Establishing yourself as a thought leader can be an effective way to distinguish your start-up in a crowded marketplace. One way you can do this is by creating content that showcases your unique voice as an industry expert. This may seem like a daunting task while still managing the daily operations of your business, but a well-written, thoughtful piece of content is a great way to increase the visibility of yourself and your business. Here is what you need to do to get started:
1. Create the content
When thinking about what to write, address a relevant issue or introduce ideas that advance a conversation and add a new viewpoint. Avoid blatant self-promotion of yourself or your company, as this will lessen the chance a publication will be interested in your article. In the case where you’re unable to place an article with a desired publication, post your content to your company blog, as this is still a great place to begin building your voice.
2. Amplify it
Once you’ve placed your article in a publication or on your blog, you need to think about ways to extend its shelf life. With new pieces of content being added to the web every second, the battle for eyeballs has never been more competitive and writers everywhere run the risk of having their content buried. Outbrain has a self-serve version of its Amplify product, which enables you to increase the circulation of earned media by placing links to recommended content at the foot of online articles. You’ve likely already seen these links on sites like CNN and Slate where you find them under headings that say “Recommended Reading†or “More From Around the Web.â€
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3. Social Sharing
Another great way to gain exposure from a larger audience is by sharing your own content on your social channels. You can simply share your content on your personal and company pages, or have them automatically pushed to Twitter and Facebook through RSS feed automation tools. LinkedIn has also become an important network for sharing content with relevant contacts and other thought leaders. Social sharing can lead to re-shares, more followers, and ultimately more visibility.
4. Newsletters
Newsletters can be an effective way to get your content in front of an engaged and content hungry audience. If you’re not already familiar, identify the newsletters that are relevant to your industry and send your piece along to be considered in their next edition.
The bottom line is that in order to take your company to the next level, you need to establish yourself as a thought leader. Start creating thoughtful content on a consistent basis and be strategic in distributing it across every platform. Whether you’re writing posts for your company blog or placing articles in publications, each piece of content is one step towards elevating your profile.
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