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There were hundreds of articles, a lot of them making it seem like becoming a thought leader can be done in just a few simple steps.
The truth of the matter is that becoming a thought leader takes a lot of time, dedication, and work. It is not something that can be done overnight.
“It’s not enough to be good at what you do; a thought leader is meant to be the greatest form of praise, geared towards someone who is on the absolute cutting edge of their industry or making big enough moves to warrant the distinction.”
-Lauren Hockenson, author for The Next Web
Thought leaders have a great handle on the scope of their industry and have new and creative ideas on what to change and how to change it. They are more than just experts, however. They are the people at the top of their field who are pushing new ideas and practices.
They share information with the world through blogs, articles, events, webinars, podcasts, and books. They are skilled in sharing their expertise with the world.
This article is going to explore how to find your niche, share your message, and come up with new ideas that will position you as a thought leader.
There are plenty of articles available with the same 5 steps (Be a brand! Network with influencers! Guest post! etc.) But, we want to take a slightly different approach and explore how becoming an expert on one specific thing, and then leading in that, will create an impact on your business.
“Find what you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life, that's true. But also always try to fill a niche. What can you try to do that is different?”
-Lisa Vanderpump
When it comes to finding your niche topic, think about what you can offer that is specific and unique.
The phrase, “Go big, or go home” does not apply here.
Finding a smaller, specific niche, and then dominating it, will have a greater impact on your speaking business.
Once this has been developed, you can work your way up into bigger and broader topics.
But, where to start? Below are 21 questions that will help you to narrow in on your niche.
What do you love?
What do you know?
Who cares?
Once you have answered these questions, start making connections: where is there a cross over?
What areas of your expertise cross over into your passion?
What might people be interested in listening to or reading about?
Once you’ve got an idea of what your niche topic can be, it’s time to start creating.
If you are just starting to create content, don’t feel like you have to be perfect right away. This is a process and you will evolve. Finding the perfect way to both express yourself and reach your audience, in a way they both understand and like, is not always instantaneous.
Some of your content is going to be an unexpected big hit, and some will be inexplicably unpopular.
Some pieces you will research and work on for weeks, yet no one will share them. Whereas others you will throw together at the last minute, and they will boom!
As you go along, you will learn what your audience likes, what they need, and what will be most helpful and interesting to them.
“Identify your niche and dominate it. And when I say dominate, I just mean work harder than anyone else could possibly work at it. “
-Nate Parker
Start creating content on a regular basis. You should consider even stockpiling a good 20-30 pieces of content before you even start actively promoting that you are creating content.
It’s a great idea to always have 3-4 draft posts that are good to post at any time, as sometimes you may find yourself short on content (this will happen!)
Decide on what kind of content best suits you and your audience, and try repackaging your message in a variety of formats.
When writing your content, narrow the focus to the needs of your audience. While a 2-hour podcast might give you a lot of room to really explore a topic, will your audience be engaged enough to listen to the whole thing?
Be empathetic to the needs of your audience. Understanding what they need will help you create content and materials that will actually be useful and interesting to them.
If your content resonates with your audience, they’ll be more likely to share it with their network, and your audience will grow.
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
-Steve Jobs
Simply put: when it comes to being a thought leader, you have to think differently from everyone else. Then, inspire your audience to take your message, and use it to make changes in your industry.
While sharing and summarizing thoughts, ideas, and trends is helpful and has its place, when it comes to being a thought leader, the component that sets you apart from the crowd is the how you lead in new ideas.
What sets thought leaders apart? They:
Becoming a thought leader is not an overnight task. It is not really about DM’ing influencers on Twitter and asking them to like your latest blog post. Although we are not saying that this won’t have a positive effect on your business, it is more of a mindset and the effect you have on your industry.
It is finding a topic that you are passionate and knowledgeable about. Then, actively influencing changes in that particular area.
Sometimes, that will mean heading in the opposite direction of the crowd, challenging current paradigms, and the status quo.
Putting in the hours and effort will result in you becoming an influential, well-respected changemaker in your field, and will have a tremendous effect on your career and legacy.
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