Establish Yourself As A Thought Leader

Establish Yourself As A Thought Leader

Yes, the term “thought leadership” is rather a buzzword in business today, but the idea behind the term is increasingly important to stay relevant.

The premise: Gain a reputation and an expert in your field. Elevate the perception of your company above self-promotional products and services -- the place to go for unbiased advice about topics important to your customers. Then watch their trust and respect come back to benefit you manyfold.

Social media is an excellent tool to help establish yourself as a thought leader. Here are three ways to use social media to build that kind of expert reputation in your sign supply business:

1. Provide usable content

Ever feel overwhelmed when a simple Google search brings up more content than you know what to do with? Help your audience sift through the clutter by offering up simple, relevant insights and advice on a regular basis. Got a tip about digital printing? Make it specific and usable, and your followers will look to you for something more consumable than the overwhelming amount of information served up by an online search.

2. Grow your network

Do you have repeat customers who love you and would eat up your content if only they were following you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest? Ask them to! Make as easy as possible for your fans to follow you in the social channels they already tune into. Then spend a little money to promote your best posts. Here are more creative ideas for growing your social media network.

3. Use a soft sales approach

This may be the most important quality that can separate you from the pack. Nobody likes in-your-face sales 100% of the time. Think of the approaches you appreciate when you approach a vendor. Develop an information first, sales second mentality, especially on social media. Maintain your dignity as you engage with them online, and the sales will take care of themselves.