 Establishing thought leadership is paramount to your success in this virtual space. To get a deeper understanding of this marketing science, read my previous lesson, "Understanding Thought Leadership." If you want to build a powerful leadership platform, you must demonstrate your intellect and ability to solve problems for the people God called you to serve. In this teaching, I want to share my top 10 trends that will help leaders like you elevate your voice and message in this crowded online space. While there are other marketing trends out there, this unique perspective will show you how to apply those technical strategies into more actionable outputs. More specifically, these trends include:
Now, let's get into this lesson. 1. Investing Heavily in Authentic Thought Leadership MarketingTo begin, let's reinforce our working definition of thought leadership. Thought Leadership is the art of influencing the masses to make substantial changes that bring healing, deliverance, and empowerment on a local, state, or national level. Using the power of the written and spoken word, thought leaders convey their expert knowledge through carefully crafted content that delivers actionable solutions to our world's most challenging problems." - Coach Felecia Killings The world's top leaders have one thing in common: A consistent brand that delivers exceptional solutions for a targeted audience. They deliver their solutions using various media formats including blogging, podcasting, book publishing, and social media marketing. But they don't simply focus on promoting their products or services. Rather, they demonstrate subject matter competency relevant to their industry; and they bring unique perspectives that ultimately showcase them as top voices. This is the art of authentic thought leadership marketing, and you can employ this same technique each year. For example, if your platform focuses on selling consultancy services for women entrepreneurs, your content should demonstrate your expertise entirely. That means your blog or podcast should deliver exceptional solutions to your audience's most pressing needs. Your website should be the go-to source within your niche. And for women who want direct access to your knowledge and systems, they can purchase your consultancy services. As you can see, thought leadership marketing extends beyond basic content marketing. While many businesses turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to create content for their websites, your platform will remain more authentic if you deliver solutions using your voice and tailoring it specifically to the people God called you to empower. To learn more about establishing your thought leadership, read my latest lessons here: 2. Building Movements Around One's Thought LeadershipAnother trend in the works: Building movements around your thought leadership. Back in 2018, I launched my national work, The Conscious Conservative Movement, which quickly became the #1 force that empowered Conservatives and Black voters in the political space. Since launching that work, my name and leadership platform have been recognized as the top strategist for securing conservative victories using effective Black Outreach. The research I published and the books I produced solidified my expertise. And when my solutions delivered actual local and statewide election victories, people within the upper echelon of conservative politics turned to my content to help inform their political campaigns. My elevation expanded because I created a movement around my core message of Conscious Conservatism. And you can implement a similar strategy for your online business, virtual ministry, and political platform. To learn more about building a movement for your leadership platform, read my latest lesson, "How to Build a Movement Around Your Thought Leadership and Scale Your Platform to National Heights." 3. Becoming Self-Published AuthorsThought Leaders who desire to expand their influence must consider packaging their expertise in book format. And each year, we will see more experts producing published works that help monetize their platforms while opening new doors of opportunities. In a previous lesson, "3 Ways Book Publishing Helps Leaders Establish Credibility and Authority in the Online Sphere," I shared this information:
Thought Leaders are much more credible when they can demonstrate their knowledge and solutions to problems. And I encourage you, Beloved, to add this strategy to your leadership business plan. To learn more about the power of book publishing, read my latest lesson, "Understanding the Science of Writerpreneurship and the 6 Pillars that Help You Establish Credibility and Authority Through Book Publishing." 4. Building Online Communities and Tribes Around One's Thought LeadershipSocial media outlets were designed to unite people globally and authentically. In essence, by building an online community or tribe, people could feel connected to other folks based on similar interests, ties, and more. When considering your leadership platform, you must approach social media marketing with this same mindset. The idea is to build community around your God-focused vision, mission, and core message. In order for people to see you as a Thought Leader, you must engage daily with your intended audience. You must build rapport with each member. You must create an authentic, engaging, inspiring, and entertaining culture that locks people into your leadership brand. You can accomplish this in various ways depending on your personality and brand voice. For example, I love teaching. It's my gift and skill set. It was also my profession for 5 years. To build my online community, my Beloved Tribe, I converted my Twitter account into a "classroom" (Twitter Class) that provides FREE knowledge and insight regarding conservative politics, effective Black Outreach, and leadership development. My followers actively engage with my content and trust me to produce accurate insight that helps them transform into extraordinary Thought Leaders. And for members who want more direct access to my exclusive training, they join The CCM Leadership Network that provides community engagement, monthly group coaching calls, VIP direct training, and VIP access to my leadership convention. Going into each year means looking at how your leadership platform becomes a part of your audience's life and culture. Your brand must come to mind when they think of certain keywords or phrases. In return, when they are ready to purchase your product or hire your services, they won't look to other experts in the industry. They will consult you because you are a part of their world. That's the power of building online communities and tribes. 