When to Use A Professional Photographer Instead of Your Smartphone

Capturing the attention of your audience is essential for any marketing campaign. Photos and images have become essential to achieving that goal. While technology has made it possible to take high-quality photos with a smartphone, there are times when hiring a professional photographer is important.  Over the past few years, Green Apple has worked with our clients to hire professional photographers for employee headshots, Google My Business pages, marketing collateral, Google 360° tours, and drone footage. While hiring a professional photographer can sometimes be expensive, the quality of the images often provides a greater ROI in the long run.  Here are just a few important statistics that highlight the importance of your photography:
  • 67% of consumers say the quality of a product image is “very important” in selecting and purchasing the product. (Source)
  • 75% of online shoppers rely on product photos when deciding on a potential purchase. (Source)
  • Good visual content is 40% more likely to get shared on your social accounts (Source)

4 Reasons to Invest in Professional Photography for Your Marketing

If you’re trying to decide whether or not to hire a professional photographer for your image needs, here are four factors to consider: 
1. Professional photography helps elevate your brand. 
Poor quality images, outdated images, or obvious stock photography can hurt your business. Having your own proprietary images to communicate your unique values, services, and products are invaluable. Good photography helps people to truly get a sense of what your company offers. 
2. Professional photography helps tell your story. 
Having high-quality, personalized content to market your business is so important to standing out online. A good photographer knows what customers want and can provide ideas and insights to elevate your images. 
3. Professional photography can equip your business with marketing assets. 
Great images are a long-lasting asset that can be reused over time and repurposed for many different applications. Whether you need a new piece of marketing collateral or want to build a library of images for social media, taking the time to hire a professional photographer can be an invaluable asset. It allows you to create high-resolution images that can be used on marketing assets for many different platforms and purposes. 
4. Professional photography can help you increase conversions. 
If you want to attract attention and customers to your brand, you need to have an impactful first impression on your audience by having great personal branding photography. Professional high-quality photos allow your customers to have a better understanding of you, your products, or your services. If a high-quality photo builds brand confidence, leads are more likely to purchase from your brand. 

When to use a Professional Photographer instead of your Smartphone 

Here are a few specific times we recommend clients hire a professional photographer: 
1. Team headshots
It looks professional when your team page uses similar images. A professional photographer ensures all of your headshots are consistent — from the lighting used, the background chosen, and the size and resolution of each shot. Taking the time to hire a professional photographer for your headshots instills the value of quality.
2. Images for your new website
The images on your website make a significant impression on your audience. It’s more difficult to create a good first impression with low-quality images or stock photos. If you’re investing in developing a new website, it’s valuable to set aside room in your budget to invest in new images that support a website redesign.  
3. Marketing collateral
Brochures, catalogs, or annual reports all need high-resolution images to build legitimacy and trust. Memorable images can help you tell a more compelling story and paint the picture you’re trying to create. 
4. Corporate events
You put a lot of time, energy, and money into your corporate events or parties. Why not invest a little more to ensure it is captured through compelling photography? Photographing your parties and outings is integral to showcasing your brand as a relevant and engaged community partner. In marketing, photos add a component to communication that written and verbal methods do not. The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words continues to hold true, even in the digital age.

Olivia Cooper Promoted to Client Relations Director

Olivia
GreenApple Strategy is excited to announce Olivia Cooper’s promotion to Client Relations Director. Olivia joined Green Apple as a Client Relations Specialist in 2018 and was promoted twoyearslater to become a Senior Client Relations Specialist. Her new role will allow Olivia to continue to serve our clients while growing her capacity to lead anddevelop other members of the Green Apple client relations team. Marketing has been crucial for businesses to adapt during and after the pandemic. During this time, Olivia played a valuable role for many clients. She embraced new challenges by developing creative strategies to support client retention and growth. Because of the work of Olivia and the rest of the Client Relations Team, we’ve built even stronger relationships with many of our clients over the past two years. To celebrate her newest achievement, we wanted to highlight a few of the specific ways Olivia’s promotion will empower her to make an even greater impact on our team and our clients. 

