When you already have expertise in an area, becoming a thought leader is about getting your voice out there. To achieve this status, you're going to need to trust your gut and create content that is original and engaging. You will need to work on a website that expresses your creativity. You'll also need to become comfortable with putting yourself out there. You are worth the attention, and there is no shame in owning that.
Your website will be the hub of your content. While you can and should share content on other platforms like Medium or SWAAY, having your own website with your brand’s logo puts you in the best position for personal branding. If you have trouble with coding and designing a logo on your own, you can use an online logo maker to do the technical work for you, so you can focus on your own field of expertise.
Here is what you need to know about the process of becoming a thought leader.
What is thought leadership?
The definition of thought leadership is constantly shifting. This should come as no surprise, since leaders prefer to change things rather than maintaining the status quo. Similar to this tactic, thought leadership is therefore about putting content into the world that is original and forward thinking.
It is content that you won’t be able to find elsewhere because it comes from your unique perspective. It challenges perceptions and gets people talking. Even if people do not agree with your ideas, they are changed for having heard them.
With this definition in mind, here are the 4 things you need to become a thought leader:
1. A strong sense of self
Reading content written by a thought leader, you will always get a sense that they have an abundance of confidence. However, this is not necessarily the case. Confidence is important, but there is something far more fundamental. That is a strong sense of self.
With a strong sense of self, you know full well that you have a unique way of seeing the world. No one can make you doubt that, even if you struggle with the confidence to actually make yourself heard.
In other words, thought leadership is not about the confidence to be oblivious to what other people think. It is, however, knowing exactly who you are, even if you crave external validation.
2. A website
As mentioned, a website is necessary if you are to actualise yourself as a thought leader. While there are many great platforms like SWAAY giving women the space to be heard, leadership does require a space of your own.
To build a website, you simply need to choose the right web building platform. You can choose a theme and their software will do all the concrete design work for you.
Beyond the design of your website, something you do need to pay attention to is how you brand yourself. Choose a domain name that represents you and pay for it – having your own custom domain name shows belief in yourself. Design a logo that stands out. Have professional-looking photos taken for your bio.
3. Social media accounts
Many thought leaders hate social media. After all, social media is often about finding an echo chamber and never listening to any differing opinions. However, it is still necessary for businesses and content creators in 2021.
Social media gives your followers easier access to you, so that they can share their own thoughts and engage with your content. It is also the best way of getting your voice heard, finding people who might be interested in getting to know your point of view.
If you start a podcast or any other subscription service, social media advertising is the best way to target the right people. We have never had as much ability to choose the perfect demographics on whom to spend our precious marketing budget. You can go so far as to choose people in a specific region with a specific education who are interested in specific topics.
4. A mailing list
There are two types of people in this world: those who subscribe to mailing lists and those who can’t imagine why anyone would. If you are among the latter, the chances are you don’t know just how valuable a mailing list can be. Mailing lists provide the most effective way of engaging with your community.
People enjoy mailing list content, even if it is just a summary of the topics you have written or spoken about over the past week. It gives them the opportunity to go directly to those links if they happen to be interested in a title.
There are a lot of great mailing list softwares out there, so you do not have to worry about the admin of formatting or keeping track of your followers as your list grows. You don’t even need original content to share in the newsletter itself, as long as you can link to the excellent and relevant content you are putting out into the world that aligns with your mission.
