How To Become a Thought Leader Through Personal Branding

Becoming a thought leader is an excellent way to get more clients for your business and encourage people to hear what you have to say. But you want to make sure you’re setting everything up the right way from the very beginning. That’s particularly true if your past online persona doesn’t fit what you’re saying now. That’s why personal branding is such an important part of thought leadership.

What Is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership is expressing your ideas in ways that show your expertise. That expertise could be about a particular topic, in a certain field, or about a larger, broader area such as an industry. Many thought leaders are CEOS or others high up in companies. These individuals are good at providing information about their company, but also about their industry, their product or service, and surrounding issues.

If you want to be a thought leader and you aren’t already high up in the ranks of a company, you can still use personal branding to get your message across. The same is true for company executives who may not have considered moving into thought leadership. They can develop a personal brand that will help them be recognized for themselves, and not just for their company. Becoming a thought leader can take time and effort, but can be well worth it for the value it provides.

How Does Personal Branding Play a Role?

Personal branding plays a role in thought leadership through helping others understand the person behind the company and the information. It’s important for potential clients to see why they should buy from or work with a company, but it’s equally important for clients to see that the people operating the company understand the industry and the topics they’re addressing. Personal branding helps build client confidence, so you’ll be seen as a stronger and more qualified leader.

Your personal brand should reflect your value as a thought leader. You can have an online persona that’s fun and relaxed, but if that doesn’t fit what you’re saying in thought leadership pieces it’s possible for clients to feel a disconnect, or even question your knowledge and abilities. Ideally, your personal branding will blend so well with your thought leadership that clients will never question what you have to say and will develop a strong trust in your words.

Will a Reputation Management Company Help?

One of the ways to make sure your personal branding works to help you develop thought leadership in your industry is to work with a professional reputation management company like Status Labs. When you do that, you can rely on the company to take a careful, thorough look at any branding you already have. They’ll offer suggestions, make adjustments, and work to move your brand toward what you want to convey.

If you don’t already have a personal brand, Status Labs can work with you to create branding from scratch. With clients in over 40 countries and offices in the U.S., London, and São Paulo, you’ll have support from a company you can trust and rely on to build your brand in a way that encourages strong thought leadership. Creating the right “feel” for your personal brand may seem daunting, but when you have the right help it’s much easier to do.