Providing Greater Overarching Strategy and Creative Problem Solving

In her new role as Client Relations Director, Olivia will focus on providing oversight and strategic direction on all client accounts. This shift allows her to leverage her skills of problem-solving, opportunity analysis, and strategic plan development to impact more of the work we do for clients.  “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the growth we’ve had with several clients over the last few years,” said Olivia. “Each day, we serve as a strategic partner and that means constantly bringing ideas and opportunities to them in hopes of growing their brand and, ultimately, their business.”

Mentoring and Developing Others 

Another important part of the Director’s role is helping to mentor and lead the Client Relations Team. As Director, Olivia will have dedicated time to invest in the client relations team to provide training and guidance to help them grow in their roles.  “Green Apple is in a phase of growth, so I’m really excited to be a part of expanding the Client Relations team and fostering an environment for the team where we all continue to learn from each other and the relationships we have with our clients,” Olivia said. “ We have a group of insanely talented (and fun!) people on the Client Relations Team and I’m really motivated to continue to work with them to enhance the services we provide for our clients,” she added. “One of the things I love most about leading the team at Green Apple is watching people grow and develop as they discover their gifts and lean into their work with passion, commitment, and creativity,” said Samantha Pyle, Owner and Chief Strategist of Green Apple Strategy. “Since her very first day, I’ve watched Olivia bring the best version of herself to our clients. I am grateful for her partnership and excited about the greater impact she can make by stepping into the director role.”

Meet the Team: Lindsay Lanahan

Lindsay lanahan

Lindsay Lanahan is an empathetic, intuitive, and creative problem solver with a heart for helping others. Combining these natural strengths with her diverse experience working in the financial, entertainment, and nonprofit industries makes her an ideal Client Relations Specialist for Green Apple Strategy. In her role, Lindsay helps execute effective marketing initiatives for clients across various industries. She strategically and consistently helps our clients meet their marketing goals.

“I love learning about the psychology of marketing and the user experience,” explains Lindsay. “I also love the process of identifying a problem or opportunity, creating an approach, implementing it, analyzing what worked and what didn’t, and adjusting. It’s exciting, and I love that we’re able to adapt to find a solution that truly makes a difference!”

An Enneagram 4 who grew up in the Midwest, Lindsay has expressed her creative, empathetic, hardworking, and diligent spirit throughout her career. After graduating from college, she spent two years working in development for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Nashville. From there, she went on to work at Creative Artists Agency, managing tour logistics and finances for world-renowned pop and country music artists. She later combined her nonprofit experience and love of the arts to serve as the Development Manager for OZ Arts, a non-profit contemporary arts center. 

After learning about Green Apple from a friend, Lindsay knew it would be the perfect opportunity to serve clients in a way that aligns with her natural skill set.

“I was immediately drawn to Green Apple when I recognized how they took the time to understand each employee and client—whether it was through diving into the Enneagram or taking the Culture Index Survey to learn about each person’s natural behaviors. When I met Sam and the rest of the team during the interview process, I knew I was in the right place.”

Personally, Lindsay loves spending time with family and exploring Nashville with her husband Patrick and her son Keane. On any given weekend, they can be found enjoying one of their favorite restaurants, seeing movies at the Belcourt, or taking a day trip to attend a music festival. Lindsay’s bright and adventurous spirit resonates with everyone who knows her.

How Does PR Fit Into Your Comprehensive Marketing Plan?

A colorful planning wall with several post-it notes of marketing plans and details.


Marketing and public relations used to work separately, with drastically different approaches and goals. But in today’s digital world, where PR overlaps with other channels of communication, it’s more important than ever for the two disciplines to work together. For nearly every company we serve, we are exploring ways to incorporate PR into their comprehensive marketing plan. 

Unfortunately, not all brands recognize how important PR can be. According to recent research, only 19 percent of corporate communication departments actually contribute to the overall marketing strategy. As a result, many companies are missing a huge opportunity to accelerate brand awareness and improve consumer perception with proven and research-backed PR strategies.

