Everyone has a personal brand. But what does it mean to be a real thought leader today?
By Clare Wimalasundera
In 2025 we’ve seen that LinkedIn, or really any social feed, is full of thousands of professionals “building personal brands.” Business, and particularly the employment market, is now tougher than ever and as a consequence, more people are posting more regularly, jumping on trends and talking about their values.
But when everyone is doing this, being visible becomes more difficult.
Being seen isn’t enough. What you say, the value behind it and your expertise is what separates you from the noise and drives meaningful influence. Having the reach, connections or followers helps, along with publishing to beat the algorithm before it changes again. But at most, these may temporarily boost views, and reach rarely builds credibility or reputation.
Insight + Substance = Credibility
Real thought leadership is about creating insight, building trust, and contributing genuine value to communities, industries and conversations.
The 2025 Edelman trust barometer found that 86% of decision makers value thinking that informs or even challenges their perspectives, not just validating their thinking on a topic.
So to make sure your content has cut through, ask yourself the following:
Is this an original idea that challenges assumptions or addresses unmet needs?
Does it have a clear point of view rooted in real-world experience or evidence?
Are you willing to ask hard questions or offer an alternative perspective?
Your thinking must add value. If you're not bringing something new to the table, you’re just adding to the noise.
A strong opinion is a great start, but what elevates it is evidence, context and real life experience. The most respected thought leadership content tends to be research-based or data-driven, practical, thoughtful, and clearly articulated.
That might mean referencing research, sharing hard-earned lessons, laying out frameworks, or being transparent about uncertainty. The goal should be to show that your insight isn’t just an opinion, it’s considered and useful.
Before you publish anything, be clear on what you stand for, what you believe you can contribute, and who you’re talking to. That focus helps you stand out as it means your content is not aimed at everyone, but speaks clearly to a specific audience.
Positioning yourself as a thought leader doesn't happen overnight. Quality matters more than volume and generosity (sharing value, not selling) builds deeper trust. Thought leadership works best when it supports a broader business narrative.
Publish where your audience is
A thought‑leadership strategy should be multi-channel and include:
Owned channels (newsletter, blog, website) where your ideas live long term and aren’t subject to algorithms
Social media (e.g. LinkedIn) to reach your network, engage new audiences, spark conversations
Long-form or rich media (articles, podcasts, video interviews, webinars) to deepen your point of view and grow credibility
Earned media & partnerships contributing to trade outlets, collaborating with peers, guest appearances, events, speaking slots to extend reach and build authority beyond your personal network
Algorithms will keep changing. Platforms will keep pushing new formats. Paid reach might give you visibility, but that often fades as soon as the boost ends. Thought leadership done well is different. It creates a legacy of ideas, not just impressions.
Because in a world full of noise, thought leaders don’t shout, they shape.
Looking to make a bigger impact with your PR and comms in 2026? Drop the Visible PR team a message - hello@visiblepr.co.uk