How can you build and maintain thought leadership in creative strategy over time?

Being a thought leader in creative strategy means having a unique perspective, a compelling vision, and a valuable contribution to your field. It also means being able to communicate your ideas effectively, engage your audience, and inspire action. But how can you build and maintain thought leadership in creative strategy over time? Here are some tips to help you achieve and sustain this status.

1 Find your niche

The first step to becoming a thought leader is to identify your niche, your area of expertise, and your target audience. You need to have a clear and distinctive point of view that sets you apart from the crowd and resonates with your potential followers. You also need to know who you are speaking to, what their needs and challenges are, and how you can help them solve them. Finding your niche will help you focus your content, tailor your message, and position yourself as an authority.

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Vanessa ASELL TSURUGA

📍Tokyo | Head of Rakuten Sports social media • Marketing at Rakuten HQ | Founder, COLLECTIVE VISIBILITY | Fan of sport, storytelling & representation — and espresso ☕️ | Views are my own
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What’s the why? Before you begin anything, take a moment to define why you’re doing it in the first place. The answer to your why is going to be the staple ingredient in all your communications going forward.

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2 Create valuable content

The second step to becoming a thought leader is to create valuable content that showcases your knowledge, skills, and insights. You need to produce original, relevant, and engaging content that demonstrates your creative strategy and provides value to your audience. You can use different formats, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, ebooks, or newsletters, to share your content and reach more people. You also need to update your content regularly, keep up with the latest trends and developments, and provide fresh and innovative ideas.

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Rakesh Kamath

Associate Director, Product Management | Transforming Insights into Scalable Business Impact using GenAI | 15+ Years of Product Excellence, Strategy & Execution
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Embarking on the journey to be a thought leader, I realized the power of crafting content with a personal touch. Take, for instance, the time I shared a LinkedIn post about a real-life project I tackled. By weaving in my experiences, I not only demonstrated my skills but also connected with readers on a human level. L It's these personal stories that add authenticity to my content, creating a bridge between my knowledge and the audience's understanding. Regularly infusing such real-life examples keeps the engagement alive and the thought leadership journey vibrant.

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3 Build your network

The third step to becoming a thought leader is to build your network and expand your influence. You need to connect with other experts, influencers, and peers in your field, and establish relationships based on trust, respect, and collaboration. You can join online communities, forums, groups, or platforms where you can interact with your audience, answer questions, give feedback, and share your content. You can also participate in events, conferences, workshops, or podcasts where you can showcase your expertise, learn from others, and gain exposure.

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4 Be authentic

The fourth step to becoming a thought leader is to be authentic and genuine. You need to have a consistent and credible voice that reflects your personality, values, and beliefs. You also need to be honest, transparent, and humble, and admit your mistakes, limitations, and challenges. Being authentic will help you build trust, loyalty, and rapport with your audience, and make them feel connected to you and your brand.

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5 Keep learning

The fifth step to becoming a thought leader is to keep learning and improving. You need to constantly seek new knowledge, skills, and experiences that can enhance your creative strategy and broaden your perspective. You also need to be open to feedback, criticism, and suggestions, and use them as opportunities to grow and evolve. Keeping learning will help you stay relevant, competitive, and innovative in your field, and maintain your thought leadership status.

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Rebecca Holmes

Getting Clients Seen, Shared, and Sold Out
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My approach has always been to aim to be redundant. Hear me out - I am always looking, learning, trying. But I want the team around me to think strategically. I want them to see campaigns and be able to tell me what the brief was. I want them to see the world audience first and bring them to every piece of work - always aiming and working toward a day when they won’t need me because they will all think like a creative strategist. This is the best way I’ve learned to stay relevant. It means I am always turning to the team for their input and insights. I am always listening to their POV as they represent audiences that I don’t belong to. They know they can challenge me, ask me, build on my thinking as long as they come to me with strategy.

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6 Challenge yourself

The sixth step to becoming a thought leader is to challenge yourself and push the boundaries. You need to experiment with new ideas, methods, and approaches that can disrupt the status quo and create positive change. You also need to take risks, embrace failures, and learn from them. Challenging yourself will help you discover new possibilities, create new solutions, and inspire others to follow your lead.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you build and maintain thought leadership in creative strategy over time?

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1 Find your niche

2 Create valuable content

3 Build your network

4 Be authentic

5 Keep learning

6 Challenge yourself

7 Here’s what else to consider

Thought Leadership

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How can you build and maintain thought leadership in creative strategy over time?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Find your niche

2 Create valuable content

3 Build your network

4 Be authentic

5 Keep learning

6 Challenge yourself

7 Here’s what else to consider

Thought Leadership

Rate this article

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