Thought Leadership Opportunities for Early Childhood

Growing your Early Childhood Program Online Through Thought Leadership
Thought Leadership Opportunities with
www.designbearmarketing.com

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
•  Understand the power and importance of LinkedIn
•  Understand the what true thought leadership is and how
you, your early childhood program, and everyone in your
organization, can (and should) participate in the thought
leadership process
•  Connect the dots between thought leadership, content, and
your online marketing eﬀorts
*

Connecting the Dots:
The Power of Thought Leadership*

PART ONE
Why Do We Need
A Thought
Leadership
Strategy
What is thought leadership?
What Are The Beneﬁts of
Thought Leadership for You
and Your Business?
What Type of Thought
Leader Are You?

PART TWO
How Can My
Company Leverage
Thought Leadership
on LinkedIn?
Build a Foundation
Discuss Thought Leadership
Content
Use LinkedIn To Start Your
Thought Leadership Program

PART THREE
Measuring the
Return of Thought
Leadership
Why It’s Important To
Measure Your Thought
Leadership
Setting Goals
Using LinkedIn

AGENDA
* INTRODUCTION: How the Workplace Has Changed

of consumers like to
encounter thoughts and
ideas that go beyond
current thinking
96%
Source: The Economist Group
In A Connection Economy

PART ONE:
Why Do We Need A Thought Leadership Strategy?
Thought Leadership Opportunities

* Part One: Why Do We Need A Thought Leadership Strategy
What is Thought Leadership?

’thôt’lē-der-,ship
The practice of inﬂuencing a community of interest by
developing information, analysis and insight that
helps its audience understand its world and plan for
the future.
It can be delivered in any medium, and can help
companies raise awareness, shift perception and
increase the status of their brand.

’thôt’lē-der-,ship
The practice of inﬂuencing a community of interest by
developing information, analysis and insight that helps
its audience understand its world and plan for the
future.
It can be delivered in any medium, and can help
companies raise awareness, shift perception and
increase the status of their brand.

1. Key Elements
pracŸtice
1. The actual application
or use of an idea, belief
or method as opposed
to theories about such
application or use.
a comŸmuŸniŸty
1. a group of people in the
same place or having a
particular characteristic in
common…together...unified by
common
interests...collectively,
especially in the contest of
social values and
responsibilities; society.
inŸfluŸencŸing
1. The capacity to have an
effect on the character,
development, or behavior of
someone or something, or
the effect itself.
Ÿ The power to shape
policy or ensure favorable
treatment from someone.

InŸforŸmaŸtion
1. The actual application
or use of an idea, belief
or method as opposed
to theories about such
application or use.
2. Repeated exercise in
or performance of an
activity so as to acquire
or maintain proﬁciency
in it.
unŸderŸstand
1.  Perceive the
intended
meaning of
(words.)
2.  Perceive the
signiﬁcance,
explanation, or
cause of
(something.)
inŸsight
1. The capacity to gain
an accurate and deep
intuitive understand of
a person or thing.
2. Key Elements

Raise awareness
1. Knowledge of a
situation or fact or
program
Increase the
status
of the brand
Increase: become or
make greater in size.
Status: the relative social,
professional, or other
standing of someone or
something.
Brand: You, your
program, your center.
Shift perception
Shift: Move or cause to
move from one place to
another
Perception: The ability
to see, hear, or become
aware of something
3. Key Elements

What Thought Leadership Is NOT
•  NOT About YOU
•  NOT About YOUR TITLE
•  NOT About SELLING
•  NOT About your
PUBLICATIONS
*

Thought Leadership Ensures
A Credible Personal Brand

What Are The Beneﬁts Of Thought Leadership?

•  Greater Awareness of your program
•  Greater community support & advocacy
•  Increased parent engagement
•  More incoming inquiries
•  More quality inquiries
What Are The Beneﬁts Of Thought Leadership?

What Kind of Thought Leadership Are You?

We Are Three Types of Thought Leadership
Industry Leadership Organizational
Leadership
Product Leadership
1 2 3

Example of Industry Thought Leadership

Example of Product Thought Leadership

Example of Organizational Thought Leadership

What Do These Thought Leaders Do?
1. What problems does your industry solve?

