Effective thought leadership makes readers think about something in a new light. In my meetings with clients, we often look at the individuals who are being responsive to posts.
The substantiveness of their comments tells a lot about how the content moved them and why. I like to dive into what made them take the time to respond to improve my strategy moving forward. For one client, we’re seeing people from across the organization talking to each other and having side conversations on the feed. That proves the content’s resonance and meaning. I also track who is commenting for the first time as this demonstrates that the content is gaining momentum and people who would normally glance are making time to engage.
Here are four things that the best thought leadership will activate in readers:
Follow You on Social
The most effective thought leaders are interested in expanding their sphere of influence and building their following. So if a reader really connects with your thought leadership and finds it of value, you’ll want them to follow your company AND you on social media platforms, of course, including LinkedIn (this can include subscribing to your LinkedIn newsletter). Do your part too, by responding to any comments they make.
Embed Their Post with Your Content
In addition to the traditional way of sharing a post with or without a comment, you’ll want fans to embed your post into theirs. If they are writing a LinkedIn article and want to include your published thought leadership, they can embed the post. Here’s how it works: click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the post, select “Embed this post” and copy the code. Then insert it into the content. This will show the post as it appears on LinkedIn.
Research You
When a follower finds consistent value in your content, you’ll want them to research you and your company to learn more. This may include looking at your website, products, and services as well as news articles and videos in which you/your company appear that provide a glimpse into strength of character and personality. It may also include signing up for your newsletter or
product/service announcements. Why is this important? People want to do business with people and companies they know, like, and trust.
Test It Out
Reading great thought leadership and then putting it into action is a strong acknowledgment of its effectiveness. When people do this, it puts your brand into their consciousness. That means that the next time they are tasked with making a business decision, the positive experience they had with your brand will impact their decision-making.
Get Buzzy
Posting original, compelling content is akin to starting a conversation. As a thought leader, you hope that this leads people to start talking about you, your company, and your services to others in their business circle. This will drive more interest and traffic to your website and social channels. Don’t forget to check your Google Analytics each time you post thought leadership, or your CRM if that’s how it’s getting pushed out, to see how well it’s connecting customers to your brand and leading them to take action.
Keep these desired customer actions in mind when creating your thought leadership strategy.
