In order to be a thought or industry leader, you need to rise to such a level of expertise or excellence that people will seek you out as a recognized authority.
The big question is, how do you get there?
The answer is that you need to engage in a branding process to legitimately position yourself at that level.
Fully understanding this process, including where the greater pitfalls, challenges, and opportunities lie in each phase, is a critical first step in building a solid brand.
The path to thought and industry leadership must start with a solid platform. Before you begin any PR, marketing, or buzz-building campaigns, three critical actions, taken in a specific order, are required:
- First, clearly articulate the brand and messages.
- Next, develop a modern, marketing-oriented, up-to-date website.
- Finally, create brand consistency on social media.
Source: Karen Leland: The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build, and Accelerate Your Brand
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