Seeking respect and credibility in a new market can be difficult, but it can be made easier with strategic thought leadership. It is relatively simple to achieve thought leadership just by getting your name and company on the pages of your favourite media platforms, but by not infusing certain best practices into your efforts, you risk missing out on significant brand goodwill, visibility, and potentially valuable partnership requests. Strategic thought leadership involves creating, designing, and sharing useful and relevant opinion pieces, interviews, and social content that positions you as a trusted voice in your industry.
As you establish a base of operations in Nairobi, you must engage a PR firm in Kenya that understands the Kenyan affinity for a compelling narrative enriched with specific details and can help you cut through the noise to share relevant and empathetic insights on issues that resonate with Kenyans.
Why Your PR Firm in Kenya Must Lead with Strategy
Strategic thought leadership involves publishing content that takes a stance on issues and trends relevant to your business, sharing a unique perspective or data, and positioning it in the right publications for the appropriate audience members.
A client TechPR Africa worked with, Tietoevry, a European banking software company expanding into Africa, wrote an article on Kenya’s open banking push, detailing the evolution of the country’s payment technology, sharing quotes from a key government official, and drawing insights from Europe’s initiatives. We helped place the article in one of Kenya’s largest business media outlets, Business Times.
Tips to Be Strategic with Your Thought Leadership in Kenya
Discuss the relevant issues – it is essential to feel the pulse of the industry. For example, what is the most recent legislation in my industry about which I have an opinion?
Offer a unique perspective – this keeps your content fresh for readers, enhancing your brand and startup’s credibility, increasing the likelihood of a reader following your work, your company’s communication channels, seeking a partnership, or even investing in your business.
Use plenty of data and present it in new ways – merely referencing data shows you value it, but presenting data in innovative formats to provide fresh insights and bolster your arguments is a skill that enhances the quality of your thought leadership and attracts those who value it.
Choose the right platforms – the ideal platform should possess reach, target audience, or syndication potential. It is crucial to publish on a platform that can be recognized by other similar publications, thereby widening the reach of your content and increasing the chances of sparking a conversation.
Closing Notes
Thought leadership needs to be strategic if you aim to secure a position in the Kenyan market, a top hub for technology and ICT on the continent, located in East Africa, Africa’s fastest-growing region, with GDP growth projected to rise from 4.4 percent in 2024 to 5.3 percent in 2025 and 6.1 percent in 2026.
