How to become a Thought Leader on Social Media

Whether you’re the real deal or not, becoming a thought leader on social media is very possible and the rewards are often times, mouthwatering!

Why is this so you ask?

The social media. The social media makes thought leadership quite easier.

With the power of social media’s “share and like” button, you don’t need to be a Harvard Prof, to become a thought leader.

At this point you may be wondering, Victor what are you even saying?

Well, what I’m saying is that you can become a social media thought leader regardless of who you are…

And I’m going to teach you how to become a social media thought leader in this guide.

What’s a Thought Leader?

A thought leader is someone who is very knowledgeable about a subject matter in such a way that they are regarded as experts in those areas…

And their opinion are well sought after and widely recognized as being authoritative.

In short, a thought leader is an influential person recognized in a particular niche and whose opinion and actions are well respected.

You know what?

Before now, you needed to be well learned, widely published and well recognized in mainstream media before you can be regarded as a thought leader.

With the advent of social media, a lot has changed.

And most importantly, to the favor of those who wouldn’t have had an opportunity to become thought leaders.

Now, enough of this stories!

So, how can you become a thought leader on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms?

Well, I’ll tell you how…

But before that, I want you to know that even though it sounds so cool, becoming a thought leader on social media takes a lot of work, creativity and consistency.

Now, here’s how to become a thought leader on social media…

Find a Niche

To become a social media thought leader, you need to be recognized as an expert in a specific niche, industry or subject matter.

So, the first step on your thought leadership quest is to find a niche.

To find a suitable niche, you want to begin to ask yourself; why do I want to become a thought leader and who’s my target audience?

As soon as you discover the niche that will suit your goal, the next thing is to find out your expertise.

Do you have what it takes to become a thought leader in this niche or will you have to go out there to learn the basics before getting started?

It’s possible to start your thought leadership journey either as a growing expert or a complete beginner in any niche.

But, both needs different skills.

And starting in a niche you already have some experience or expertise is a lot easier.

Choose a Platform

Now that you’ve found a niche, which platform do you want to build your brand as a social media thought leader?

It’s true there are a handful of social media platforms out there but…

You can’t really build your brand on all the social media platforms.

It doesn’t make sense.

For a start, choose at least one or two platforms and start building your brand from there.

But, before getting to this point, you need to find out the platforms that caters to your target audience.

If your target audience are professionals for instance then LinkedIn will be more valuable to you.

And if you’re trying to reach out to millenials and Gen Z then you’d be better off using Instagram and TikTok.

Don’t try to be on all platforms.

Build a Brand

After choosing a social media platform, it’s time to build your brand.

As a social media thought leader, you don’t just want people to find out about you by chance, you want to intentionally create a brand that reveals who you are.

Since you already know your target audience and niche, it’s time to take photographs, write bios and get together all details that will befit a thought leader in your niche.

If you’ve written a book, made some innovation or strategic collaboration, here’s the chance to feature it in your profile.

PS: You might not have any jaw dropping profile to share. But you can create one and tell all the story about it as part of your content.

This can also cement your identity as an authentic thought leader.

Create Content

One factor that’ll get you widespread recognition as a thought leader on the social media is your content.

So as an aspiring thought leader, you need to create content.

And not just any content, you need to create exceptional content if you want to get exceptional results.

To get ideas for the content, find out the highly recognized thought leaders in your niche.

What kind of content do they create?

Get in there and create content around these topical areas…

Make it richer, well worth the read and add your own personality to each of these content.

Promote yourself

You’ll hardly be recognized as a social media thought leader unless you tell the world about who you are.

So, after creating a great bio and writing great content, you still need to go out there and promote your stuff.

Now there are many ways to promote yourself as a thought leader either on the social media or offline and I’m going to list 3 of them below…

1. Collaborate.
   Decide to work with other thought leaders like you to either create content or organize trainings.

Such collaborations will open up your brand to new audiences while cementing your leadership among your peers, within the eyes of your audience.

2. Get a website

To become even more recognized, get a website where people can locate you and your brand.

This has a way of heightening your authenticity. And you can get one from our experts here.

3. Promote your content

Don’t just write and share on your social media handle, promote your content.

Where it’s possible to use hash tags, use them effectively.

Share to niche groups, forums and politely encourage your followers to share your work.

This will get your ideas a wider reach.

Connect with Thought Leaders

Connecting with other thought leaders has a way of increasing your reputation.

Especially where the thought leaders are reputable themselves.

For a start, you might not get the chance to connect with high level thought leaders in your niche considering that you’re a beginner.

To get past this, you can start with other thought leaders within your range.

Otherwise to reach the more established ones, you can start with building a symbiotic relationship that’s beneficial to them.

Or you can also volunteer in a way that will be valuable for them.

I’ve seen a lot of new thought leaders use volunteering to enhance their brands.

Write a book

Ever thought about how the description; “bestselling author of XYZ” will look on your profile?

Well, there’s no better time to make it come true as now that you’re planning to become a social media thought leader.

Yes.

Like it or not becoming a published author takes a lot of work and effort.

People will always recognize this. Especially if your book’s content is really valuable.

And getting your book out there for the whole world is a big way to demonstrate your expertise.

You want to bank on this free publicity to cement your authority and expand your reach.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have all the expertise and experience needed, a lot of research and personal case studies can serve as a replacement for experience.

To make things a lot easier for you, begin to write a book and promote the hell about your book.

Final Words

There are many other ways to become a thought leader on social media. But out of these, one of the most important things needed from you is consistency.

As a social media thought leader, don’t just show up once in a while. Show up consistently.

Comment on trending topics in your niche. Create content and share with your audience.

Instead of just creating one form of content, wrap up a mix of content from time to time.

Use live videos when you have to. It expands your reach.

Throw up well shot pictures here and there and then use story telling as part of your content strategy to sell your brand.

Using these strategies, you can become the next social media thought leader before your very eyes.

So, right now it’s your turn. Which of these strategies will be most helpful to you?