In a prior post, I wrote about why your company should strive to be recognized as a “thought leader.” In short, because people:
- Want the companies they do business with to be like sharks… always moving forward.
- Love an adventure and want to join you on yours.
- Like to be offered a comprehensive suite of related products or services.
- Prefer to work for a company that is revolutionizing its industry.
Sign us up!
So how do you begin to establish your company as a thought leader?
- Start thinking — The phrase “thought leaders” uses “thought” rather than “action” because what they do initially is simply imagine a better product or service and share their ideas. How could your offering set a new standard?
- Dare to be different — New ideas have a way of making people uncomfortable. Expect some push back and dissenting voices. In fact, embrace that reaction. It may be telling you you’re on to something.
- Get unstuck from the status quo — You work in an industry that hasn’t changed in decades. No problem. We live in an age where new technology, new business models, and new attitudes are popping up every day. Surely you can leverage one of them to change how you operate.
- Color your content — Content marketing is powerful even if it simply addresses the way things are today. Tint it with some opinions on your industry’s fantastic future and you’ll attract even more followers.
- Get some press — Stories on the same old widget? Not very interesting. A story on ideas for an amazing new widget? Now you’ve got my attention.
- Be an active advocate — Talk about your ideas whenever you have the opportunity. In your presentation at an industry event, in the monthly meeting of your trade organization, etc.
- Refresh to impress — To help signal your move from industry also-ran to industry thought leader, consider an updated visual identity.
- Turn words into actions — While painting a picture of a bright, exciting future is part of thought leadership, taking steps to lead people to it should be the natural end result of this process. It may not be that every idea you have is achievable (e.g. some may require advances in technology that haven't yet been made), but at least some of your visions need to become reality if your audience is to continue to trust, respect, and follow you.
Not Overnight, but Over Time
We’ve been fortunate to work with a number of great companies and help them establish themselves as leaders in their field. It’s a process that takes consistent effort and patience. But the beauty of it is that the first time you publicly utter the phrase, “We believe that…” and follow it up with your unique perspective on some issue, you have begun to separate yourself from the crowd. And you’ll be amazed at what being the frontrunner can do for your business.