How Marketing and PR Work in Tandem

Traditionally, public relations has focused on maintaining a company’s overall public image, while marketing has focused on promoting and selling products or services. But in today’s digital age, where consumers and brands are more connected than ever before, those two lines have merged into one comprehensive thread. 

Marketers need to recognize that telling a compelling story is essential for reaching today’s consumers. This is what PR professionals specialize in doing. For PR professionals, it’s important to recognize that consumers have as much impact on a brand’s perception as the brand itself. 

The end goals of marketing and PR — selling products and making people love a company — are now intertwined. To succeed in today’s business world, brands need to combine the best tactics in traditional PR with updated online techniques.

Effective PR Tactics for Your Comprehensive Marketing Plan

Here are a few PR tactics that will take your comprehensive marketing plan to the next level and ensure you’re maintaining a positive brand image while selling more products:

1. Incorporate a digital PR strategy that creates two-way communication with consumers.

You can either run from the fact that today’s consumers control brand perception or lean into it. One of the ways we encourage clients to lean in is to create a dedicated digital PR strategy that includes tactics such as customer survey tools, proactive press releases, and comprehensive social strategies.

2. Engage non-traditional outlets and influencers to reach your audience.

In the past, PR primarily focused on building relationships with media outlets or industry publications. Today, consumers are getting their information from dozens of different sources — including social media influencers and website reviews. 

Studies show that 92% of people are more likely to trust recommendations from other people over advertisements and messaging from the actual brands. This is why influencer marketing is one of the most effective PR tactics. By partnering with influencers in addition to other PR strategies, you can ensure you’re maximizing your potential to increase awareness, engagement, and conversions for your brand.

3. Create customized pitches for various outlets and campaigns. 

Historically, PR agencies would draft a press release and then blast it out to every outlet they knew. That shotgun approach isn’t nearly as effective in today’s world. We’re simply bombarded with too much content and information. If you want your pitch to stand out, you need to make it as personal and relevant as possible for your audience. This might require a little extra effort, but it will pay off in the long run if your pitch gets picked up. 

Need Help Integrating PR into Your Marketing Plan?

The PR and marketing landscape is changing. Industry influencers and effective tactics are constantly evolving. As one of the top marketing and PR firms in Nashville, our team is constantly looking for new ways to shape and deliver clients’ stories to their target audiences, driving quantifiable results in ways that stay true to our clients’ brands. If you need additional PR assistance or a new strategy that’s built from the ground up, we can help. Reach out to us to schedule a PR audit for your brand.

Trends & Insights to Optimize Your Digital Marketing Strategy

A view of someone's hands at a desk applying post-it notes to a planning board.


Marketing is constantly evolving and changing. Nowhere is that more true than in the world of digital marketing. What worked in the past becomes antiquated just a few years later. Even a tactic that worked last month might not be as effective. That’s why businesses in every industry need to stay informed on the trends and insights to develop an effective digital marketing strategy to reach their target audience. 

We recently asked Digital Marketing Strategist, Amanda Bihun, to highlight a few of the most important trends you should know. Amanda and her team do an incredible job of translating the latest digital marketing trends into strategies for clients in a variety of industries. 

Trends and Insights to Optimize Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Here are a few of the most important trends and insights you should know in order to optimize your digital marketing strategy. 

1. Know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing digital platforms. 

Today, AI is used in almost every area of digital marketing. Reaching your audience through digital channels is all about leveraging the algorithms they use. The challenging part is that every digital platform has its own algorithm and every algorithm is constantly changing. For example, Google is in the middle of the biggest change to the analytics platform the company has ever conducted. In order to reach people in today’s digital world, you must be proactive in keeping up with, or even ahead of, these algorithm changes.

