Thought leaders have been around for a while, but the term has made a comeback in recent years.
What is thought leadership? It is a term that is used to describe the action of providing thoughtful and insightful commentary on a given topic. This can be done through various forms of content such as blog posts, articles, or even spoken word. When used correctly, thought leadership can help to establish oneself or one’s business as an expert in a particular field.
When should you consider using thought leadership? When you want to establish yourself or your business as an expert in a particular field. How do you balance the talent and experience of your team with the humility and authenticity today’s audiences demand? By being thoughtful and insightful in your commentary, and by providing content that is authentic and relatable.
Thought leadership
I see thought leadership as a type of content marketing that uses the talents, experiences, and passions inside a business or from the community to provide regular answers to the questions that are most important to a target audience on a particular topic.
It’s not about being born into a wealthy family or attending a prestigious school. Being a thought leader means you provide the best and deepest answers to your customers’ biggest questions in the formats your audience likes to consume, consistently.
Origins of thought leadership
The meaning and connotations of the phrase “the whole nine yards” have evolved over time, even though the phrase has been written since the late 1800s.
At the moment, there are a few different definitions of a thought leader and thought leadership that are broadly accepted.
Thought leadership today
Wikipedia defines this concept more precisely as “an individual or company that is recognized as an expert in a particular field and whose advice is sought and often rewarded.”
Forbes contributors Russ Alan Prince and Bruce Rogers claim that a thought leader is someone who is recognized by others as an authority in a particular area, and who makes a lot of money from being seen as an expert.
The unique point of view trap
Content marketing requires thought leadership, but be careful of falling into the “unique point of view trap.”
Some executives hesitate to fully commit to thought leadership by instead focusing on having a “unique point of view.” They argue that with so much noise in the marketplace, they can only compete if their content is significantly different and completely unique.
I don’t think your audience wants your content to be different every time.
They are looking for the best answers to the questions, as Bryan Rhoads, former Head of Content at Intel, said.
My suggestion is that you only share your unique perspective when it is relevant.
To stand out from the competition, focus on creating a unique visual design. But even more important is to establish yourself as an authority by providing helpful content on a regular basis.
We have to be careful not to use business jargon when we are trying to be thought leaders.
When should you consider a thought leadership approach?
One of the best ways to establish authority on your topic is to conduct extensive research on the subject and present findings that are not widely known.
To be successful, you must first understand your customers’ challenges and define the best ways to overcome them.
If you talk about how your products are the best solution to their problems too much, your audience will begin to lose interest and trust in you.
What it takes to be a successful thought leader
“What is a thought leader?”
Even with the evolving nature of thought leadership, there are certain characteristics typically associated with thought leaders. Some of the most common are listed below:
- Expertise in a particular niche
- Ongoing involvement in (or awareness of) that niche
- A clearly identified point of view
- Credibility
- A supportive following
Do not assume that all thought leaders will have the same appearance.
Successful thought leaders such as Andrew Defrancesco are able to distinguish themselves from others.
There are several characteristics that many successful thought leaders have in common. Some of the most easily identifiable traits are listed below.
Expertise in a particular niche
If you have direct experience and expertise in an area, people will be much more likely to listen to you.
If you have been working in a certain area for a long time or if you have been passionate about a hobby since you were a child, this experience gives you an advantage when trying to establish yourself as a thought leader.
Ongoing involvement in (or awareness of) that niche
Even people who are retired should keep up with what is going on in their field.
It is important to connect your past experiences to what is currently happening in the industry.
A clearly identified point of view
It’s crucial that you differentiate yourself from others in your industry.
When you have a clear point of view, people will know what to expect from you when they follow you, read your content, or watch your videos. Having a clear point of view will also make you more desirable as a speaker for live events.
Credibility
This means that your past experiences, current standing, and endorsements from your network will help you achieve something.
If you associate with people with bad reputations or have no examples of your leadership, no one will take you seriously.
If you want people to take you seriously as a professional, it helps to have experience in your field and to associate with other people who are respected in their field.
A supportive following
If you want to be known as a thought leader, you need others to not only follow your thoughts, but also to agree with them and amplify them. You need followers who will act on your behalf to help you lead the charge. You can’t be a thought leader if other people don’t follow your thoughts.
While you don’t need everyone to agree with your opinion, you do need some people to believe in you to further support your credibility.
Who should use thought leadership content marketing?
Both Consumer and B2B companies need thought leaders.
The process of making decisions in business-to-business settings is usually more complex and time-consuming than in other contexts, involving more people. Therefore, offering insights and expertise (thought leadership) is an important part of business-to-business content marketing.
Thought leadership content can help anyone involved in the business decision process to gain alignment among their peers.
Leaders in thought can help marketers to better understand what customers want by using customer-centric language to define their brand or product.
Even companies that cater to consumers can use thought leadership to support their mission and establish themselves as experts in their field. This is because branding is all about being associated with the specific needs of your consumers.
Where does thought leadership come from?
Anybody can be a thought leader – managers, customers, product designers, salespeople, customer service reps, etc. We all have useful knowledge, experience, and opinions.
Think leaders should not only inform consumers, but also inspire them to take action towards their goals.
