A Skeptic's Guide to Thought Leadership

SILVER SPRING, Md. - April 5, 2018 - PRLog -- Content marketing has matured to become an accepted form of audience engagement across many if not most business sectors. While exploring answers to questions around content marketing strategy, you will likely come across this much-maligned term: Thought Leadership.

From those who are skeptical of the value of thought leadership in content marketing or audience engagement strategy we hear a few common objections:

1.We don't need it.
2.We already write a blog.
3.This sounds like fluff.
4.This does not offer any new solutions.

The above four points are typical objections to either creating thought leadership content or creatively exploring how to craft your company's messaging into thought leadership content that fits your particular audiences within your business sector.  Here are few ideas about how to respond to a natural and healthy skepticism around Thought Leadership:

1.WE HAVE NO NEED FOR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP – While this may be true for those selling commodities, executives in the technology sector for example are in a position where sharing facts, stats, and stories regarding how they are navigating the constant evolving landscape is an extremely valuable conversation. Also, it's interesting to people who are both in your industry and outside your industry. In my opinion there's a follow-up discussion about reach in there somewhere.

2.WE ALREADY BLOG AND DO CONTENT MARKETING – Promotion of your products and services, blatantly selling yourself, or talking about tactics is not thought leadership. All those things can be useful and have a place.  Effective thought leadership, however, offers an opportunity to present a strategic, present-minded and forward-looking perspective. What thought leadership content offers is the ability to communicate with executives and decision makers in a manner that addresses the conversations they are having and more importantly the conversations they need to have to address business problems.

3.THIS SOUNDS LIKE FLUFF –  So you're saying your marketing collateral is absolutely fluff free? Thought leadership is about contributing to the body of knowledge and speaking directly to the issue development cycle within your industry. Strategic changes to the business landscape require leaders who are innovative and are continually having conversations both within their organization and external to their organization. If you can provide real insight on how you are navigating in your ever-evolving business sector, then that's exactly the type of content that makes you a trusted advisor within your community.

4.THOUGHT LEADERSHIP LACKS NEW SOLUTIONS –  If you choose to include thought leadership in your content strategy, you can provide target audiences with a clear picture of what you see happening in the industry and offer advice about how to move forward in the context of the shifting landscape. Clear direction plus clear insight about an effective path forward is the recipe for effective thought leadership content.

Thought leadership is about providing insights in a confusing world dominated by a lot of noise. It's really not about selling yourself or your product. It's about providing nuanced concepts – or describing complex processes – that help executives move into new markets, adopt new technologies or pursue new strategies in an effective manner.  It's about providing leadership within your industry and riding the line between sharing your competitive advantage and discussing transformational change in your particular business sector.

Being skeptical about thought leadership because you are exhausted by all the noise that is pumped into the industry is absolutely valid.  That said, it's important to make sure you are not losing ground to your blind spot or cynicism -- or worse – to competitors who are gaining mindshare by contributing to the body of knowledge.

Contact:
Airrion Andrews
Mindshare Capture Consulting
airrion@mindsharecapture.com
1 888 705 8815