 

2. Effective digital marketing requires a long-term approach.

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about digital marketing is that it will create immediate results. Just like any other form of marketing, digital marketing requires a long-game mindset. It also requires you to test and optimize different strategies. Increasing important metrics such as leads and sales takes time to gain momentum. For example, investing in digital advertising on social media or Google does not guarantee you more leads on day one. It puts your brand in front of new people, but you have to build trust with that new audience over time. Digital marketing requires you to take the entire journey into consideration as you develop your strategy. Ultimately all of your digital marketing efforts work together to build the brand and reach your audience, but none of them will double your profits on day one.

3. Don’t ignore the basic foundation of digital marketing.

A house is only as good as its bones. If you hang curtains or plant pretty flowers out front, it will look good in the short run, but it will not keep your house from falling down if the support beams are cracked. Digital marketing is similar. You need to put in the time to make sure your foundation is solid. The support beams of digital marketing are your website, your social channels, and your email engagement strategy. Investing in these areas will help future-proof your marketing and help you create a strong foundation that works even as things change.

4. Consider your target audience’s perspective in everything you do. 

When it comes to creating your digital marketing strategy, it’s important to look at everything you do from the user’s perspective. Oftentimes, businesses can be so close to their products or services that they forget how to view their brand from a  potential customer’s point of view. If you want to reach new people, it’s important to create a customer-centric culture, figure out your buyer personas and the questions they have, and how you can help them. It is important to reach potential customers where they are to nurture qualified leads into becoming repeat customers and, eventually, brand enthusiasts.

5. Always be testing and analyzing.

Just because something worked last week does not mean it will work this week. Just because your audience is on Instagram this year does not mean they will still be there next year. Brands must constantly test new strategies and watch the analytics to see where and how their audience is engaging. At Green Apple, we analyzing digital marketing trends for our clients every month. We’ve found that constantly analyzing your efforts is also helpful because it allows you to pivot your marketing efforts without abandoning your entire strategy.

Here’s the bottom line: Long-term planning and short-term course corrections are both essential when it comes to developing an effective digital marketing strategy. If you want to stay ahead of the latest trends, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter. It’s one of the primary ways we keep clients informed on the latest trends they should know.

4 Signs Your Email Campaigns Aren’t Working (And How to Fix Them)

computer screen showing emails
email campaigns not workingEmail marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience and turn subscribers into buyers. However, simply having a strategy and sending regular emails to your intended audience doesn’t mean email campaigns are working. The only way to know if your campaign is working is to track it. If you want to elevate your email campaigns, it’s important to evaluate each of the factors that determine your success. In order to help, we wanted to highlight a few of the common reasons your email campaigns might not be working and provide some quick ideas for how to fix them. Here are four areas to evaluate and improve if you’re looking to generate better results from your email marketing campaigns.   

1. Your Emails Are Ending Up in Spam Folders

Your audience will likely never see your email if it ends up in their spam folder. How do you measure this? Check the deliverability rate of your campaigns. Deliverability measures the rate at which emails reach subscribers’ inboxes.  If you notice your deliverability rate is low, here are a few things you can do:
  • Make sure you’re using a reliable email service provider and avoid spam triggers.
  • Delete old or inactive email addresses from your list and keep only people who are engaged.
  • Check which email addresses bounced and remove those email addresses from your list.

2. Your Emails Aren’t Being Opened 

As the old “tree falling in the woods” adage teaches us: if an email is never opened, will anyone read the message? The answer is no. The two biggest factors for determining open rates are often the subject line and send time.  That’s why your subject line is one of the most important aspects of elevating your email marketing campaigns. If you’ve struggled to increase open rates: 
  • Consider tweaking your subject line strategy to find more effective ways to capture attention and inspire your audience to open the email. 
  • You can also test the day and time that you send your email to see what works best.
  • Use A/B testing to try out several versions of an email campaign to determine which is the most effective at increasing engagement. 
  ​

3. People Aren’t Clicking Through or Taking Action

Clickthrough rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on your calls-to-action (CTAs). This is the ultimate goal of any email campaign. The email is the vehicle you use to inspire your audience to take the next step. Taking the time to create UTM codes that track post-visitor engagement is a great way to determine the effectiveness of every single email you send.  If you’re experiencing lower clickthrough rates than you used to generate, you might consider:
  • Segmenting your emails to create more personal and targeted campaigns for your various target audiences.
  • Optimizing the format of your content to ensure it’s easy for people to read.
  • Testing different CTA formats to see what generates the greatest response, including buttons, links, images, and questions.
 