5. Building Omnimedia Empires Around One's Thought LeadershipWhen working with my leader-clients, I often teach them to master 2-3 social media sites (in addition to their websites) to promote their vision, mission, and core message. But over time, as they cultivate smaller communities in these spaces, it behooves them to scale their leadership platforms to all sites so they build an omnimedia empire. In 2023, I launched Coach Felecia Killings Omnimedia with this strategy in mind. Since 2018, I focused heavily on website content, Facebook posts, and Twitter. But by 2023, my platform had reached the heights in conservative politics, and I was ready for more profitable scaling that would increase revenue. That means I had to expand my reach using social media. I quickly explored LinkedIn and Substack as viable options, because they played into my skills as a writer and speaker. As you consider your thought leadership, think about developing your omnimedia empire little by little. Over time, your efforts will generate "compound interest," which will be useful in securing new clients, customers, donors, and more for your work. The more people who know about your expertise, the more your leadership platform will be elevated organically. 6. Articulating Values, Missions, and Philosophies More Than Products and ServicesQuite often, rising leaders who are new to the virtual space focus primarily on making profits through their platforms. Unfortunately, thought leadership does not work that way. When thinking about your platform, understand you are working within a business-to-business (B2B) market, which requires more effort on your part to demonstrate competency, relevance, and expertise over time. During my coaching sessions, I teach my leaders to focus primarily on establishing the foundations for their leadership platforms. This means understanding their vision; identifying their mission and core audience; clarifying their message; and developing a 25-year vision plan for their work. For leaders who want quick financial results, my coaching is not for them. Instead, I want my clients to see themselves as CEOs of their brand who will commit to their God-given calling long-term. As such, it's imperative for them to focus on articulating their vision, mission, and core message as often as possible when constructing content. They must focus on delivering actionable solutions for their audiences before ever expecting a dime. If they follow my system correctly, they will start generating income for their leadership platforms within 6 months. In addition, they will secure independent and mainstream media appearances that further elevate their thought leadership brand. But to accomplish this, they must build a solid platform that attracts people to their values, missions, and philosophies. Today, people are looking for true meaning and authenticity in the online space. Once they realize you deliver that to them, they will have no problem purchasing your products or services, no matter the costs. 7. Increasing Speaking Opportunities that Combine Creative Storytelling and Data-Driven SolutionsEach year, successful Thought Leaders will learn how to secure more speaking engagements, both online and offline. This means they will make strategic connections with fellow influencers and Thought Leaders in their industries to provide creative solutions to similar audiences. Back in 2018, when I first gained significant traction for my political platform, I was invited to Sonnie's Corner to discuss The Conscious Conservative Movement and our newest efforts. That podcast appearance led to other speaking opportunities, which eventually resulted in several FOX News appearances. As you continue adding to your thought leadership marketing, expect new speaking opportunities that will bring your message to new audiences. Have your branded website and email list set up so you capture new leads as you make your rounds. Be sure to include these features on your website for social proof. And continue building your portfolio based on the number of appearances you have. 8. Developing More Personalized Online ContentAt times, it can be difficult to generate new ideas each day for your platform. After all, how many ways can you articulate the same message across these social media sites? To compensate, I advise you to develop more personalized online content that simply showcases your humanity. For example, there are days when I don't have a lesson to deliver to Twitter Class. Instead, I will simply post a tweet, asking, "Is everyone good?" Other times, I will ask Beloveds, "Are you focused on building?" Simple, personal questions that engage my audience help keep my platform moving, and you can implement a similar strategy. As a Thought Leader, you don't have to show up daily with all the answers. Sometimes, your audience can be your teacher. Engage with them on a personal level. Share wonderful stories and invite them to share theirs. Add humor where appropriate. Share photos where convenient. Just be you. You will quickly discover how much your audience adores your genuine nature because they will see themselves in you. 9. Embracing Hard Stories Publicly and BoldlyToo often, Thought Leaders are expected to be perfect. In fact, many people use social media to create a facade in hopes of receiving external validation. These leaders fail to realize the power of sharing their hard stories publicly and boldly, which inevitably works against them in the long run. Back in January 2020, I published my second memoir, To My Beloveds: A Memoir of My Personal Comeback in the Aftermath of My Scandalous Story. This book dives into my "7-year tribulation" period where I had to deal with an abusive educational system, its students, sexual coercion, blackmail, threats, and subsequently an arrest. It took 3 years to clear my name and several more years to go through the healing process. But I overcame that hardship, rebuilt my life, and emerged as a nationally-recognized leadership coach and strategist within the conservative space. For me, delivering my authentic story, which can be validated by court records, was to inspire other rising leaders who had hard stories but were