Understanding today’s ‘communications palette’

If you’re serious about building a credible thought leader brand that helps you generate sustainable ‘heat’ and momentum in the marketplace, then you’re going to need to get on top of your PR and communications.

Today’s communications palette (pictured below) runs both wide and deep. Try to do everything and you’re on a hiding to nothing. Do stuff randomly, and in all likelihood likely you won’t get to see the results you’re after.

Strategic omnipresence

That said, there is a huge opportunity for those ambitious subject matter leaders and owners of expertise-based businesses who decide to push things a bit, perhaps even bite off a bit more than they think they can chew.

Building strategic omnipresence in the marketplace requires you to be ‘all-in’, and while this will require effort on your part, you will be giving yourself a better chance to put distance between your professional personal brand and your competitors’.

But you need to be smart about it.

The trick, of course, is in knowing which channels and mediums to include in your content-led communications mix.

Multi-channel integration is key, as this will help (a) ensure consistency and frequency of message, and (b) help you streamline your efforts so you can claw back some of that time and energy you’ve invested in communicating and leveraging your brand in the marketplace.

Exception to the rule

Now, you don’t need to necessarily tackle all four media categories – owned, earned, social and paid. I’ve seen savvy thought leaders make a name for themselves using just one or two of these categories.

But they tend to be the exception to the rule.

The real power comes from strategically combining a number of the right channels, without overcooking things and running yourself into the ground.

Which means you really need to be thoughtful and strategic as to where you choose to spend your time and focus your efforts.

And of course, your story and your message need to be 'buttoned up’ as well, otherwise you run the risk of ‘muddying the waters’ and confusing your intended audience as to who you are, what you do and what you stand for.

All of these elements form part of a professional personal brand strategy. Having a plan in place will not just give you purpose and direction, but also the motivation to move forward with confidence.

Onwards!

Trevor Young is a veteran PR strategist and advisor specialising in reputation marketing, leadership communications and personal branding; he is a keynote speaker, blogger, social broadcaster, and author of the book ‘Content Marketing for PR'.

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