“Thought leadership” has become quite the buzzword lately- but the real question is, how do you become a thought leader and leverage it for your business? Recently I stumbled across this handy e-book, courtesy of LinkedIn. The Successful Marketer’s Guide to Thought Leadership opened my eyes to all the possibilities available when a business implements a thought leadership strategy. So just in case you don’t have time to read a 45-page document today, I’ve broken it down for you!
So… What Exactly is Thought Leadership?
If you ask industry leaders to define thought leadership, you’ll likely hear many different answers. But here’s what it boils down to: Thought leadership is a special form of content marketing that can contribute measurable value to your organization, if used effectively. The magic happens when content becomes an educational, innovative (and sometimes provocative) method of sharing insights and ideas, brings a new point-of-view to the table, and/or inspires action in its readers.
Why is Thought Leadership Important to your Business?
Whenever you need an answer to a question, what’s your first move? Maybe you Google it (that’s my Millenial speaking), ask a coworker or friend with more experience, or read reviews of different methods to try. Here’s the thing, B2B marketers- buyers generally aren’t looking for your opinion, they’re looking for a solution to their problem. Jeff Ernst, principle analyst at Forrester Research said it this way:
“Business buyers don’t ‘buy’ your product or service, they ‘buy into’ your perspective and approach to solving their problems.”
This really hit me. In today’s day and age, we all know that information is readily available online for just about any problem out there. But let’s say a reader wanders over to your blog looking for a solution, and you not only solve that problem, but suggest 3 more perspectives they hadn’t thought of. When that reader begins to believe your expertise, they begin to buy into this picture you’ve painted. In this way, you’ve moved beyond the “me-too” product discussion and engaged that buyer at a strategic level.
Three Types of Thought Leadership
An important factor in creating a thought leadership strategy is identifying the type of leadership you’re not only qualified for, but ensures that you’re targeting the right audience with your content. While there are probably many different categories we could group these into, for the sake of this article, we’ll break it down into three.
Industry Thought Leadership
This category includes points of view on news, trends, and the future- focusing on forces shaping the markets you serve. A key factor in writing content for this category is understanding what prospects and customers already believe. How do your ideas offer a novel approach to an existing issue? Does your opinion contradict the norm? A good rule of thumb: don’t just rehash what’s being said- bring a fresh perspective to the table. Hint: Most people won’t be interested in reading that you agree with everyone else.
Product Thought Leadership
So you’ve created this amazing way for companies to go about their business. How will you convince others to partner with your company- to “believe” in your perspective? Here’s where thought leadership comes in. To help prospective clients understand how your vision can become their reality, share best practices, strategic “roadmaps”, tangible how-to’s, and any other information that actively executes your vision of transforming their business. Think of it as your thought leadership track record.
Organizational Thought Leadership
Ideally, your thought leadership should reflect your company’s unique vision, innovations and culture. In fact, it should drive these things! However you think it affects your business, these things absolutely need to be in sync in order for you to have a real thought leadership presence in your industry.
If nothing else, putting your company’s thoughts out there and creating innovative content connects current clients and attracts prospects to your perspective. Not only does this give a more personal insight into your business, it opens the door and invites conversation about issues in your industry, while giving you an outlet to address those concerns with tangible solutions. It’s a win-win, really.
This quote from Stephanie Sammons sums it up perfectly:
“Thought leadership is such a powerful content marketing strategy because it strikes that delicate balance between the personal and the professional. It’s authoritative, yet authentic. When you find this balance with your content, you are truly optimized for influence.” –Stephanie Sammons, Marketing Strategist
I strongly urge you to dig deeper into this e-book- it’s an awesome tool to get a better grip on how thought leadership can benefit you as a marketer, as a business owner, or as a fresh produce executive. If you enjoyed my run-down, feel free to share it on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn! I’d love to hear what you think.
