A brand thought leadership program can be a great way to organize your content pillars and activate subject matter experts to engage your ideal communities. Building a successful thought leadership program, however, is a uniquely challenging task—and it starts with finding and differentiating your thought leaders.
In this #ContentChat recap, we help you learn how to build a thought leadership program, with a focus on getting things started and measuring your results. Read the full recap below to learn:
- How to choose a brand thought leader
- Thought leadership activities for getting started
- Common mistakes to avoid as a thought leader
Q1: Let’s start with a common definition: What is thought leadership from a content marketing perspective?
From a content marketing perspective, thought leadership content is created by or with a subject matter expert who has a unique perspective and experience to share on a topic. Not all content is thought leadership content—you need an actual expert to share their insights for it to count as thought leadership.
A1a: Thought leadership content is created by or with a subject matter expert who has a unique perspective and experience to share on a topic. #ContentChat https://t.co/PC7C16HVY0
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 24, 2022
A1b: Ghostwritten content that doesn’t have any actual insights from the person whose name goes on it is just content—not thought leadership. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/PVeErAMlvy
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) October 24, 2022
Thought leadership should spark new ideas, examine trends, and advance conversations happening in your industry, which makes it ideal for the earliest stage of your buyer’s journey.
A1: “Thought leadership” content is at the earliest stage of your buyer’s journey. Built to bring people into the funnel by addressing top trends in your market/space/industry. #Contentchat https://t.co/7d5z4v5olZ
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) October 24, 2022
A1: The ability to integrate content it all its forms into an omnichannel customer experience = Content mastery
Thought leadership = identifying what brands should be doing now to adapt to the coming content strategy trends.#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) October 24, 2022
IMO you can deliver though leadership in almost any area/industry. What matters is that you pay attention to trends, changing cultural norms, how ppl express themselves through design & art…#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) October 24, 2022
Create thought leadership content using experts both inside and outside of your business.
Ab: I also think thought leadership content SHOULD come from both inside and outside experts of your business #ContentChat
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) October 24, 2022
Anyone can be a thought leader—in Q2 we’ll explore what qualities make for a great thought leader.
One type of thought leadership I think of is Paradigmatic Thought Leadership, which becomes a new filter through which people see the world, in a manner that leads to new value creation, behavior change, and so on. Also, Informed Opinion Thought Leadership. #ContentChat A1a
— Carlos Abler (@Carlos_Abler) October 24, 2022
Or perhaps it’s a hybrid genre of Thought Leader Fiction.
As an aside, ghost writing also has nothing to do with ancestral practice or relations with the disembodied.
Or does it? A1b #ContentChat— Carlos Abler (@Carlos_Abler) October 24, 2022
So, say a hopesmith with a unique take on how to live a hopeful and joyfilled life?
Or a faith-based vlogger that sees things in a simple way?#ContentChat
— Kathryn Lang – hopesmith and dream ignitor (@Kathrynclang) October 24, 2022
