Written by: Claire Mason, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Networking has come a long way.
In the early days of my career, back when fax machines represented the height of technology, networking was associated with events held after work. A cheesy morsel at the end of a toothpick may have accounted for a snack. A glass of not very good wine was most likely present too.
And, of course, handing out your business card was the reason you were at the event in the first place.
Now, networking is no longer about cheese, wine or after hours events. Business cards have done a runner too.
With the transformation all of us have gone through en masse since 2020, networking now takes place at the click of a Zoom button.
Relationship-building is at the core
That said, the biggest change networking has undergone in the recent past is that relationships have moved very much to the forefront of connecting online.
Truth be told, building relationships was always the inherent strength networking possessed. But this got lost somewhat in the network practices of old. It’s taken a remote working ‒ and remote entrepreneurship ‒ evolution, powered by digital transformation, to place building real connections with people at the centre.
Furthermore, while most of us have a love/hate relationship with Zoom (or any other video conferencing software), there is no doubt that online solutions have introduced an ease and efficiency into networking remotely.
In my own professional life, I’ve gone from physically attending two weekly networking events in Dublin, Ireland (where I live), to virtually attending eight weekly networking events across the globe. This would not have been possible just a few short years ago.
But online networking still comes with limitations
With the time savings online networking has introduced into our lives, opportunities have opened up to join more networking groups. I’m just one example with my own move from two to eight networking communities.
But even online networking comes with limitations.
By being part of eight networks, I have definitely expanded my reach. I’ve also made great connections with people who have become close and trusted friends. And received great referrals that have converted from leads to clients.
However, I can still be in only one networking meeting at a time.
Though technology has advanced at a remarkable rate, it doesn’t allow me to clone myself and appear authentically in multiple places at once.
Thankfully, the media fills this gap. It’s incumbent for every founder and solo entrepreneur to learn how to harness the opportunity the media provides to gather all the opportunities available to us. Not just some of them.
Thought leadership helps you time travel and be in more than one place at once
Thought leadership is not another marketing buzzword.
Instead, thought leadership is an act of generous service and leadership.
You become a thought leader by sharing in-depth, clearly articulated and well researched material. This material is designed to answer questions that your ideal audience may be grappling with and require guidance.
Additionally, this material doesn’t always have to be in the format of 5,000 word ebooks.
Short social media reels and LinkedIn newsfeed posts (I especially recommend creating content on the LinkedIn platform!) are hugely effective channels for establishing yourself as a thought leader.
Sharing your ideas, insights and points of view on your platforms, from your social media profiles to your blog to your newsletter, are all excellent ways to share thought leadership content that can really help your audience.
And then, to really power your thought leadership, and the impact you can have in helping people, you need to add media into the mix.
Far from being a closed group, the media actively wants to hear from you. (I’ll add a caveat here. They want to hear from you with a targeted and aligned story pitch for their readers/listeners/viewers. I can help you define these pitches for yourself).
By collaborating with the media, you gain something extra impactful for your thought leadership work.
You gain access to another audience.
Your own blog, newsletter and social media profiles are all made up of your own audience. This audience is extremely valuable. The people following you have shown that they actively want to receive your content.
But the opportunities available to you are not only to be found in your audience.
So many opportunities exist outside of the networking rooms we’re in (virtual or physical) and the audience we already communicate with regularly.
You want to get in front of new audiences to increase your positive impact in the world.
And grow your business.
Becoming a thought leader, and leveraging the media to get your message out there, means that all the opportunities available to you will find you.
Best of all, working with the media will help you build strong business relationships too.
If you’d like to know more about positioning yourself as a thought leader, please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn. I’d be delighted to connect with you.
Claire Mason, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Claire Mason is a Content Strategist who works with solo entrepreneurs and founders. She helps them earn the publicity they deserve to grow their sphere of influence and sales pipelines.
Claire has earned bylines from numerous publishers, including The Guardian, Marie-Claire, and The Sunday Times. And she has placed her clients’ stories in publications like Forbes, CNBC, and WSJ among others.
Her clients regularly see increases of 40% or more to their pipelines after implementing her content strategies. Her work has been showcased as an example of best practices by HubSpot. Claire is also a regular contributor to Business2Community, Brainz Magazine, Tealfeed, and Digital Doughnut, and she writes regularly on how content marketing can move the needle for B2B brands.
