For business analysts, positioning yourself and become an opinion leader in your field is a long-term job… that can pay off! Steps to take.
First of all, let’s point out that the Francophone internet is not overcrowded with people trying to fill the niche of benchmark business analyst. A simple Google search only shows 1 or 2 existing blogs on the subject and the hashtag #analystedaffaires is rare on Twitter. So there’s room for a business analyst who wants to become a reference in his field.
How do you achieve this goal? “The common mistake is to try to position yourself by copying what your neighbour does, without taking the time to think about a strategy or an editorial line,” explains François Gaudreault, a consultant in personal and professional branding. “The first step is to clearly define the reason why you want to be recognized. Is there a niche, a specialization that you want to occupy?”
The next question is to know who you want to be recognized by. “This is important, because it will tell us what platforms we want to be in,” adds Mr. Gaudreault. There are many choices. You can decide to contribute to a website, or your LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram social profiles. “As a professional, a website lets you keep attention on yourself 100%, while on LinkedIn you are quickly being compared to the competition…”
As a business analyst, you will also want to establish contacts in the real world, by participating in congresses, conferences and by being involved in a recognized association, such as the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). “A variety of actions helps to spread the message,” the consultant confirms.
Become an opinion leader: the importance of content
To become an opinion leader you should not only seek to be more visible on a particular platform, however, François Gaudreault reminds us. It’s necessary to play this role by producing quality content that demonstrates your expertise in the niche you are seeking to occupy.
“In the professional sector, people do not buy services but a progression. It is necessary to demonstrate that you can help them progress from point A to point B.”
“That’s where you fall into content marketing,” the consultant continues. “It can be contributing to a blog, making videos, interviews or collaborative projects.”
Finally, François Gaudreault insists on the importance of measuring your efforts over time and targeting the right people. “When an influencer manages to break through, you sometimes have the impression that it happened overnight. But when you look closer you realize that he has been producing content for several months.”
“I always tell my clients, don’t watch your statistics. Be convinced that your content is targeting the right people, and always keep them in mind when you are writing text or shooting a video.”