers flock to a business or person they feel they can trust. Establishing yourself as someone who knows the ins and outs of your specific industry, and as someone who can effectively lead people to make the right decisions for their business, will inspire buyers to trust your word when you recommend a product, or offer up your own product as a good option.
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Final Thoughts
Thought leadership isn’t a hard-to-reach achievement only available to lucky people. You can become a thought leader if you put your mind to it. Be sure to never stop learning, always be open to networking, and actively focus on your specific niche so you can successfully assist your audience and drive sales to your online business.
You may also want to check out these posts on our blog for further reading:
Networking Tips for Online Business Owners
How to Plan a Meetup for your Membership Customers
How To Use Influencers To Grow Your Membership Business
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