One of the most popular terms in marketing today is “thought leadership”, and while some use it as a buzzword to describe any authority gained on a subject, the reality of the process goes much deeper than that.
Becoming a thought leader means positioning yourself or your company as an expert within your field, the place people go first when they want answers, ideas, or analysis. Sure, consumers still want to hear about specific products, and promotional content will continue to draw interest and drive traffic and sales, but when a business is able to elevate its status to that of a thought leader, it means that users are seeing them as something different than a sales medium.
Research shows that some 96% of all B2B companies want more content from industry thought leaders. Through an effective thought leadership program, you can build brand equity, and consumers and other businesses will end up looking to you for answers, and will trust what you have to say. This can provide you with a terrific opportunity to share your views, and shape the conversation, which then creates more sustainable growth than a single product or concept.
Social media offers the most direct access to consumers on the internet, so it should be the focus of any thought leadership strategy. Here are eight social media-related methods that can be used to boost your reputation as a thought leader.
1. Provide Quality Content
It should almost go without saying that you need to provide excellent, timely content on a regular basis as part of any thought leadership program.
The internet is rife with information, but much less forthcoming […]
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