4. People Are Unsubscribing

An unsubscribe rate measures the number of people who opt out of your email list once they receive an email from you. If someone unsubscribes from your list, you’ve lost your chance to engaging with them through email. So how do you avoid people unsubscribing from your email campaigns? Here are a few ideas:   You spend a lot of time and energy crafting emails for your audience. The last thing you want is for the work you do to be ignored. Constantly testing and tweaking your emails is essential for keeping up with customer demand and ensuring the work you put into your campaigns generates the results you want. If you’re looking for ways to stay on top of the latest email trends, subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll provide helpful insights you can use to reach more customers. 

5 Creative PR Tactics Your Business Should Explore this Year

Brainstorm meeting in a office

In today’s increasingly digital world, it can be difficult for brands to reach customers through the traditional PR tactics that our industry relied on for decades. Today’s buyers are not easy to reach. Nevertheless, public relations is crucial for enterprise technology companies and B2B brands, regardless of size, vertical, or industry. We’re constantly encouraging our clients to consider creative ways to integrate public relations into their comprehensive marketing plans. While the tactics may have evolved, the end goal of public relations remains the same: increase brand awareness, credibility, and trust with the people you’re trying to reach.

Creative PR Tactics Your Business Should Explore This Year

Here are a few creative PR tactics we’ve used to help our clients gain traction and create tangible results through their PR efforts:

1. Develop a Digital PR Strategy

We encourage every business to create a digital PR toolkit that can be used to enhance their relationship with current and potential customers. One essential element is a survey tool that helps capture feedback from clients. In today’s digital world, the customer has more power than the business when it comes to brand perception. Bad reviews can tank a company’s reputation. If customers aren’t happy with your product or service, customer reviews allow you to proactively address them. If your product or service generates raving fans, you’re able to leverage those reviews to promote your business to other potential customers. 

2. Maximize the Power of Podcasts

If social media has replaced traditional news as the way we keep track of important events, podcasts have replaced industry publications as the way to learn and grow in our professions.  Almost 40% of Americans listen to podcasts every month, and that number has grown steadily every year. Additionally, the on-demand nature of podcasting means that listeners are typically actively listening to the entire podcast. This provides you with the focused attention of your audience through a single medium.

If you don’t have the bandwidth to start your own podcast, consider advertising or pitching an idea or topic to be a guest on a podcast that already reaches your industry. If you’re looking to leverage this tactic, your first step is to take what you know about your audience and start searching for podcasts that hit this niche.

3. Create Specific & Targeted Press Releases for Local Markets 

Today’s media outlets are bombarded with dozens of press releases and requests. The more targeted and personalized you can make your press release, the more likely you are to gain coverage and reach your audience. Think of specific ways you can tailor your PR pitches to local markets. Targeting local media means you’ll have a higher chance of getting your story out there and ensuring your target audience sees it.

4. Give Back by Embracing Corporate Social Responsibility 

Businesses of all sizes have benefitted from proactively giving back to their community in recent years. One tactic that’s growing in popularity is to adopt a corporate social responsibility platform that is tied to your community or a specific cause. Doing so is a great way to earn attention. It also generates goodwill with today’s consumers, who increasingly care about giving back. 

5. Leverage Influencer Marketing to Reach Your Target Audience

As social media has evolved, influencer relationships have become a successful strategy for many brands. However, you don’t need to pitch celebrities or influencers with huge followings in order to generate success. Micro-influencers can be just as powerful, especially if your audience is in a niche industry or market. Finding an influencer in your industry is a powerful way to help build brand awareness because it is authentic and relatable to your audience. 

