The Era of Thought Leadership is Here. Here’s How and Where to Demonstrate It Online

The surprising trends reshaping online business and creating new opportunities for writers who have something real to say.

I’ve noticed a few encouraging shifts in the online business space lately, and the outlook is promising.

Here they are:

• Long-form content is back. Blogging is back!

• The social media era is over, to some extent. Experts have been noticing that for a while now. People are exhausted from all that’s happening on socials, and how content got commoditized. There’s too much of everything, it’s mostly AI, it’s all the same, it loses its value, and things are happening too fast and on too many platforms. So many people are leaving social media now.

• These same people aren’t going anywhere, though, they are here to stay. They are diving deeper into their purpose, leaning into their expertise and sharing it on platforms that matter more to them.

• Websites and blogs are a thing again!

• Authority is the name of the game. Find ways to do something AI can’t. It can create your content, write your emails, and do many other tasks. But it can’t guide people through a process firsthand, it can’t offer them your unique experience and mentorship. That’s why it’s worth packaging your knowledge in a way that shows people the next move they need to make to solve the problem they have or reach their next goal. That’s discernment, and it’s powerful and transformational.

• Creating authority content and leading with your thinking is what can bring you clients and sales now. This is how you stand out.

With that being said, what all of these have in common is that they show how much authority and expertise matter. Do everything in your business with that in mind, and you’ll get attention from the right people.

It’s the era of thought leadership again, but this time, after the era of social media.

People crave non-generic opinions and answers, they want to learn from the right people, they want to learn only what helps them move the needle forward, not get lost in 20+ ChatGPT projects that only take them further away from actually taking action on their business right now.

Demonstrating Thought Leadership

The next question then is, how can we demonstrate thought leadership? And where to do that online if socials aren’t the place?

Glad you asked.

Here’s what I’m seeing lately, and what I’m doing in my business.

First, make sure you stop using ChatGPT and other AI tools for all your content creation and thinking.

Go back to thinking by yourself and sharing your thoughts, tips, insights and opinions.

Good platforms for that are your blog + LinkedIn + Substack.

Substack is especially important right now, I see a lot of potential there. It’s not oversaturated yet, and for now at least, it seems to be a place for people who think well, share unique thoughts, and are real.

Try it out and see for yourself. You can grow on it quickly even with short-form content (Notes).

As for the content format, share predictions about the industry. Talk about mistakes you see people make, patterns you notice, share your perspective on other people’s business or situation.

Position yourself as the expert.

The way I’m doing that right now is through posting often on LinkedIn + Substack.

You can repurpose content to socials too (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts). It’s 1 main idea I’m sharing, and I publish it on all platforms.

My area of expertise is sponsored blogging, so the things I post about have to do with the industry, pricing, pitching brands, behind the scenes of my business, etc,

The goal of short-form content isn’t traffic anymore, it’s positioning.

And that goes with not looking for freebie seekers anymore, targeting a more specific group of people, usually, more experienced users, established businesses, higher-paying clients, etc.

In other words:

Moving upmarket

Here’s how that works for me:

I went form targeting beginner bloggers to bloggers already running a blog who want sponsorship revenue.

That puts me in a whole new category. It means I need to use different language. Stop promoting my freebies that much. Go hang out where these experienced bloggers do.

It means leaning into my expertise, sharing more strategic and problem-solving content, restricting my product suite so it serves their needs.

I shifted from “blogging educator” to “blog monetization strategist focused on sponsorships.” That elevates the perceived value, so I have to keep up with that now.

It also goes together with higher prices, deeper expertise and stronger authority. And the new paid offer I’m working on (a Blog Sponsorship Audit) fits perfectly into this equation.

Other ways I’m demonstrating thought leadership online include guest posting.

I want to talk about sponsored blogging everywhere online, and what makes sense is appearing on other platforms and in front of new audiences of bloggers.

It also means practicing discernment. Just sharing information online doesn’t cut it anymore. I need to be strategic, discuss industry trends and shifts, show behind the scenes of my business, and patterns I’ve seen from bloggers I’m working with.

And by the way, I’m still not a coach and not offering actual coaching sessions. I am a mentor, though, but there are different ways to teach, guide and help bloggers. That right now is through my digital products, and the audit that’s about to be available soon.

To practice thought leadership, also make sure you engage in the right conversations. The ones related to your niche, the ones that are worth your time, the ones that might get you in front of the right people.

Also, aim not for volume, but for quality, for expertise.

If that resonates, share this post:

You don’t want your content to get to anyone, you just need it to get you in the right room.

Substack and LinkedIn offer that opportunity, but having your own blog also matters a lot (again!)

And let’s not forget email marketing.

Having a newsletter is still one of the most important things for a blogger and thought leader. It’s also considered long-form content.

So that’s how and where you can demonstrate thought leadership, starting right now.

Let me know what you think.