Your business has the power to dominate its niche.
This can mean the difference between dedicated loyal customers and wasting precious time channelling energy into the wrong areas of your brand.
But how can you grasp that opportunity and turn it into better brand awareness, conversions, and future success? By understanding where to showcase thought leadership when interacting with potential customers.
leveraging through key touchpoints
There’s no universal number of touchpoints to complete a sale. In fact, it can range from two to 50! Why? Each case will be unique, and each relationship between seller and consumer will need different things for a mutually beneficial outcome.
This can depending on things like:
- industry you operate in
- products or services on offer
- apprehension of your customers
- purchase value of the translation
- type of lead (inactive, warm, cold, etc)
It’s generally accepted that the average number of touchpoints will be eight.
- meeting someone at an event
- connecting on LinkedIn
- checking your homepage
- reading a blog post on a topic of interest
- seeing your LinkedIn posts
- meeting for a coffee
- coming across a post about you by someone else
- spending more time on your website
Articulating experience and leveraging it through thought leadership for two of these eight touchpoints speak for themselves (you’re all capable of holding your own at a face-to-face event or a chat over coffee).
But what about those other six touchpoints? What effective methods are there to leverage them and convey your experience? You’re about to find out…
connecting on LinkedIn
No one wants to be bombarded by sales pitches in their DMs. LinkedIn is already full of those! But there is an opportunity here to ‘geek out’ and express passion for your industry.
A quick friendly message can work wonders. It doesn’t need to be an Oscar-worthy monologue – just confirmation that you’re relatable, and have experience in your field.
checking out your homepage
There’s an art to a blooming brilliant homepage. People should be able to understand what you do, what makes you special, and why they should trust you…immediately.
For thought leadership, this can come in the form of well-placed glowing reviews on Feefo, and TrustPilot – or customer testimonials complete with taglines to confirm your legacy:
15 years of family-led, customer-focused electrical goods, for example.
reading a blog post on a topic of interest
If you can address a common industry problem or a trending topic, provide a unique POV, and reassure the reader that your company is the solution to these issues, you’ve made a significant step.
If you’re consistent with your content, they’ll soon see your brand as the go-to place for guidance.
seeing your LinkedIn posts
LinkedIn can be the window that shows others the personality and values of your brand – no one likes a lifeless timeline. But there’s also a need here to build on that initial positive interaction.
Approach industry-related topics in a fun and innovative way. Share insights, opinions, and anecdotes from the past that showcase your experience. Even mistakes can come across as relatable – especially if you end the post with some recent successes to bolster how far you’ve come.
coming across a post about you by someone else
Trusted industry personalities – whether it’s influencers or popular bloggers within your niche can give you the rub that so many strive for. Getting a stamp of approval from a third party elevates your brand to a new level – reaping limitless rewards.
spending more time on your website
Is your website easy to navigate? Does it exude simplicity, convenience, and most importantly, a clear sales presence?
The longer people spend on your website, the more likely they are to make a purchase. Put in the time and effort to make it a flawless journey – from that first click right until they checkout.
These small but impactful insights help to leverage your thought leadership and let customers know what you do, your value, and the experience you bring to the table.
rebuilding bridges
Let’s face it – anyone with a WordPress template and a few brain cells can launch a business. Not only has this made for a more competitive landscape, but it has also damaged the trust between customers and companies.
Experience can get you to the edge of that crossover into a respected thought leader within your niche. So, what is that final piece of the marketing bridge that can rebuild the poor services that consumers encounter elsewhere?
personalised but proficient
Modern business is fast, competitive, and at times, unforgiving. It’s easy to overlook those personal touches and forget the emotions of your target audience.
All it takes is a little hustle and a lot of heart to be that trusted brand for a loyal and thankful customer base. A base who will soon be singing your praises to others – and increasing your reach exponentially.