You don’t have to implement every one of these ideas in 2022 to experience public relations success. But if you’ve struggled to gain momentum through traditional PR tactics, we’d encourage you to collaborate with your marketing agency to try a few. Implementing even one of these approaches could provide the valuable insights you need to transform your PR efforts in the future. Green Apple can help you select and deploy the right strategies to increase your influence and your brand identity. We’re available any time to help you craft a successful PR approach.

7 Ways to Elevate Your Personal LinkedIn Profile

There’s no denying that LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social media platforms for marketers and business development professionals. If you’re a B2B brand, LinkedIn is no longer an optional platform. With more than 310 million monthly active users, it’s becoming harder to cut through the noise. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot of time or energy to elevate your personal LinkedIn profile. 

7 Ways to Elevate Your Personal LinkedIn Profile

Taking the time to encourage employees to optimize their personal LinkedIn profiles can make a tremendous difference for your company. As we’ve helped clients optimize LinkedIn as a marketing tool, here are a few tactics we encourage them to pass along to their employees:   
  1. Create a Compelling Headline
LinkedIn provides an opportunity for people to quickly explain what they do at the top of their profile. While most people use this as another way to highlight their job title, it can be a quick and easy way to boost your profile’s impact. Think about your headline as a way to explain your current role, what it means to you, and how you could help someone who might be visiting your profile. 
  1. Focus on your Impact in your Descriptions
Your description is often the second place people look to learn more about you. This is another opportunity to be intentional about capturing attention. Rather than summarizing your resume, think about what people might want to know. How have you made an impact in your industry? What are some specific ways you help people? Answering these questions in your description is a great way to make your profile stand out from the general descriptions that most people write. 
  1. ​​Regularly Post Engaging Content 
LinkedIn marketing requires consistency, creativity, and originality. Take a look at your LinkedIn home page and evaluate the posts that receive the most engagement. Most likely, it’s an interesting mix of helpful insights, personal updates, and engaging questions. While you don’t need to post on LinkedIn every day, it’s important to share updates if you want to maintain a high engagement rate on LinkedIn.
  1. Add Awards or Accomplishments
Bragging on social media can sometimes get a bad rap. But taking time to highlight your awards or accomplishments can be an effective marketing tactic, especially for sales professionals. You want your prospects to know that you’re capable of getting them the results they’re looking for. LinkedIn provides a natural place for you to highlight your awards and accomplishments without seeming overly boastful. 
  1. Ask for Recommendations 
Recommendations are key to making your LinkedIn profile stand out. Employers and potential business partners want to know that you have a positive reputation and that others have benefited from your work. Think of one or two customers who might validate your work and ask them to write a quick recommendation. Consider writing on their profile to help them out as well. 
  1. Strategically Use Hashtags to Expand Your Reach 
Hashtags are a completely underused feature of Linkedin. These short phrases do more than summarize what your particular post is about. They’re also a way to connect with other people who are interested in that topic. Best practices say to use about three to five hashtags per LinkedIn post and ensure they’re all relevant to the topic.
  1. Interact with Content in Your Industry
Are you following leaders in your industry? Keeping up with individuals who post thought-provoking content is a great way to discover and connect with others in your industry. It also enables you to stay on top of industry trends and share relevant information with other prospects. 

Leverage LinkedIn for Personal and Professional Growth

LinkedIn is a powerful sales and marketing tool that’s easy to use. If you’re looking for a way to optimize your profile or your employee’s profile, consider using LinkedIn’s Profile Level Meter to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your profile. Then, take some time to check out some lessons we learned from doubling Green Apple’s LinkedIn profile presence.

