Businesses tell stories to their audiences. It’s in seasonal advertisements designed to inspire nostalgic feelings of togetherness and goodwill. A powerful and inspiring message is also delivered in a branding campaign to establish a connection between a company’s values ​​and those of an audience. People want bite-sized stories that they can easily digest and relate to. This is what helps remove products from shelves, increase positive perceptions and inspire loyalty.

Storytelling is a crucial element in any business looking to increase thought leadership, establish credibility and build trust. Yet there is more to telling a story than just marketing to a desired target audience. People want to hear from the founders who started it all.

They are hungry for answers to questions like what motivated the founders to start building their brand. And what makes their company an industry expert? If you’re a founder looking to achieve influencer status, here are three ways to establish yourself as a thought leader.

1. Write a book

Putting words about your expertise on the page kills two birds with one stone. First, the process helps you determine how you feel about your industry and the knowledge you’ve gained from working in it. Second, your knowledge is shared with your target audience, establishing your authority as an expert.

The process may seem overwhelming at first. You need to determine what area of ​​expertise you are going to write about. In other words, what do you want to share with your audience? And why do you think they will find your ideas useful? Be aware that some writers start with an outline, while others approach it intuitively.

If you are not yet sure what you want to say, you can start writing down your thoughts to figure it out. You may also want to embark on a co-project. Some founders partner with trusted industry peers and become co-authors to expand their potential audience. Others seek help from a ghost writer to transform their experience into a book. Whatever the method, sharing your expertise is the only way to get others to recognize it and learn from it.

2. Keep learning

Becoming a thought leader isn’t over once you start sharing your knowledge. To maintain momentum (and authenticity), you must continue to learn. Everyone knows that industries change, and so do the businesses that operate in those spaces.

In addition to gaining knowledge about your industry, you also need to explore the strengths outside of it. Examples of this include macroeconomics and other crossover or related industries. Since I thought leaders are people others turn to for advice, your words of wisdom should ring true. They cannot appear disconnected from what the public sees around them.

If your point of view goes against the grain, you better have well-researched information and explanations to back it up. Learning how different disciplines are intertwined and how microeconomic developments relate to macroeconomic developments gets you there. Your analytical skills will strengthen, giving you the ability to recognize patterns and develop solutions to complex problems.

3. Find your niche

If you’ve noticed, thought leaders are not known for being generalists. Although they can learn about various industries and market dynamicsthey usually have something unique to offer. Why else would their audience find them so captivating and believable?

Establishing thought leadership is about defining your area of ​​expertise and who your target audience is. You can then look at other leaders in the same space to determine how your knowledge can stand out. Do your experience and background offer insights that your peers lack? There may also be a void you can fill or a bridge you can build between your experience and theirs.

Finding your niche is what will make you a credible leader in your space. Your unique perspective will fuel ideas for future content, including how you engage your audience. Your chosen niche will also determine how you reach people, whether through specific social platforms or a blog.

Moving to Thought Leadership

Opinion leaders influence their audiences. There is something about what they say that others find captivating, encouraging, and helpful. Business founders can become more than leaders within their business circle. They can share their expertise with a wider audience to increase their brand following and loyalty.

Additionally, founders can leverage their knowledge to partner with other thought leaders in the same or interrelated industries. Becoming a thought leader is not a milestone achieved in a few weeks or months. It’s about finding your niche, learning how your experience relates to your audience, and sharing your wisdom. Keep following these steps and your consistency will pay off.