Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

Done the right way, written content can turn a company from one of many competitors into an industry thought leader and help businesses flourish.

Why any company should strive to become a thought leader

Thought leadership is more than simply a marketing buzzword. If a company establishes itself as a thought leader in their respective field, it turns from a business into an experienced and competent expert and a trustworthy source of information and guidance. This doesn’t only increase a brand’s visibility and traffic – it also increases the likelihood that customers will feel like they can rely on the company when it comes to making a purchasing decision. But to become thought leaders, brands have to do more than simply produce regular content that shows their interest in their specific field. Rather, they have to provide the audience with a compelling, informed, and original point of view. Any potential customer will have plenty of questions on their mind. A good thought leader anticipates those questions and answers them expertly, even before they are raised.

Thought leadership can never be a marketing strategy in itself, but is merely the intended outcome of any resourceful and creative content strategy....

The idea of becoming a thought leader is a nebulous andconfusing concept to grasp. Every leader’s approach is different, and there’s no secret formula to success.

Becoming a thought leader doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time — not to mention a willingness to share the “secrets” of your success — and the right mindset to master. But once you understand that it’s not about your ego or selling people on your company, you can start to unlock its true value.

To put the cycle of successful thought leadership in perspective, here are five distinct phases that need to happen...