Meet The Team: Allison Gordon

With a passion for people and an interest in marketing, Allison Gordon is the perfect addition to our Green Apple team. In her role as an assistant client relations specialist, Allison supports the needs of our clients by managing many of the day-to-day responsibilities of implementing their marketing strategy. As a 6 on the Enneagram, Allison leverages her innate skills to complete tasks and meet all client requests. Her positive personality and her desire to overcome any obstacle make her an incredible asset at Green Apple.  Allison joined the team in 2022 while pursuing her MS in Marketing from the University of Alabama. After multiple years in the hospitality industry, Allison recognized the impact marketing could make and decided to pursue further education. She found Green Apple through a family friend and quickly realized this was the perfect place to add real-world experience to what she was learning in school. “I love that marketing is universal,” Allison explained when asked about what sparked her interest in the field. “No matter what industry you’re in or what type of message you’re trying to convey, you’re going to need marketing. It provides an opportunity for companies to get creative and be strategic in how they introduce and express themselves to the world in order to grow their business.” As a native of Franklin, TN, Allison enjoys spending time with my friends and family during her free time. Whether she’s trying new restaurants, exploring Nashville, going on walks, attending Titans games, or eating Jeni’s ice cream, Allison is up for just about anything as long as she has good company!

How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

Climbers approaching mountaintop

Becoming a “thought leader” is an elusive goal that many business leaders and executives strive for. While some people may think of it as just another marketing buzzword, the reality of having a positive reputation for helping others with your knowledge and insight is important for every business leader.

We’ve been sharing content on thought leadership for years. The channels might have changed, but the opportunity to become a thought leader in your industry is just as possible today. 

Can Anyone Become a Thought Leader?

Before we dive into how to become a thought leader, let’s address a common misconception we hear from people: “I don’t have the time or connections to become a thought leader in the industry.”

While becoming a thought leader takes time and intentionality, the reality is that anyone can become a thought leader in their specific industry or niche. All you need is a willingness to do the work of codifying what you know and have the patience to build momentum over time.

4 Best Practices to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

So how do you become a thought leader? Here are a few simple best practices we encourage our clients to consider: 

  1. Stick with Your Message

The most effective thought leaders are known because they stick to a specific message. This makes it easier for people to discern what they do and why they’re doing it. Think about the key message you want to share, one that you would want to maintain as a consistent plumbline over the years. If you’re having trouble determining your unique message, you might want to consider the next point. 

  1. Discern Your Niche 

While you’re thinking about your brand, finish this sentence: The kind of presence I want to have when helping others is ____________________. The thought leaders who make the greatest impact are those who are committed to helping others achieve their goals. Think about what makes you unique and how you can leverage that as you develop your platform.

What’s your unique personality? Are you a generous encourager who wants to champion people in their work? Or are you a disrupter of the status quo who loves to challenge assumptions?

Are you better at providing long, drawn-out explanations? Or are you good at creating quick one-liners that get people thinking? Would you be open to speaking in public, or do you shrink at the idea?

Understanding your unique gifts and strengths will help you determine the way you build your thought leadership platform.

  1. Choose the Right Platform  

If you want to get the most out of your thought leadership content, it’s important to consider how your audience consumes what you share.  To create the greatest impact, you need to meet your audience on the channels they use (social, email, etc.) with the type of content they prefer (written, audio, video). Don’t be afraid to use a mix of platforms and content types as you’re discerning this. The level of engagement you see can help you discern where your audience is and how they prefer to interact with your brand. 

  1. Share Genuine, Authentic Reflections

The thought leaders we celebrate most aren’t the ones who know it all, but the ones who show us they’re human and that they care. As you consider what to share, don’t be afraid to show your humanity by highlighting mistakes you’ve made and lessons you’ve learned. 

  1. Embrace (Effective) Storytelling 

Storytelling should be at the heart of every piece of thought leadership content you create. Telling a story engages your audience by giving them a specific example with measurable stakes. Stories also help your audience understand how your company’s products and services could help them solve a problem. It’s important to tell stories your customers actually want to hear. If your audience can’t see themselves in your brand’s story, it won’t resonate with them.  

Position Your Brand as An Industry Leader 

When it comes to becoming a thought leader, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. However, these tips will help you develop a strategy you can use to reach more people. Any effort will be worth it as it gives you a chance to help others, build your audience and grow your business. For more help positioning your brand as an industry leader, reach out to us to schedule a strategy session.