Becoming a Thought Leader on Social Media

Becoming a thought leader on social media involves knowing your audience, having a presence on the right platforms, being authentic, and using consistent engagement. Being a thought leader means others are looking to you for your expertise, advice, and input, which in turn allows you to stand out among the crowd. With all of these steps combined, you’ll soon be the go-to person your ideal audience and others in your industry look to! Let’s take a look. 

Know Your Audience

The first step to becoming a thought leader is understanding your audience and the types of questions/topics they’re currently searching for. What are the questions you’re seeing asked most often, both online and in person? Are there recurring comments on similar content in your industry? What are the top searches on TikTok regarding your industry? These are all essential pieces of information to have before you begin creating content. 

Choose a Platform(s)

Second, you need to know which platforms you should be on to share everything you have to say. To have your voice heard on a large scale, we highly recommend focusing on Instagram and TikTok. Instagram gives you a variety of content options like stories, reels, and carousels, that let you share your insights in different ways. TikTok is where you can truly shine with your authentic, candid thoughts. It’s the best platform for sharing quick, impactful insights that feel genuine and relatable! 

Be Yourself

Now that you know what your audience needs and you know which platforms to use, now you need to know how to stand out! We have one word for you: authenticity. Be yourself. You are already the expert on the topic, and others value your opinion. When you genuinely share your insights, experiences, and knowledge in a way that’s true to who you are, people are naturally drawn to you! 

Instagram Stories are a great way to directly reach your audience while offering interactive elements + encouraging a discussion from viewers. This a great place to film a video sharing industry insights, “how-to” guides, and answer common questions in your niche. This positions you as an expert and provides value to your audience!

Engage Consistently

One aspect of being a thought leader that is often forgotten is continually building the audience you’re speaking to! Make it a priority to interact with your audience regularly; responding to comments, asking for their opinions, and participating in discussions is a great way to do this. This engagement builds trust and encourages your audience to feel more invested in your content and ideas, which builds a stronger community.

Now that you have all the tools to be a thought leader in your industry, it’s time to apply them! If you’re finding that you don’t have time to do all the research, ideation, and implementation, we’d love to support you. CLICK HERE to learn more about what we do and how we’ve helped our clients become thought leaders in their industries.