By: John Bowes, Senior Account Manager
In simple terms, thought leadership means sharing valuable insights, expertise, and perspectives that help others solve problems or understand trends in your industry.
By sharing your knowledge, you build trust, elevate your brand, and establish credibility. And the best part? You don’t need to be a large, well-known company to become a thought leader. Here’s how to get started.
Step 1: identify your niche expertise
As a small business, you already know a lot about your industry and have specific areas where your expertise shines.
Identify what makes your business unique — whether it’s a specialised service, deep knowledge of your market, or innovative approaches to common challenges.
This particular set of knowledge and expertise is unique to you and your business, so you’re better placed than anyone else to talk about what you have learned.
No matter how specific this knowledge might be, it’s a big, wide, world, and there will be people out there facing the specific challenges that you know how to solve, so that’s the obvious place to start.
Step 2: share insights on industry trends and challenges
A key element of thought leadership is addressing current industry trends and pain points. Look for emerging issues or questions that your target audience might have and address these in your content.
The key thing is to always ask yourself what value you are giving to the reader and to aim to educate, not just promote your services. Your audience wants knowledge that helps them, not a sales pitch.
The good news is that today’s digital world offers you more channels than ever before to start publishing your insights.
So, for example, you can create a blog on your website and updating it regularly with your perspective on industry developments. Your LinkedIn page provides another opportunity to share quick insights, opinions, and articles on industry changes.
It’s important to remember that it’s a continuous process, so you’ll need to ensure your own knowledge and insight is up to date. Perhaps consider attending webinars, trade shows, or industry events and write recaps or summaries for your audience.
Step 3: share case studies and draw on real-life examples
As the famous quote by C.P. Scott goes, ‘comment is free but facts are sacred’. The more evidence you can offer up to support your insights, the more people will be inclined to listen to and believe what you’re saying. This is where case studies shine.
They show how your expertise translates into results. Share stories that highlight how your products or services have solved real-world challenges for clients. These examples help to validate your expertise and demonstrate that you can deliver on what you discuss (find how to write an impactful case study here).
Step 4: consider collaborating with industry publications or influencers
Publishing content in respected industry publications or collaborating with influencers can boost your credibility and expand your reach. Look for the niche B2B publications, blogs, or influencers who cover your area expertise. Pitch article ideas that provide fresh insights or address specific issues in your industry.
Step 5: make thought leadership part of your social media strategy
Social media is a powerful platform to share your insights, connect with industry peers, and engage your target audience. If you’re new to social media marketing, focus on one or two platforms where your audience is most active—LinkedIn is ideal for b2b businesses. Post regularly and encourage interaction with your audience by asking questions, sharing industry news, and inviting them to share their thoughts.
To maximise engagement and keep things fresh, ideally, you’ll want to use a mix of content formats, such as videos, articles, and infographics, to keep your audience engaged. And don’t be afraid to repurpose content — the content of a blog post can also make a great short LinkedIn article, or the results featured in a case study might lend themselves to an infographic.
Step 6: measure and adapt your strategy
It’s important to track how your thought leadership efforts are performing and keep adapting as needed. Tools like google analytics and social media insights can help you understand what content resonates most with your audience. Pay attention to which topics generate the most engagement and adjust your output accordingly.
Start today
Positioning yourself as a thought leader doesn’t necessarily require a large budget – but it does demand a genuine interest in sharing your expertise and building connections within your industry. You’re not alone, however, and a good PR consultancy will do a lot of the hard work for you.
By following these steps and staying consistent, you can position your company as a trusted voice, opening doors to new clients and growth opportunities.
Thought leadership is an ongoing effort, but with a little patience and dedication, your business can become a valued industry voice that clients seek out.
If you're looking for a good PR agency to help you become a thought leader in your industry then please reach out to our team on contact@thejargongroup.com.