10 Steps to Becoming a Thought Leader in Business

Successful entrepreneurs often start with a “random” idea, but they quickly focus their efforts and follow a “system” to organize their startup and maximize the clout of their activities. Too many entrepreneur wannabes never get past the idea stage, or strike out randomly in many directions, hoping that their passion will convince people to follow them and make their business grow.

There are many systems for business out there, but all of them need a way to keep score on progress and impact. If your business is to be a thought leader in the social media world, the dominant system to grade how much influence you have online today is your Klout score, as explained in Gina Carr and Terry Brock’s book, “Klout Matters.”

I’m not convinced that maximizing Klout will maximize your clout in every business, but I do agree that social media must be a part of the system that every entrepreneur needs to implement today to build their business. I especially agree with the ten steps that these authors outline to build a business with clout in today’s world:

1. Clearly define your purpose. You have to clearly understand what you want to achieve before you can achieve it. If you can’t write it down, you probably don’t understand it. Key factors gating your success will always be your level of competency in your chosen field, level of demand for that skill, and how easily you can be replaced.
2. Find these arenas where your needs are met. If you want to be a thought leader, find out where your potential followers hang out. If you have something to sell, build relationships in the community of buyers. Experimentation is an important part of this process. You will need to test groups constantly to make sure you are in the right one.
3. Allocate some time to spend on social media. Social media is critical to almost every business today. But make sure the time you spend is quality time, focused on your objectives, and balanced in relation to all your other business requirements. Spend time learning new techniques, and time measuring the return from your efforts.
4. Be a great resource for others. What we all need is trusted advisors who can help us decipher the clutter. As you become an expert in your field, you need to offer yourself as a trusted advisor, and you will quickly gain a loyal following. Writing, audios, and videos are all great ways to do this, since these all facilitate the one-to-many multiplier.
5. Provide a unique point of view. Be creative and add value to what you offer your target market. This is true for thought leaders, entrepreneurs, as well as anyone who is looking to be hired anywhere. Adding value builds influence and can subsequently build your business—and your Klout score. People don’t follow followers or repeaters.
6. Continue to learn and grow. One of the most important skills that every leader must nurture is how to learn. Some people learn best from conferences, while other learn best from blogs and other information online. Standing still is falling behind, and you can’t afford to fall behind in today’s fast-paced business environment.
7. Forget the old “spray and pray.” A popular old marketing concept was that if you did enough broadcasting of your message to enough people, you would find success. Today you need to talk with, not at, your customers and constituents to get ideas. The best thought leaders have learned how to listen and how to acknowledge their community.
8. Build a team. Operating alone in today’s complex business world, including the many social media channels, is not physically possible as your business grows. The good news is that with new technology and the Internet, you can tap into the services of, and build relationships with brilliant people around the world, to build an integrated virtual team.
9. Seek exposure to new people who are relevant. People come and go in the real world and on social media. Thus it is important that you continually expand your network to engage new people who are building influence in your community. Only in this way will you be exposed to new thoughts and ideas, and enhance your own digital influence.
10. Focus on a specific niche. You need to find a niche where you have both passion and competency. More passion is not a substitute for focus and competency. Make sure the niche is large enough, and includes people with money, enough to provide an income for you to continue your efforts and be successful.

Influence is more important than ever in today’s connected world as brands, companies, and individuals vie to become the next big phenomenon. Do you have any idea how much influence your company commands today, and what is your business doing to extend that influence to the bottom line?

Reprinted by permission.

Image credit: CC by GangPlank HQ