As you build your course platform, establishing yourself as a thought leader will contribute to your business's growth. A thought leader is someone who has the reputation of offering valuable insights and sharing innovative ideas. They have a unique point of view and contribute to the conversation in meaningful ways. Looking into the future, they spot trends and inspire others to think differently and take action. While becoming an authority in your industry doesn’t happen overnight, here are six ways you can showcase your expertise and grow your thought leadership.
One way to connect with your audience is by creating high-quality content consistently. Build an engaged following by creating a blog, starting a YouTube channel, or launching a podcast. Focus on defining your audience, honing your messaging, and publishing relevant and valuable content. Stay organized by creating an editorial calendar and discover new topics by doing keyword research. Alternatively, you can collaborate with others by writing guest posts.
Listen to this episode of our podcast: Scaling Live Online Courses With Will Mannon.
Outside of creating content on your platform, write for notable publications in your field. Write about niche topics that will help you build your authority in the industry. Alternatively, aim to get featured or quoted. Connect with journalists by responding to queries from HARO: Help A Reporter Out.
Appearing as a guest on a podcast is a powerful way to get in front of your ideal audience. Podcast hosts invite guests who have valuable and thoughtful insights and interesting stories to share. By appearing as a guest, not only are you seen as a trusted expert, but you have the opportunity to connect with the host and form relationships with your peers. Get booked on podcasts by sending out pitches or using a service like MatchMaker.
Need more of a reason to collaborate with podcasters? Here are three benefits to guest podcasting.
Writing a book enhances your visibility and positions you as a subject matter expert. It’s a great way to distinguish yourself and promote your business. While you can go the traditional publishing route (with an agent and publishing house), self-publishing is a great way to quickly get your work out into the world. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Draft2Digital can help with distribution. In addition to creating a new income stream, give copies of your books to your students, or use them to land speaking gigs.
Getting invited to speak on stage showcases your expertise. Speaking demonstrates that you are knowledgeable and have valuable insights to share. While some conferences have a formal speaker submission process, others are invite-only. Use a service like iFindYouClose to find new speaking opportunities every month. Besides speaking at conferences, consider speaking inside closed memberships or Facebook groups.
Hosting a virtual summit and inviting thought leaders and experts in your industry to speak is an excellent way for you to align yourself with other influential people in your field. Your ability to bring industry leaders together under one roof will not go unnoticed. Hosting a virtual summit can grow your sphere of influence, network, and promote your business.
In this video, Eric Siu shares why becoming a thought leader is much easier than you might think.
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Danielle Desir is an author, freelance writer and the host of The Thought Card, an affordable-travel and personal finance podcast. (danielledesir.com) Follow on Twitter: @thethoughtcard