In these economic times, it’s a good time to establish thought leadership for yourself or as a representative of your company. With a variety of social media tools available, it’s not too difficult to do and you’re sure to make a few friends along the way to grow your network of support.
So, how do you do this? Recently, I wrote about brand advocacy, how you can develop a list of your brand attributes and test it. So let’s take this one step further: where can you create brand perceptions and stories so that others will remember you?
The social media channels are obvious and well-known places, but are you using them?
LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn recently built in discussions into the Groups functionality (previously, it was only a badge of affiliation) and this is an easy way to do some ad-hoc networking. Try asking some thought-provoking or interesting questions that will catch the attention and interest of the group. For example, “What are your organization strategies?”–a topic broad enough to cover any profession, and people are always looking for ideas to be more efficient themselves.
Twitter
A lot of people are stumped at how to use Twitter. At first, you may announce that you are going to lunch or what you’re eating for lunch, but after a while, that isn’t so interesting since most people head off to lunch daily and often.
But when you start asking interesting questions (see above) or comment on things that interest you and relate to how you want to be remembered. A slip up or two is fine, shows that you’re human. Also the great thing is when you can find opportunities to help others. That is great thought leadership.
Facebook
Yes, you really can’t hide not even on Facebook. Sure, you can show a more personal side but just remember Big Brother is watching you!
It ain’t easy…
Thought leadership is the practice of learning and helping others, and knowing when to show your best talents! Sounds easy? It isn’t, and with some practice, you’ll find the best strategies for you.
PR Agencies, too, will benefit from thought leadership and are more likely to rise above the rest in these times.
If you have been really strong in this area, what do you think contributes to your success? Or what would you like to do to build thought leadership?
