In this new Empowering Post, I'll share 10 different strategies that will help you develop the mindset to launch a successful leadership platform.These are tips used by the most prosperous entrepreneurs and authors today. By putting them into practice for your own venture, you will see tremendous results this year. So, without delay, let's get started. Tip #1: Have a Clear Vision of What You Want to Deliver to the MarketWhen working with my clients, the first assignment I give to them compels them to define their vision. I ask them, "What do you see for yourself and your venture over the next 25 years?" By articulating their overall vision from the beginning, it's easier to clarify the steps necessary to manifest it. The vision for your leadership platform can be as vast or small as you desire. When I first began my online work back in 2016, my vision was to be the premiere, online training solution for new authors. I wanted a platform that provided exceptional lessons for writers with inspirational, motivational stories. I wanted my readers (who eventually became my future clients) to have a place where they could learn how to flourish in their calling. And since that time, my platform has reached tens of thousands ... all because I was bold enough to speak and write my vision. That's what you want to do as well as you pursue your new venture. Know your vision. Articulate it clearly. Write it down. And ensure it will be empowering to the market. Tip #2: Be Clear About Your Platform's Financial GoalsWhen it comes to building a thriving leadership platform, generating income is a must! If you want to write as a hobby, then focusing on this element won't be useful to you. But if you know you're called to this industry, understand you must position your work to receive finances. Being clear about your financial goals is paramount to your success. The best way to define your goals is to consider how vast your vision is. For example, The Felecia Killings Foundation is a national one. Our platform and messages reach millions each year. To maintain our growth and to scale it even more, we have set financial goals for the work that allow for optimal success. The Foundation has become more than a solo venture for me. I now have partnerships with other content creators; I have Contributing Writers who add value to our online networks; and later this year, we will hire our Executive Team that will perform a lot of offline and online tasks. As a result, my financial goals for The Foundation cannot remain small (like $10,000+ extra a year). My goals have to be in proportion to the vision (generating 6-8 figures annually). And I urge you to consider the same, Beloved. Think about your vision and what needs to be accomplished. Determine the costs associated with manifesting that vision, including your own salary and training costs. Set realistic financial goals, and work towards meeting them each year. Tip #3: Be Clear About the Purpose for Your Leadership PlatformWhat is your "why," Beloved? Have you truly taken time to understand the reason for launching your leadership platform? Is your purpose to make an extra $1,000/month? Is your purpose to empower people? Is your purpose to raise money for your local organization? These questions are to get you thinking about the core reason for starting your new venture. Without this understanding, it will be difficult to start, grow, maintain, and scale your work over time. Too often, people who begin their ventures quit within months. And most often, this can be traced back to their lack of motivation. Building any venture -- including a leadership platform -- takes strong will power and tenacity. In the beginning, you will fail more times than you succeed, especially if you take this journey alone without proper training. So, what will you do when you feel the urge to quit? What will motivate you to push forward? When in doubt, you can return to your "why." Go back to your purpose and why you began this venture. Tip #4: Be Wise with Your TimeBuilding a new career and business is never easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your health in exchange for a thriving virtual ministry. As you work on building your venture, take time to enjoy life. Learn to prioritize what truly matters: faith, family, friends, etc. Create a clear schedule that grants you the time and space to construct your book, build your platform, and spend time doing what you love. A healthy work-life balance is crucial for your success. Tip #5: Start Building Your Authorship Platform Little by LittleYour Author's Platform is one of the most important elements of effective thought leadership. But it will take time to build this empire. The best strategy is to work on your Author's Platform little by little. Contribute to it daily, whether that means constructing new blog posts, engaging with your ideal audience on social media, or partnering with other authors to launch something phenomenal. When I first began my Author's Platform, I invested 80-100 hours a week to constructing 5-10 blog posts per week. Because I was new, I wanted to get my expertise to the online market immediately. In addition, I spent roughly 2-4 hours a day on social media, engaging with the people. In 2016, during the presidential election, my content soon went viral, which resulted in a surge of new followers. And today, my Author's Platform is vast because of the initial work I invested. Today, I've been featured on top conservative outlets that helped expand my platform. But it all began with a determination to contribute to my Author's Space in the beginning. Your platform, Beloved, will determine how well people respond to your message. The tone you use, the voice you project online, and the way you captivate an audience will make the difference. So, each day, contribute to your Author's Platform. Think about the most effective strategies for online engagement. And build, build, build. Tip #6: Focus on Delivering High Value to Your Ideal Reader and Build Your FanbaseIn the business world, it's not enough for you to have customers, clients, or readers. You need FANS! These are individuals who will remain loyal to your leadership platform, no matter who else comes on the scene. Fans of your content will be your greatest asset, because they will GLADLY spread word about your books, events, blog