It’s that time of year. The holiday season has begun, and the New Year (and New Years resolutions!) are right around the corner. If your professional resolution this year is to get noticed and raise your profile, I have ten tips for you on how you can become a thought leader locally, regionally, or within your field.
1) Don’t assume that just because you want to be a “thought leader” that it will magically happen overnight
You would be amazed at the number of times an individual or organization has expressed to me that they “want to be known as a thought leader” with virtually no other context. That’s nice? I would like to wake up and be independently wealthy, speak fluent Spanish, know how to decorate beautiful cakes, and play the violin. And yet, none of those things are going to happen without dedicating my time and effort to making them occur. I mean, I don’t even buy lottery tickets. My odds are nil.
2) Explore WHY you want to be known as a thought leader
In other words, set goals. Knowing what you’re hoping to achieve allows you to structure your plan to best reach those goals. Are you interested in being more well-known locally, nationally, or within a particular sector? How will you measure that? What results do you want to see as a result of becoming more of a visible presence?
3) Identify your areas of expertise
Brainstorm the topics you are best equipped to provide advice, guidance, or commentary on. I recommend that people start by writing down anything that comes to mind, and then narrow it down afterwards by considering both what you are uniquely positioned to provide context on, what your targeted audiences are most interested in, and what topics best align with the goals (individual or organizational) that you previously identified. Staring at a blank page? Asking someone else (or ChatGPT) for assistance may be helpful in getting started.
4) Determine the factors that make your perspective unique and valuable
Why should someone select YOU as their source of information on a specific topic? What sets you apart from other potential candidates? Again, here I recommend not holding back. Put anything and everything you can think of on the list. These could be related to your professional experience, your personal experience, groups and associations you’re a part of, interests, hobbies, etc. For example, my list might say:
Experienced communication professional; both in-house and within my own agency
Extensive experience with communication efforts for nonprofits, associations, and on health and science topics
Communication strategist specializing in corporate communication, the strategy and content development behind consistently sharing an organization’s positive story with its targeted audiences or as I affectionately call it, serving as the “general contractor of the communication world”
Talented writer
Small business owner
Solopreneur
Woman business owner
Member of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus
Wake Forest University alumnus
Fairfax County/Northern Virginia/Greater DC area resident and business owner
Raised in North Carolina
Solo mom by choice
Mom to young kids
Avid reader
Living with a rare chronic disease
And that’s just my quick list. I could definitely add more. At this point, don’t worry about whether something is relevant. The more you can list here, the more possibilities you will have to pull from when you’re developing your pitches in a later step.
5) Make a list of target audiences
Who is your ideal target audience? This is, once again, where your goals come into play. Your audience will differ based on what you hope to ultimately accomplish. For example, one of my clients was interested in increasing the number of elective hip replacements she was performing. Her primary target audience was senior citizens aged 60+ (who are more likely to need hip replacements) within a specific region. Secondary audiences included recreational sports leagues, specifically those that leaned toward an older player population and the LGBT community, with which she identified.
6) Determine how to reach your target audiences
Research, research, and research. Use the method of your choice to track the data here, but this is the step where you dig into the potential venues and opportunities to reach your target audiences. Pick something that’s easy for you to update, as you’ll consistently be adding information here, both as you come across new opportunities and as you learn more about each option.
7) Develop a pitch specific to the potential venue/group/audience
You’ve got your list of potential opportunities (in progress). Don’t wait until you feel it’s exhaustive. Get a handful of potentials jotted down, and then pick 1-3 as your initial batch of connections. Choose the topic you think this particular audience would be most interested in hearing about and combine that with the relevant factors that make you the best option for them to learn about it from. Craft this into your pitch. While some of your pitch may remain the same from opportunity to opportunity, it’s similar to a cover letter – you need to update and personalize a few elements if you want to be in contention.
8) Be prepared and deliver what you promised
Your pitch has been selected, and you’ve been invited to participate in an opportunity that will help you reach your target audiences. Now, you need to carry through with it. Be prepared and professional. Making a good impression will not only help you connect with this particular audience but can also increase your chances of becoming a go-to source, and help you be invited to other venues.
9) Promote, promote, promote
Spread the word about what you are doing through whatever communication platforms you have available. Make it known that you are available to share your expertise and perspective. Once you have a specific thought leadership opportunity, create your own promotional content AND share and repost any promotional content that the host organization has created both before and after the event. The more traffic your article gets, the more attendees at your presentation, etc. the better the odds you’ll be invited to participate again or by different organizations.
10) Keep up the drumbeat
You’ve successfully gotten yourself out there. You gave a presentation, contributed an article, or were quoted. How will you continue to follow up with this audience? How will you continue to reach new audiences? Becoming a thought leader isn’t one and done; it’s a continuous process of putting yourself out there as an expert who is relatable and relevant to specific audiences. It may be time to look at your overall communication strategy and your web and social media presence.
Sound overwhelming? We’re here to help! Our GlowUp program is designed to help you get noticed and raise your profile locally or within your subsector. We specialize in helping healthcare professionals and/or individuals affiliated with nonprofits and associations increase their visibility by targeting local or niche groups, publications, and audiences of interest. Contact us for more information and sign up for our newsletter to receive further updates.