If you’ve ever watched or listened to a true expert speak about their subject, chances are they impressed you and the rest of their audience by giving valuable insights. It’s almost magical watching the response at a live event if someone genuinely knows their stuff and shares generously - without simply resorting to showing off or a blatant pitch.
The ones who do generate a huge amount of attraction, right? It’s almost funny when you think about it. After all, one of the topics that you hear time and again in business circles is how vital it is to stand out from the competition. And yet, how many actually do?
True thought leadership is the result of sharing our insights in ways that are genuinely valued by others. It’s a route that’s open to all of us. It generates far more trust, far more quickly, than a fortune in advertising. So if it’s so great, why aren’t more people using it?
Relevance, Timing and Relatability Are Key
For many years, one of the most common things said about the internet was “Content is king.” The problem with that statement is that few knew what to do in response. Some just threw up any old content and got some sales as a result. But that tactic quickly wore thin as the internet grew up.
Then came the idea of “being everywhere”. But who has the time and budget to do that? Not any normal business owners we know. So while that strategy might sound catchy from certain marketing gurus, it’s simply not practical for focused business owners.
Instead, what has gradually emerged is a solid understanding of the kind of content that is deemed of value to target audiences. Like many truths, the essence of the idea wasn’t exactly new, but the specific “how to” was, in terms of how to make it work online. But the bottom line is, the only content worth having must be relevant, timely and relatable...
Thought Leaders Actually Help Solve Real Problems
When you think about it, most marketing seems to be based on the idea that the potential buyer is ready to buy right now. So the business pitch simply says “Our thing is great. You should buy it. Today.” Of course, this is an exaggerated simplification. However...
How many businesses are doing a great job of stepping into the shoes of their potential customers (their ideal target market - not just any possible buyer) and educating them on how to arrive at a great solution for the problem that business solves?
Thought leadership is based on the confidence that if you can provide great advice to your potential buyer, they will be far more trusting and likely to buy than if you simply pitch your product or service features and benefits. Well positioned and executed education is the key.
LinkedIn Is a Highly Effective Marketing Platform for Thought Leaders
What we have seen year after year is that business owners who lead with valuable content as their LinkedIn marketing strategy become established as LinkedIn thought leaders. And when that happens, their influence and business grows at a far faster rate.
In fact, this is such a highly proven strategy that LinkedIn’s own algorithms reward its members who share valued content, by sharing their content far more widely than others.
Through our experience of applying these principles over the years, we have distilled this into our own BEEP Method system, underpinned by our own LinkedIn marketing tools and other industry-leading tools. Our clients have found this to be the simplest, fastest and most effective approach they have ever tried - and the results have been dramatic.
If this has piqued your interest...
If you're interested in finding out more about how our tools and our proven BEEP Method system could help you grow your business far faster and more effectively, click below to schedule a free Discovery Call with one of our Beep2B business growth consultants.