2. What problems does your business solve?

3. What problems do your employees solve?

4. What problems do you solve?


PART TWO: How Can My Company Leverage Thought
Leadership on LinkedIn?

1.  You Must Build A Strong Foundation
1.  Goals
2.  Mission
3.  Audience
4.  POV
5.  Parents Journey
2.  You Must Know Where To Post Content
3.  You Must Understand Best Practices
PART TWO: How Can My Company Leverage
Thought Leadership on LinkedIn?
*

Establish your Goals
ü Goal to build credibility
ü Goal to strengthen authority
ü Goal to change opinion
ü Goal to deepen relationships
ü Goal to generate leads
PART TWO: How Can My Company Leverage Thought Leadership on Social Media?
*
Build A Strong Foundation

*
Does Everyone You
Work With
Know What Your
Company Believes?

*
Build A Strong Foundation:
Deﬁne Your Audience: Employees + Parents
2016 REJournals:
Millennials in the Workplace

Deﬁne Your Audience
•  Demographics: age, gender, lifestyle, income
•  Psychographics: beliefs, personality
•  What motivates them to act
•  What do they “value”—in life and in your services
•  Challenges (what keeps them up at night)
•  Goals—work, family, children
•  What problems are you solving for them?
*

Parent’s Journey = Buyer’s Journey
*
“Where is all the
informa@on?”
“Can I ﬁnd the
answers?”
“Are they consistent?”
“Do they care about
me?”
“What are the reviews?
Are they a leader? Do I
trust them compared
to the others?”
“What happens aMer
I buy? Do I know the
process? Am I
valued?”
“Does anyone
understand my
unique
problem?”
DESCISION
73% of the decision is
already made when they
contact you

Deﬁne Your Point of View (THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS)
•  What do you want to be known for?
•  What do you believe about your work?
•  What do you choose to care about?
•  Where do your people have exceptional expertise?
•  Where can you credibly lead the conversation?
•  What perspective (from your life, upbringing, culture,
experience) do you bring to your industry that is diﬀerent?
*
Your Point of View is where
REAL Thought Leadership
Happens

ALWAYS REMEMBER
“Buyers don’t ‘buy’ your product or
service, they ‘buy into’ your
perspective and approach
to solving their problems.”
Jeﬀ Ernst, Forrester Research
“

Said Another Way
“People don’t buy WHAT you do.
They buy WHY you do it”
Simon Sinek
“

Where do you put all these thoughts and insights?
Speaking Engagements
Industry events, community events
Research Reports
Original research oﬀering new insights or
documents industry practices
Blog Articles
LinkedIn, Website,
Wordpress, Tumblr
1 2 3
Social Media Posts
Ongoing conversation with
customers, practitioners, and
other industry experts
Graphics-Infographics
Snack-able content that positions
you and your company as a leader
Events & Trainings
Engage customers, industry
leaders, researchers.
community advocates
4 65
*

Best Practices: Where To Post
*
INFOGRAPHIC: SOCIAL LEARS www.designbearmarketing.com

Best Practices: How To Post
*
This is your Thought
Leadership

Best Practices: Engaging Employees
*
Are you inspiring your
staﬀ to speak about
their exper@se? Your
mission? Your collec@ve
vision for childcare?

Best Practices: Engaging Parents
*
Build A Strong Foundation What do parents know
about your mission?
About your staﬀ? About
Your what you value? Most Parents who do not
enroll or leave
aMer their contract is done
do NOT feel that their values
aligned with your values
Many trust Google, YouTube, Facebook….

Navigating your Strategy
*
What do
you
uniquely
know?
What does
your
audience
care about?

PART THREE:
Measuring the Return on Your Thought Leadership

1.  Why It is Important To Measure
Your Thought Leadership
2.  How To Set Goals
3.  What To Use On LinkedIn
PART THREE: Measuring the Return on Thought Leadership
*
Are Parents Expecta@ons Important?