too afraid to walk in their calling for fear of public persecution. When working with my clients, I tell them, "Your story will never be more scandalous than mine, and look what God is doing through me because I said 'Yes' to His calling." Not only does my truth give them courage to walk by faith, but it also inspires them to tell their hard stories so they bring deliverance and healing to their audiences. Over time, the most effective Thought Leaders will be the ones who embrace their stories publicly and boldly. This degree of transparency reminds audiences that we are just like them; as such, they can overcome their challenges if they apply the same principles and techniques we used to overcome our hurdles. I teach more about this thought leadership strategy in my latest lessons: 10. Tackling Controversial Issues with Innovative, Unique SolutionsIf you're a leader and you aren't addressing controversial issues on your platform, you are doing thought leadership wrong. In fact, the most effective online leaders are those who know how to disrupt the status quo while delivering innovative, unique solutions that show audiences a better way. No topics are more controversial than those dealing with religion, politics, and culture. And as a Thought Leader, you can elevate your platform by tackling a specific issue while delivering your data-driven, researched-based solution. Most people tend to steer clear of controversial topics because they focus too much on people-pleasing. But the most powerful, influential leaders are those who stand ten toes down on their beliefs, regardless of what people say. Since 2016, this has been a hallmark of my thought leadership platform, because I wanted to break the anti-Black trends I witnessed within the conservative political spaces. My message, coupled with those within the Black Conservative space, have succeeded in shifting the Conservative Movement's perspective regarding Black voters and conservatism as a whole. But it was not easy getting to this position. I dealt with several smear campaigns that tried breaking my spirit. I experienced betrayal at the hands of the people I once helped. And I've been threatened online too many times to count. But that is the cost of public leadership. Through it all, I remained grounded in the principles, which protected me and made provision for me. And they will do the same for you if you are willing to step out and build a leadership platform that astounds the world. 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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The Felecia Killings Foundation: Transforming Ordinary People into Extraordinary Leaders and Helping Them Manifest Their Visions in the Social, Political, and Economic Spheres
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The Felecia Killings Foundation is a Conscious Conservative think tank and leadership organization. Through our research, publications, and outreach, we teach rising leaders how to activate their thought leadership in the social, political, and economic spheres.
The Conscious Conservative Movement is a branch of our organization, which helps bridge the gap between conservative politics and Black voters. Through our national work, we teach Black Americans how to access the Republican apparatus while also selling principled-based Conservative candidates who will serve on their behalf at the local, state, and federal level.
Donations to The Felecia Killings Foundation and The Conscious Conservative Movement help sponsor our research, publications, and online community workshops.
Each year, our research team engages in evangelistic efforts to develop qualitative articles based on the needs of diverse Black voters. Our research focuses on school choice, homeschooling, marriage, family, entrepreneurship, faith, and effective communication strategies for conservative evangelism.
We compile our findings in annual publications (The Conscious Conservative Collection) that help inform Conservative Leaders on how best to make political inroads with Black voters.
Our publications then serve as marketing tools that help our CCM Leaders deliver FREE online community workshops that teach Black voters how to access conservative politics that protect what they build.
The Felecia Killings Foundation, in compliance with regulations, functions as a for-profit organization that allows us the freedom to fulfill our God-given vision and mission. A significant portion of all profits covers salaries, research, publication fees, travel, online and offline outreach, and more. As a token of our appreciation for your financial support, you will receive new rewards as a Beloved Giver.
The Conscious Conservative Movement is a branch of our organization, which helps bridge the gap between conservative politics and Black voters. Through our national work, we teach Black Americans how to access the Republican apparatus while also selling principled-based Conservative candidates who will serve on their behalf at the local, state, and federal level.
Donations to The Felecia Killings Foundation and The Conscious Conservative Movement help sponsor our research, publications, and online community workshops.
Each year, our research team engages in evangelistic efforts to develop qualitative articles based on the needs of diverse Black voters. Our research focuses on school choice, homeschooling, marriage, family, entrepreneurship, faith, and effective communication strategies for conservative evangelism.
We compile our findings in annual publications (The Conscious Conservative Collection) that help inform Conservative Leaders on how best to make political inroads with Black voters.
Our publications then serve as marketing tools that help our CCM Leaders deliver FREE online community workshops that teach Black voters how to access conservative politics that protect what they build.
The Felecia Killings Foundation, in compliance with regulations, functions as a for-profit organization that allows us the freedom to fulfill our God-given vision and mission. A significant portion of all profits covers salaries, research, publication fees, travel, online and offline outreach, and more. As a token of our appreciation for your financial support, you will receive new rewards as a Beloved Giver.
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All rights reserved. No part of this website, network, or blog may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.