Thought leadership is built on big ideas. But when things around you change, your ideas and insights have to change as well – sometimes, on very little notice.
As the world changes around us, many organizations have had to change how they launch ideas. The old ways don’t work anymore. New methods are needed.
Thought leadership practitioners need to be adaptable. Our ideas will help others, but only if we find ways to communicate those insights. The world gets very noisy, especially when things are difficult, and that presents a big challenge for thought leaders.
We have to know how to find our audience, get their attention, and convince them to listen.
But here are the truths:
1. Our audiences are still hungry for new ideas. They’re listening.
2. We need to follow our audiences, and know how they consume information.
3. If we can get our ideas in front of the right people, we can change the world for the better.
It’s true that “omnichannel” outreach strategies are expensive and exhausting.
A thought leadership practitioner can’t be everywhere at once, and can’t rely on just one modality (such as major events) to broadcast ideas.
That’s why I talk about narrowcasting and pointcasting for thought leadership. These strategies make it easy for your target audience (and VIPs!) to encounter and learn about your ideas.
Don’t ask your audience to do extra work to find you. They’re already busy, and probably fighting cognitive overload.
Instead, make it easy for the right people to encounter your idea.