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Growth-focused firms often overlook one valuable tool: thought leadership. Forget the hard sell—instead, it hinges on educating and providing value that positions you as an expert in your field. While it may feel counterintuitive not to lead with your firm’s pitch, the approach builds credibility and can attract new clients.
Examples of thought leadership posts or talking points include, “The top five accounting challenges restaurants face, and how they can overcome them” or “How CEOs can get out of the back office and back to leading.” These kinds of ideas, while high level, can open conversations that convert to interest and new business.
One note before we dive into these tips: take time to do a thought leadership review. Identify the areas you have experience in, who you want to talk to, and what you hope to accomplish. If you feel like you need a jump start, ask colleagues and clients to weigh in. What expertise do they see in you? What advice have you given that has impressed them? You’ll be surprised by how quickly you can build your expert profile.
Now, here are three ways you can turn your expertise into revenue.
1. Secure speaking engagements
Speaking at relevant conferences and events can put you directly in front of your ideal clients. Identify industry conferences and local business organizations that are a good fit for the businesses you want to connect with.
Be sure to take the organization’s speaker guidelines into consideration. Next, craft a description of what you will discuss and include the value you offer attendees.
If your proposal is accepted, you will need a biography, a headshot, and a presentation. All of these items will be used by the organization to market the event, which means more exposure for you! Ensure you reserve time during the presentation and after to take questions, meet attendees, and share your contact information.
An additional approach is to speak at accounting conferences, sharing your experiences and how they can inform other firms. This can open opportunities for valuable partnerships and referral networks.
Tip: Have an evergreen presentation in your back pocket. That way, if an opportunity arises, you can streamline your preparation and leverage similar content across different events.
2. Step up on social media
Social media is a meaningful tool for building your thought leadership profile. Select social media channels that align with your strengths and where your target audience is active. Share industry news and emerging trends, being sure to feature your advice on how the information may affect your clients and prospects. In addition to posting, you also want to engage with other thought leaders, media outlets, and business professionals by replying, commenting on or sharing their content.
LinkedIn, in particular, is an ideal social media channel to begin with, as it already hosts a large number of business professionals. You can optimize your profile, share and comment on other posts, create a regular cadence of original thought leadership articles, and target recipients.
Tip: It takes time to build up your social media presence. Focusing on one or two channels—instead of trying to build on every channel—lets you maximize effort, ensure quality, and conserve time.
3. Become a source for media
Public relations can also amplify your thought leadership. Find publications favored by your ideal audience and pitch yourself as a source for coverage related to trends or breaking news. For example, if new tax regulations are released, offer to talk about what they mean and how they may affect businesses. You can also pitch ideas for articles you write, often called byline articles. While more work to create than a 20-minute interview, they allow your voice to be shared directly with readers.
By contributing to or writing articles for publications to feature, you can reach a wider audience and build more credibility for your position as a leader in your field. Ensure that your pitches highlight the unique insights and value you bring to the table.
Tip: Focused on a specific industry? Explore trade publications. They’re often looking for quality input and contributions and may be more accessible than in-demand outlets like nationwide news organizations.
Turning insights into growth
Effectively marketing yourself as a thought leader involves a strategic mix of speaking engagements, social media presence, and public relations efforts—and much more! By focusing on education rather than sales for this marketing project, you’ll build a reputation that can attract new business.
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