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“Thought leadership.” It’s a strange term. But in practicality, it can be seen almost everywhere these days. We see it all over social media, in blogs, white papers, articles and even tabloids. Thought leadership has become more and more prolific as we have moved from the industrial age into the social age. It can be difficult to pinpoint and define exactly what thought leadership is, mainly because it’s a concept. I would define thought leadership as a type of content or brand marketing in which your message is focused on the expert knowledge and experiences of an individual or company. This experience and knowledge of the industry contributes to a wider conversation, whether it be in a particular field or in the wider news agenda.
As with all marketing, thought leadership is a way of being seen and heard. But being seen and heard at exactly the right time and by the right audience is difficult. We are living in a social age where (rightly or wrongly) everyone has a virtual microphone. That makes it incredibly difficult to make your brand, product or service heard above all the noise. It also makes it a lot harder to be trusted by the public due to all the competing voices. Certainly, the general public bears witness every day to companies and businesses (and even their friends and neighbors) trying to promote themselves or sell something to them. As such, they’ve grown to ignore it. However, this constant barrage of sales messages at consumers from businesses is just one of the reasons thought leadership is thriving in this era. This is because thought leadership breaks that mold by providing more than just mere sales messages, and instead offers wisdom and intelligence, with the audience at the heart of the message.
Thought leadership offers so much more to the public, stakeholders and industries. In fact, it’s almost like the marketing element is an added bonus. And when executed perfectly, the marketing element is only ever seen and known to you and your business. The beauty of thought leadership is that when done right, it gets your target audience to know you, to like you and to trust you. This is invaluable in business these days. Trust is becoming more of a priority for consumers. When markets are so saturated, people can be discerning about who they do business with. Trust must be earned, not bought, and there is no quick fix. The most effective way I have found to do this is through thought leadership.
Thought leadership has provided me with a platform to not only discuss the highs and lows of my industry, celebrate the successes of my company, but also detail the harder aspects of being a business leader. Because, ultimately, vulnerability added with the industry expertise I have gained from firsthand experience of starting a company has made me a trusted figure of my industry.
However, becoming a thought leader and a spokesperson is not possible overnight. It takes time and consistency, and a great marketing team really helps, too. My three key tips for becoming a thought leader are:
• Embrace collaboration. It is almost impossible to become a thought leader on your own. Who would you trust more: a business saying “Look how great we are!” or a reputable publication personally endorsing that same brand? You will need to work with other companies, publications and organizations to get you to the point of becoming a thought leader. The media will become your best friend.
• Embrace vulnerability. The public is a good judge of character. If you put up a front, only saying what you think people want to hear, people will see right through you. Thought leadership provides a platform for you to be truly open, honest and, to an extent, vulnerable. People want to work with and join people, not a robotic figurehead of a company.
• Know your industry. You need to know your stuff. Chances are that you do, especially if you have been working in that area for many years. But it is always best practice to try to stay ahead of the game. Look out for new trends — what are other industry professionals talking about? What are companies struggling with? Can you comment on any of these? What are your expert thoughts and opinions? Make these known, and share your wisdom.
Thought leadership can benefit your brand immensely. From a practical standpoint, it can provide you with a wealth of opportunities to speak to multiple different people about your brand message and what you stand for. By improving brand recognition and reputation, you can storm forward as a leader in your industry, bringing confidence to clients and prospects.
