Circles of Influence: 4 stages of establishing your thought leadership

Maria Dykstra

Thought Leadership“A type of content marketing where you tap into the talent, expertise and passion within your company to answer the biggest questions on the particular topic for your target audience”.

~Michael Brenner

Marketers trust Thought Leaders 10x more than they trust corporate blogs

People are 10x more likely to share content from an influencer than a corporate blog

10x

4. INDUSTRY OUTREACH

3. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

2. YOUR STORY: Your Narrative

1. YOUR “WHY”

4 Circles of Influence: From internal“Why” to Industry Leadership

1. Your “Why”Most Crucial of All Circles: helps achieve internal and external clarity required for commitment to the process

➔ Internal: Brand Definition and Messaging The “Why” Behind your brand & Hedgehog concept: Passion, Competency, Economic Drive

➔ External: Market SituationIndustry trends, niche audiences and micro-communities

“Great Leaders must have two things:

A vision of the world that does not exist yet and the ability to communicate this

vision clearly”

~ Simon Sinek

TipDefine your own “why” and your vision with Golden Circle by Simon Sinek and Hedgehog concept by Jim Collins

Sir Richard Branson. Known for more than the Founder of the Virgin Group with 400 companies...

An adventurous traveler who made many world record attempts, a relentless philanthropist and a humanitarian working to solve difficult world conflicts.

TipUnderstand your passion and drive that will help you persevere through multiple sets backs you will experience along the way

2. YOUR STORY: Your Narrative

2. Your StoryCreate your narrative and tell it consistently across all available channels

➔ Authority WebsiteYour messaging, social proof, awards, publications

➔ Social Media Presence Consistent branding across social media profiles; integrated narrative and inluencer content

➔ Content Strategy Well planned editorial calendar, strategy, asset map and distribution plan

“You have everything you need to build something bigger than yourself…

starting a blog is everything you need to know about

marketing”

~ Seth Godin

TipIn a crowded market not standing out is the same as being invisible. Focus on producing remarkable content, measure effectiveness of your communication and adjust accordingly

Barbara Corcoran is not only good at selling appartements...Long before she became a Shark Tank celebrity she realized that getting press was good for business. She launched the Corcoran report, a bi-annual summary of New York real-estate trends

3. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

3. Audience EngagementYour audience lives in micro-communities. You must make a conscience effort to find them and engage them in a conversation

➔ Community outreachBe a leader of a niche community, lead the movement, make yourself known

➔ Audience growth and engagementConnect, Contact and Converse with other Influencers and general audience

“We are moving from a world where computing power was scarce to a

place where it is limitless, and where the true scarce commodity is

increasingly human attention”

~ Satya Nadella

TipGaining Influence is now synonymous with building community

Brian Solis is a recognized keynote speaker also known as a digital futurist He warned us of the attention deficit back in 2010. He is focused on the future of marketing that will be about creating meaningful experiences

TipFocus on experiences and connections above all. Lead your audience towards common goal and vision

4. INDUSTRY OUTREACH

4. Industry and Media OutreachPresence at the events and coverage in media further establish your position as the thought leader

➔ Industry and Event LeadershipSeek opportunities to influence the entire industry via engagement in key industry partners, milestones and events

➔ Earned Media Engage with top journalists, bloggers and influencers and use their platform to share your message

“Every niche has influencers who have cultivated huge audiences. Your

goal is to borrow that audience and credibility”

~ Andy CrestodinaTipIn the past earned media was traditionally referred to as media relations, Modern definition of earned media includes connection with bloggers, influencers and investors