7 Ways You Can Leverage Social Media to Build Thought Leadership

Industry professionals strive to set themselves apart from other experts in their respective fields. One of the effective ways to do so is by becoming a thought leader. The term 'Thought leader' runs deeper than just being a professional who is an expert in a subject or industry.

Thought leadership goes beyond just being knowledgeable; it's a concept that drives engaging conversations and discussions that inspire others and encourage them to make an impact. And the modern way to build thought leadership is through the internet. 

In today's digital era, where the majority of the world's population is on social media, what could be a more diverse platform to influence people? In this blog post, we've shared a quick guide on how industry experts can make use of social media to build thought leadership.

1. Create an Inspiring Profile
2. Create Quality Content 
3. Provide Original Research
4. Join Groups and Discussions
5. Build Your Network
6. Engagement Is Vital
7. Use a Soft Sales Approach

List with detailed information

Create an Inspiring Profile

As a thought leader, you're the face of your brand and everything it stands for. The first and foremost thing people would notice about you is your social media profile. From your bio content to your profile picture – your profile should be short, clear, and engaging, adding to your credibility and giving visitors a reason to look for more.

For this, you can take inspiration from the profiles of established leaders who enjoy a heavy following on social media for their work. 

Besides, make sure to change your content regularly in order to remain relevant. You can also add your email address in your bio so that people can easily contact you. 

Create Quality Content 

To sustain on social networking sites and build a loyal customer base, it is vital to ensure that the content you create should be of high caliber. From following the top trends for editing to posting regularly, your ideas must be delivered keeping in mind the updated trends. 

And irrespective of technical glitches, you must ensure that you regularly post informative content. For instance, many mac users face the issue of 'how to open msg files on mac', which can make them avoid sharing important posts with their followers. Do not let such issues stop you from following the content calendar. 

Besides, your content should be insightful since the internet is already filled with tons of similar information. How is your content unique from others?

Provide Original Research

To be an authentic and reliable resource for your followers, it is vital that you share quantifiable data and factual information from your personal or industry experience. This not only shows that you aim to educate your audience but also suggests how serious and committed you're to your trade. 

In fact, even if you don't have your own source of data, there's no harm in sharing verifiable results from other industry leaders with your audience. After all, your goal should be to provide the latest and most accurate information that could benefit your readers in any which way. 

Join Groups and Discussions

As a thought leader, it's your primary job to engage in striking conversations with like-minded individuals to positively influence people with your ideologies. You can join different LinkedIn and Facebook groups to share perspectives, answer questions, and network with industry experts to increase brand awareness. 

Join groups that are related to your industry/niche to find relevant audiences and share content that could ignite meaningful and learning conversations. Plus, try to focus more on quality than quantity – instead of becoming a member of different groups and participating in none, it's better to join at least 3-4 groups and actively participate in them. 

Build Your Network

Thought leaders aspire to impart expert advice to make an impact, but to reach a wide audience; you need to have a high following on different social media channels. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the ones with a heavy number of active users. 

For this, social media marketing can help you build your network and attract the right people. Promotions through regular content, paid ads, and local events can help get more people to follow you. SMM experts suggest posting interesting and shareable content can be of great help. 

In fact, you should network with industry leaders and influencers to strengthen relations, expand your community, and build credibility. Plus, when you start collaborating with other influential personalities, you amplify your voice and increase visibility.

Engagement Is Vital

In addition to posting content regularly, it is equally important that you engage with your audience. Be responsive in responding to the comments on your posts, as well as answering all the queries your followers might have. 

Striking a dialogue with people who are interested in your ideologies and work is an effective way to build your network. Other than interacting with your audience, it's beneficial to engage with professionals and other industry experts within your sphere for mutual collaboration. For this, jump onto discussions, engage on their posts, and offer them additional information that shows your knowledge and expertise. 

All of this will eventually put you on people's radar, and more people will be interested in collaborating with you. 

Use a Soft Sales Approach

The main factor which separates thought leadership from standard marketing is an unobtrusive sales approach. Do not try to sell too hard. Since, in most cases, the goal of thought leadership is eventually to grow business, following an aggressive sales pitch can destroy the credibility of your content. 

And in today's age, where consumers are well aware of how the marketing world works, selling too hard can bring your reputation down. 

Thus, try to use a soft sales approach where your main focus should be on educating society and making a positive impact. The task of selling in between is what you've to figure out.

Taking a Quick Recap

When leveraging social media as a tool to become a thought leader, engagement is the key to success. In addition, posting relevant and shareable content consistently is what will allow your audience to remember you.

Lastly, if you're seeking positive results from social media, patience, and consistency is what you should have to make an impact.