TLA 7: Expressing ideas

You and your candidates now clearly understand your audience. You are monitoring and listening to the marketplace. It is time to start sharing content.

There are two issues to consider here: what you share, and where.

There is a wide range of possible content that your thought leaders may produce, including videos, blogs, and curations. Ideas can also be expressed in comments on other people’s content. Sharing different types of content can help to reach a wider audience than simply blogs or social media posts. 

However, all these share the need to tell a story. We are programmed by years of evolution to be attracted to stories. The ‘beginning, middle and end’ structure triggers the production of oxytocin, the ‘trust hormone’. We therefore tend to make emotional connections with stories, and this helps to build emotional connections. If you help your thought leaders do nothing else, help them to develop their ‘storytelling muscle’, and help them to make their ideas ‘stick’.

You also need to consider what channels and medium will best match your programme goals. Channel choice is a complex matter, but just like content, it comes down to your audience. You need to be where your audience is—and that is not just online. Choose the right online channels, but also encourage your thought leaders to think beyond social media and blogs and consider other channels to engage your audience most effectively.