Thought leadership is no longer confined to conferences or articles in trade magazines. Social media has become a powerful platform for leaders to establish their personal brands, engage with followers, and share their insights. But how can you build a thought leadership presence that stands out among the noise and fosters genuine connections?
In this blog, we’ll explore 10 practical tips for thought leaders to build a personal branding strategy on social media, featuring examples from successful leaders like Sara Frasca, Joan Frank, Comerica Bank executives, author and business expert Klaus Kleinfeld, and more.
The first step in building a strong personal brand is defining your niche. Thought leaders are trusted for their expertise in specific areas, so it's crucial to identify what you do best and how you can provide value to your audience. Are you focused on entrepreneurship, sustainability, or leadership? Hone in on the key topics you are most passionate about and knowledgeable in.
Sara Frasca is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, restaurant owner, and leader in business consulting. She has built her personal brand by not only specializing in organizational growth and leadership, but, more specifically, the key concept of innovation. She focuses on providing actionable business insights and strategies with an innovative twist, tailoring her content to the needs of her target audience: business owners and executives.
This post from Frasca on inventive thinking and its importance to survival in business is a great example of her innovation niche in action.
Make sure your niche aligns with your values and goals, and build content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs.
People connect with people, not just ideas. Your personal brand should tell a story about your background, experiences, and what drives you. Be authentic about your journey, successes, and even your failures. This builds credibility and relatability.
Author Klaus Kleinfeld, author of Leading To Thrive: Mastering Strategies for Sustainable Success in Business and In Life, often shares his leadership experiences and how they shaped his approach to a philosophy he calls the “inner game” and the "outer game.” By opening up about his journey, he creates trust and builds a deeper connection with his followers.
This post details a story about Kleinfeld and his team tackling a complex issue that demanded an immediate resolution (and the mental fatigue that came along with it). This helped him realize the importance of managing energy. Through the act of storytelling–using a real-life example–Kleinfeld is able to relate to his audience in a meaningful way.
Don’t just talk about what you know—talk about how you got there. Transparency can be a powerful tool for personal branding.
LinkedIn is the go-to platform for professionals looking to build a personal brand. It’s where you can share long-form content, network with industry leaders, and engage with others in meaningful ways. Posting regularly on LinkedIn about trends, personal experiences, and industry insights can help you build your authority and foster relationships.
Executives from Comerica Bank regularly post on LinkedIn, sharing insights about community impact, corporate responsibility, and banking innovations. Their posts are informative, consistent, and position them as leaders in the financial services industry.
One such example comes from Comerica’s Executive Vice President, Executive Director of the Retail Bank, Cassandra McKinny. She regularly shouts out (and tags) team members, colleagues, and other industry leaders in her posts to strengthen her connections through public praise.
Use LinkedIn’s article feature to share more in-depth pieces on your expertise and comment thoughtfully on others’ posts to increase visibility.
Building relationships is the cornerstone of thought leadership. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, asking questions, and joining conversations. When you actively listen and engage, it shows that you care about your community, not just your brand.
Engagement builds trust. Make it a habit to reply to comments, participate in relevant groups, and have meaningful interactions with your audience.
Consistency is key to building a strong personal brand on social media. Whether it’s posting once a day, twice a week, or bi-weekly, set a content schedule and stick to it. This helps keep you top of mind for your followers and ensures your message is seen regularly.
A great example of consistency comes from Joan Frank, President of B. Frank Communications. Joan shares “Martini Monday” posts every (you guessed it) Monday, dropping tips, tricks, and words of wisdom from a public relations expert.
Use social media scheduling tools to plan your posts ahead of time and maintain a consistent posting rhythm that works for you.
Great thought leaders create content that offers value. Whether it’s tips, advice, case studies, or industry insights, make sure your content is designed to truly help your audience. Content that educates, inspires, or solves a problem will always perform better than self-promotional posts.
Sara Frasca shares actionable strategies that her audience can apply immediately to their businesses. By offering tangible value, she keeps her followers engaged and coming back for more.
For example, Frasca recently shared a case study about two partners who had encountered a range of critical issues where they were unable to rationally discuss or reach resolution. Her business consultation company Point NorthEast conducted a case study to deep dive into what went wrong, and how her team helped right the ship.
Focus on solving your audience’s problems with your content. Educational posts, how-to guides, and actionable advice are the kinds of content that establish you as a valuable resource.
Video is one of the most engaging forms of content on social media. Whether it's a thought-provoking video sharing your latest insight or a behind-the-scenes look at your work, video helps humanize your brand and builds stronger connections with your followers.
Sara Frasca uses video to share snippets of her speaking engagements, as well as thought leadership pieces where she speaks directly to her audience. These videos help her connect with a broader audience while showcasing her expertise.
Post videos regularly. Keep them concise, authentic, and valuable. Don’t be afraid to show your personality—audiences love real, human connections.
Collaboration can expand your reach and credibility. By partnering with other thought leaders, you can share different perspectives and tap into each other’s audiences. Guest posts, joint webinars, or co-hosted events are all great ways to collaborate.
Executives from Comerica Bank often collaborate with other community leaders, influencers, and even other team members to share insights about finance industry related topics. These collaborations position them as authorities in both banking and community engagement.
This post from Comerica’s Susan Siravo, Head of Social Media & Content, is a great example of how to collaborate with colleagues. In this case, Comerica Chief Economist Bill Adams and Siravo discuss the state of the economy via a live video chat. The post was shared to multiple accounts, and Adams was tagged in the caption for extra visibility.
Look for opportunities to collaborate on podcasts, webinars, or joint blog posts. Sharing a platform with another thought leader allows you to learn from each other and expand your influence.
Your audience values authenticity. Share your values, be transparent about your opinions, and don’t try to please everyone. Thought leaders who are genuine and authentic build trust over time, creating a loyal following.
Columbia Business Professor Dorie Clark does an excellent job authentically sharing business advice with her followers. Instead of being buttoned up and in an office setting, she posted this video–sharing tips and best practices about time management–while sitting on the floor, petting her cat. It’s relatable content like this that keeps her followers engaged.
Be real. Don’t shy away from sharing your authentic voice, even when discussing difficult topics. Transparency builds a stronger, more engaged community.
Your personal brand’s success on social media depends on how well you understand what’s working. Use analytics tools to track your content performance and adjust your strategy as needed. If a certain type of post gets more engagement, create more of it.
Regularly check your analytics and adjust your posting frequency, content types, and messaging to improve engagement and growth.
Building a personal brand as a thought leader on social media is a process—it requires consistency, authenticity, and a genuine desire to provide value to your audience. By following these 10 tips and learning from leaders like Sara Frasca, Joan Frank, and others, you can begin crafting a personal branding strategy that not only increases your influence but also builds lasting, meaningful connections with your audience.
Let us know if you need help building your personal branding strategy! Random’s digital marketing experts can guide you in taking your social presence to the next level.