Why It’s Important To Measure Thought Leadership
YOUR REPUTATION
You want to be the trusted
authority in your industry,
your community, your
business, and your job. Focus
on the strategic issues so you
can make strategic decisions.
YOUR REVENUE
Sales and enrollment are the
likely rewards for thought
leadership but cannot be the
primary goal—at least not in
the beginning stages.
YOUR
RELATIONSHIPS
Here is your inroad to
developing important
connections for your work.
You must look at the
partnerships you are forming
as they strengthen and
accelerate your success.
PART THREE: Measuring the Return on Your Thought Leadership
*

Setting Goals and Benchmarks
You have to have a set of goals that keep you
on track.
What goals do you measure?
*

Using LinkedIn: Publishing
Publishing
Views
Comments
Shares
*

Using LinkedIn: Posting = Activity
Activity
Views
Comments
Shares
*
How can we improve
this post?
How can we improve this post?

Using LinkedIn: Company Pages
Company
Page
Employees
Followers
*
HOW MANY OF
YOUR COMPANIES
HAVE A LinkedIn
BUSINESS PAGE?

*
Company Page: KinderCare Education

Using LinkedIn: Groups
Groups
Extend reach
Engagement
Comments
*

*
Group Example: Early Childhood Education Network

NEXT STEPS: First-Set Up Your LinkedIn Account
*

PROFILE PICTURE: Your photograph is a visual representation of who you are to the world
of LinkedIn. Make a great first impression with a professional-looking photo. The best are
head shots with simple backgrounds. Be sure to have a slight smile. Make it a current photo!
LinkedIn members with profile photos are 7x more likely to be found in searches.
TITLE/HEADLINE: Title is what goes with your experience but with the skills-based headline.
Do not make this a basic job title. It is the most important real estate on your profile because
you are searched by this headline. Use (/) to separate specific and important skills that are
part of the job you are doing (or are qualified to do.) Do not use it as a help wanted banner.
Showcase your skills and talents in this space. Repeat it as your “title” under experience.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR LINKEDIN URL: This makes it easier for people to find you by
searching for your name. Otherwise, they’re left sifting through the hundreds of LinkedIn
visitors who have names similar to yours when looking for you. Click next to your URL, Menu
on the Right. “Your public profile URL” then customize URL and use your full name.
LinkedIn Profile Checklist
NEXT STEPS:
Second - Optimize Your LinkedIn Account*

on the Right. “Your public profile URL” then customize URL and use your full name.
SUMMARY: Make your summary the focal point of your profile. Just like the summary on
your resume, the summary on your LinkedIn profile really gives users an opportunity to
showcase skills. This is your space to differentiate yourself from all the other professionals in
your industry or job market. Use bullet points after your paragraph. Add a skills list.
1. Make it engaging and original
2. Written in the first person
3. Angled toward the specific people you care about the most
4. Have your call to action with current contact information
EXPERIENCE: Include descriptions for each position, tell us the problems you solve. Having
your two most recent positions on your profile makes it 12x more likely to be found. Don’t
have a current position? List volunteer work, freelance work, or other professional activities.
(2-4 sentences description using keywords that highlight your skills.)
MULTIMEDIA CONTENT: You can add URL’s, presentations, graphics, or videos to further
showcase your skills. This includes articles, a portfolio, or links.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE: Skills-based volunteering is a key element to the work world
today. It is included on resume and profile. Make sure it has skills-based bullet points.
SKILLS: Top three skills are what we see first. Only put skills that are career based. In
order of importance to the job you want. Should match your resume and job listing.
EDUCATION: List all schools you attended along with their website and direct link. You can
also list any education certifications/special technical training you received, or are currently
working on. (In addition to putting those under accomplishments/certifications section.)
RECOMMENDATIONS: Ask for specific jobs or projects, keywords or skills that you would
like them to address in your recommendation. Be specific.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Includes publications, certifications, courses, projects, honors &
awards, patents, test scores, languages, and organizations (put paid and volunteer skills-
based here.)
NEXT STEPS:
Optimize Your LinkedIn Account*

NEXT STEPS:
ALL STAR PROFILE*

Thought Leadership
Conclusion?

Thank You
*Q&A
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Maria Bereket
maria@designbearmarke@ng.com
(857) 998-8858


Thought Leadership Opportunities for Early Childhood

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