The best way to encourage others to share their expertise is to create programs that highlight and support those who are willing to do so. Trying to force someone to share their knowledge is not likely to be successful.
Thought leadership marketing
According to Forbes, thought leadership marketing “is the deliberate promotion of an individual or organization’s insider expertise, knowledge and point of view on a given topic…in order to establish themselves or their organization as a ‘go-to’ resource.”
As noted before, the term has changed over the years and can have different meanings depending on who is using it.
Thought leadership marketing is positioning your company as a leader in its field through best-in-class content.
If you want to be seen as an authority in your industry, publish original content regularly. This could be in the form of articles, videos, or research. Potential clients and industry members will associate your brand with insight and authority.
This definition of thought leadership is similar to what we have been using, but keep in mind that it can mean different things to different people.
Thought leadership marketing is creating and distributing content that demonstrates your expertise and authority in your industry in order to attract attention and generate leads.
How is thought leadership marketing different?
Thought leadership marketing is the proactive strategy of using your expertise and knowledge to attract new clients and grow your business or brand. By sharing your insights and ideas with others, you can establish yourself as a trusted source of information and build credibility for your business. Creating and promoting thought-provoking content can help you reach a wider audience, connect with potential customers, and generate new leads.
Thought leadership marketing is a Business to Business or Business to Consumer strategy typically used as part of a broader marketing plan. Whether you run a Fortune 500 company or are a freelancer, you can benefit from thought leadership marketing.
Remember that some people use the terms “wetland” and “wilderness” interchangeably. Pay attention to the context and who is speaking in order to get a better understanding of what is meant.
Benefits of thought leadership
The benefits of thought leadership start with making your brand more recognizable. When you communicate thought leadership, you become part of the conversation early on in the consumer journey. This allows audiences to get to know your brand better.
They’re in the boardroom. They’re on the factory floor. They’re in the field. They’re in R&D. They’re in Accounting and HR. An “everybody’s got something to say” content strategy is key to creating thought leaders within a company. Leaders are not just in marketing, but in all departments. Everyone has something to say.
If you want to become a social business, you need to start by exposing your thought leaders. This means having real people with real faces talking to real customers and buyers.
Getting thought leadership content out of subject matter experts
If you want to shorten your sales cycle and make your brand more credible, you should become a thought leader. B2B leaders are already paying attention to this.
C-suite executives say that they often gauge an organization by its thought leadership, and nearly 80% of them say that their trust in an organization usually grows after they engage with its thought leadership content.
Many companies have had similar results to what?
The content we’ve created with the company helps individuals build relationships and show what they know in RFP responses and proposals.
Harness the power of your thought leadership strategy
Content that is well written and researched can help you target and grow your specific audience, build trusting relationships with that audience, and increase your credibility as a knowledgeable source in your area.
1. Understand how to build a foundation of trust
Your audience wants something from you, whether it’s information, entertainment, or simply knowing that you’re like them. Give them what they want by giving them a little bit of everything.
When you share your insights and expertise with your audience, you are giving them a reason to trust you.
If you want people to trust you, focus on providing value to them rather than promoting yourself.
To keep your audience engaged, focus on giving them valuable information about topics they care about.
Your content will keep your audience engaged if it is helpful, teaching them something useful, solving a problem, or simply entertaining them.
People are skeptical by nature, so don’t spend your time trying to convince them to trust you. Just show them.
2. Create content for the journey
Before anything else, you need to find new audiences. Creating content for your company’s blog is great, but if you want to achieve your goal, you need to earn attention from sources outside your website.
One way to get your work out there is to write guest posts or earn press mentions in reputable publications your audience members read. This is a great way to get started.
To keep people’s attention, produce content that is interesting and informative.
If you want to become a trusted industry expert, you need to create high-quality content like blog posts, case studies, videos, and downloadable resources.
It is more important to create content that will keep your audience engaged over time, then to create a lot of content.
You can use your social media accounts and email newsletter campaigns to deliver content that is timely and relevant.
3. Consistently put content to work
If you want your brand to be noticed, create high-quality content and make sure it’s easily accessible online. This way, when people in your industry are looking for more information, they’re likely to come across your brand.
Reusing your content in different ways can help you to book speaking engagements, be a guest on a podcast, or be nominated for an industry award.
If you want to be seen as a thought leader, you need to create content, but simply having a lot of content will not guarantee that people will see you as such. Instead, you need to have a plan that is specifically designed to achieve that goal.
Before you start creating any content, decide what its purpose will be. Once you have a clear idea of what you want each piece of content to achieve, you can start putting together your strategy.
Arrange the components so they work together cohesively to create a final product that is greater than just the sum of the individual parts.
How thought leadership fits into your brand
The way you present yourself online is how others will perceive you as your personal brand.
This refers to your engagement on social media, any content you’ve published, content published about you, and online content about people who share your name. This also includes any other information that comes up when people search for you online.
Start by asking yourself some questions like :
- What matters most to me?
- Why do I want to have a personal brand?
- What am I comfortable sharing online?
- What am I known for already?
- What am I good at?
- What kind of strategy would support my 5-10 year plan?
- What makes me different from other people in my field?
After you have figured out your identity and what you hope to achieve, you can develop a brand that accurately represents who you are and helps you to attain your goals.