What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership content positions you as the go-to expert in your field. It shapes the conversation around topics important to your audience—or starts new ones entirely.
Buyers increasingly rely on thought leadership to choose between vendors or service providers. Effective thought leadership cuts through the noise, builds trust and creates a positive brand image.
Many marketing organizations prioritize bottom-of-the-funnel content (like case studies and product demos), even when their business is trying to expand into new markets. It’s not hard to see why. We all love a conversion. But growth requires that more people pay attention to your brand. In other words, increased market share requires increased mindshare.
When you’ve won mindshare and a new group of prospects associate your company with excellence, it is much easier to move them down the funnel toward a sale.
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Why thought leadership is more important during a recession
We’re currently in a time of macroeconomic uncertainty. Companies are cutting back on spending and laying off workers. Often, marketing is one of the first cost centers to get the axe. This can leave teams too strapped for bandwidth to address content strategy effectively. Creative agencies often lack the industry experience to fill in the gaps.
Yet thought leadership becomes a more powerful tool to build an engaged and owned audience in a recession, during which prospects conduct more research before committing to a purchase. In a study of 1,200 business decision-makers, 60% said thought leadership content directly led them to a buying decision.1
After thorough analysis, 90% of buyers choose a vendor on their shortlist at the beginning of the sales process2, underlining the importance of keeping a brand top-of-mind and associated with excellence. That’s where I come in.
My deep industry expertise and more than a decade of experience in business journalism and B2B marketing leadership roles helps me create engaging thought leadership-focused content strategies, removing it from the plates of busy marketers. My efficient process seamlessly integrates strategy with execution, involving the necessary stakeholders in the creation and review process without any unnecessary meetings.
Learnings from the Edelman-LinkedIn B2B thought leadership impact study
Edelman and LinkedIn conduct annual studies into how B2B buyers use thought leadership when making buying decisions. Their studies have found:
- B2B buyers and buying groups use thought leadership content to make decisions about products, suppliers, and services.
- Buyers prefer to get their information from experts in the field.
- Buyers prefer to get information from timely, relevant content that is easy to understand.
Thought leadership content = maximum ROI
Well-researched, original content backed by credible sources and tied to news and events that are pertinent to your prospects helps position you as an authority in your industry and build trust with potential buyers. Optimizing this content for different channels increases its visibility, ensuring it reaches the right people.
I can help you create high-impact thought leadership content that keeps you top of mind to prospects as they conduct research ahead of a buying decision. As a Forrester-certified B2B content strategist, veteran business journalist, and award-winning writer, I know what will resonate with your target audience. Get in touch for a free consultation today.