Executive thought leadership has become a popular trend. More and more corporates and smaller companies are dipping their feet in fresh waters for the first time, electing a spokesperson to showcase their expertise, whether that be in finance, tech, industrials, or else.
However, many executives often wonder what platforms their thought leadership should focus on. Should media engagement be prioritised over social media, and is it necessary to speak at events?
Of course, many executives will be time-poor, especially those at the top, which can sway them to elect one thought leadership platform over another. Yet, thought leadership is a timely process and requires a commitment – it’s most effective when all platforms are utilised in unison.
With this in mind, in this article, we break down each platform executive thought leaders must use to engage their audiences, and why none can be left out of their strategy.
Traditional and digital media
Traditional and digital media are the bread and butter of thought leadership. They generate Google search results and enhance credibility when a good story is featured in a national like The Times.
But despite the importance of these platforms and their ever-growing prominence with more and more online publications launched each year, many executives fail to make use of them.
Perhaps this is down to uncertainties regarding how they can reach out to journalists, or what makes a good media pitch, but quite often it’s because executives mistakenly believe thought leadership across owned media or social media platforms like LinkedIn is satisfactory.
This is a huge mistake.
If anything, any thought leadership content should supplement media relations, and not the other way around since you’ll want to drive traffic to the best coverage that showcases your expertise.
Either make use of your company’s in-house communications team if it has one or contact an executive thought leadership expert who can help you with your media relations strategy.
Broadcast
Executives should also aspire to appear on broadcast television. It is consistently ranked as the most trusted media platform for audiences across Europe.
Moreover, broadcast footage allows executives to repurpose the content for their social media and blogs, and their company’s marketing materials, which brings additional value.
Broadcast producers also often reapproach their experts for comments on new stories they are covering, meaning executives can constantly benefit from these long-term relationships. All that’s required is a willingness to be seen and heard on camera and the right preparation, all of which good media training can help with.
Social media
Social media can never be absent from an executive thought leadership strategy since it’s the media platform audiences most interact with and expect thought leaders to be active on. The fact that more people follow CEOs and founders than the companies they lead speaks volumes.
Executives should expect to contribute to their LinkedIn and Twitter feeds at least twice a week, sharing media coverage, drafting insightful thought leadership posts, and engaging with their audiences by responding to feedback and commenting on other thought leadership posts.
Doing so effectively can help thought leaders grow a large following over time, which is critical to maximise the number of people engaging with and resharing their thought leadership content.
In-person events
But while online visibility is great, audiences also expect to see executive thought leaders taking in-person action. Appearing and speaking at conferences is a great way to do this.
Attending these events shows that the executive is passionate and serious about the issues they speak about, rather than simply commenting on random issues online purely for engagement.
Besides, many investors and potential clients attend industry events, which makes them the perfect networking and business development opportunity to capitalise on.
How do you secure a position at one of these events? It’s simple. Craft a compelling pitch and send it to the organisers outlining your experience and what you’d like to speak about while providing supporting media coverage to show them that you’re the real deal.
Alternatively, if you’re a successful and well-followed thought leader, organisers will often approach you across your social media platforms. So, always keep an eye out there!
Website blogs
Lastly, consider sharing your thought leadership content on your personal and company blogs. This is particularly important when starting as an executive thought leader since you’ll want to focus on building your brand and driving traffic to your content.
Make sure to update your blogs consistently with long and short-form content that is SEO optimised, and ensure you are leveraging images and videos to diversify your content and make it more digestible. Then, share your blog posts across your social media platforms.
It’s worth contacting an expert when building your blog since you’ll want it to appear as professional as possible. Otherwise, you can opt to use a website builder, there are many options to choose from.
A good blog will typically be very clear, simplistic, well-researched, and laser-focused on your target audiences. Over time, it will rank highly on Google search results for your name. If audiences don’t find your coverage, your blog will help guide them to any news about you.
