How to build credibility and trust as a business owner (using smart thought leadership tactics)

With the right approach, any industry professional or business can lift their profile and get noticed by the right people and companies.

Standing out in any industry can be tough. So how does someone get noticed for their professional skills (or lift the profile of their company) in amongst so much clutter?

By creating and delivering quality, value-based and thought-centred content.

Whether it’s delivered through written means like industry publications and LinkedIn, or spoken from stage at key industry events, they can all contribute to your career and business success.

Here are some examples of how you could achieve this effectively:


Harnessing the power of LinkedIn

Some see LinkedIn as a 'directory' of people you've done business with. In amongst connecting with people, there's also the opportunity to publish content to your network (that could lead to reaching thousands more people on the platform).

Remember, LinkedIn is a business-centric social network, so content there is generally considered to be of value and worth reading.

Publishing your article about a specific industry topic is easy, and it's free. Moreover, if written well (with a good headline, well-structured paragraphs, and relevant images), could mean your article gets read or shared hundreds of times. Just writing and publishing one article per fortnight can have a significant cumulative effect over a 6 - 12-month period, helping you become an authority in your space.

Another great way you can leverage LinkedIn is by driving thoughtful conversation. Find and post a link to an interesting article or news story, and add a question or statement that relates to the content. The critical thing is to respond to comments, so you're seen as a thought leader who is actively steering the industry.


Get published in an industry magazine

What many people don't know is that industry magazines are always looking for quality content to publish. This is especially so when they've got competition from online sources (as well as keeping their online news fresh and updated).

Guess who reads industry magazines… executives.

To make this worthwhile, you’ll need to write a longer article of 500 to 1,500 words and distribute it to the editors of each publication along with your bio and a picture.

You might get some rejections,but usually, if your content is right, you'll get published straight away or scheduled for an upcoming issue.

It can also pay to get in touch first with the offer of an article and 3 - 5 suggested topics for them to consider. At least then you'll know you've got a better chance of being published (and asked back to do it again). You can find several magazines by Googling relevant industry publications.


Become an industry speaker

The most powerful way of building credibility and trust in any industry is to speak from the stage. To some people, this might seem out of reach (or a frightening prospect), but every person of influence in society is generally also a public speaker.

So how do you go about this? The first step isto get a list of key industry events in Australia. You can do this by searching for specific industry events 2019 Australia in Google. From there, get in touch with the event organisers to request an opportunity to speak on a particular topic.

An easy way to get accepted is to ask what topics they’re having trouble getting speakers for (but only agree if you're someone with knowledge in that area). The next thing they'll ask for is a speaker bio and photo, and an overview of your speech.

Do this well, and you'll not only get noticed,you'll also set yourself up for further engagements.

Thought leadership is worth the effort; it just takes work that's above and beyond expectations. Like anything worth having, it won't be easy. However,do this consistently over time, and you'll go from the bottom to the highest of glass towers.

Need help lifting your profile or that of your brand? Get in touch with us at Hunter Inc. today for a chat - we'll be happy to show you how.

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