posts, merchandise, etc. These individuals will share your tweets and other social media posts, because they want to be a part of your venture. Fans will also be loyal to your vision and mission. They will help you manifest it. But to build this fanbase, you must be authentic. You must be transparent. You must put your heart into everything you create (i.e. books, blog posts, podcasts, etc.). And you must focus on empowering the people at all times. When you do this consistently, your Author's Platform and audience will grow exponentially. Tip #7: Invest in Content MarketingListen, building your leadership platform is no joke. This is your business, your baby, your ministry. And you must be a good steward over it. That means you must take the time to invest in your content, ensuring what you provide to your audience is what it actually needs and wants. Too often, new leaders simply want to write a book that impresses themselves. They don't think about the readers. They want to tell a story as they see fit, neglecting the most important person in the book-writing process: the actual reader. The same goes for writers who create blog posts or other content marketing materials. As a Thought Leader, you are delivering a service to the market. And each time you create a new piece, you must ensure it will benefit the other person. Content marketing is the #1 strategy for gaining maximum exposure for your leadership platform. In fact, because you are in this virtual space, creating content to help sell your work is all you can do to gain followers, buyers, and clients. Whether you invest in creating webinars, blog posts, e-books, courses, and more, you must create material that will astound and empower your audience. And as you develop extraordinary content, seamlessly embed your paid products or services so your readers can receive premium offers from you. Tip #8: Have Faith in Your SuccessAs you continue building your venture, you will experience hardships and frustrations that make it difficult for you to move forward. But your faith in your work has the power to give you resolve. No matter what challenges come your way -- including the financial ones -- hold fast to the vision. Have faith in the work God has given you. Remain steadfast and immovable. Use every challenge as an opportunity for optimal growth. As you stay committed, doors of opportunity will come before you. Tip #9: Continuously Refine Your Brand and Online PresenceAs you begin working on your venture, you will find it necessary to refine your brand and online presence. When I first started my online business in 2016, my focus was on editing clients' books. But over time, as I began flourishing in my gifts, my messages became more focused on Kingdom principles in social, political, and economic spheres. Over time, my brand evolved to what it is now. I anticipate that in 5 years, the brand will look slightly different than it does today, and that's OK. The work is ever-increasing, and so will yours. As you put forth efforts to launch your venture, be opened to the shifts that occur. How you begin won't be how you end. You can grow and increase as often as you desire. And the readers you gain in the beginning of your journey will be the faithful members (or fans) who stay loyal to your venture, because they are invested in your vision. Tip #10: Learn from Today's Experts and Invest in Your TrainingOne of the worst things you can do as a new leader is create new principles that will hopefully work for your platform. Yes, it’s possible to create newer strategies; but don’t waste your creative power trying to invent new principles. Learn from the experts and replicate their successes by following their road maps. You can always add your flare and ingenuity, but don’t waste time trying to figure out new ways of doing things, not when the path has already been set. You can glean from today's experts by reading or listening to their FREE content. You can also purchase their books, attend their events, or hire them as your coach. In Conclusion ...Thought leadership is a powerful method for elevating your platform and bringing your message to millions of people nationwide. But to be most effective, you will need proper training from an expert coach who has delivered the kind of results you desire. Beloved, in this new era, I want to teach you how to tap into your God-given abilities so you thrive as one of His leaders in the earth. Whether your vision focuses on the social, political, or economic spheres, you can fulfill God's calling on your life when you have the right spiritual and practical training to make it a reality. Today, I invite you to join our growing rank of leaders who are learning to do things God's way so we get His results. Your training is crucial to this development, and at The Felecia Killings Foundation, we've crafted a dynamic leadership program and event just for you. Register for Our Bi-Annual CCM Leadership Convention | Build Your Thought Leadership in the Social, Political, or Economic Sphere Join Coach Felecia Killings and her guest speakers for our annual 3-day event hosted in Atlanta, GA.
Sponsored by The Felecia Killings Foundation, The CCM Leadership Convention will help rising leaders like you establish powerful thought leadership in the social, political, and economic spheres. During our intensive training, you will learn key principles that will help you bring your ideas to the national forefront. Event topics include:
Don't miss this exciting time to receive our in-person training. Our Convention Schedule Day 1 — Establishing Powerful Thought Leadership in the Social, Political, or Economic Spheres
Day 2 — Packaging Your Thought Leadership in Books
Day 3 — Packaging Your Thought Leadership in Online Courses and Coaching Programs
Register Today!
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AuthorFelecia Killings is the Founder and CEO of The Felecia Killings Foundation, a Conscious Conservative think tank and coaching organization that trains rising leaders for full activation in the social, political, and economic spheres. Through her training hosted on her website, her podcast, her leadership network, her social media platforms, her books, and her annual leadership convention, she equips leaders with spiritual and practical tools that help them bring revival and reformation to the communities they serve. |