7 tips for being a thought leader

Organizations are under intense pressure to generate fresh content on a continuous basis. But not just any content will do: audiences are looking for genuine thought leadership to guide their strategies and decisions. While that creates an opportunity to deliver high-value content and elevate your brand, coming up with “leading thoughts” can be anxiety-inducing — especially if you’re deep in the weeds and not sure which of your thoughts qualify as leading.

Not surprisingly, this has driven many organizations at one time or another to “borrow” ideas from other people’s content, just to get something out the door. This may be expedient, but it dilutes your thought leadership because your organization loses the opportunity to share its own unique perspective.

At Ascribe, we’re often asked to write thought leadership blogs, articles and editorials on behalf of our clients. Based on that experience, here are a few of our top tips for generating solid thought leadership content:

1. Small insights are still insights.

You don’t need to have big, paradigm-shifting ideas. Offering a fresh spin on a familiar topic or focused perspective on a common issue is authentic and valuable to your audience.

2. Got feelings? Then you’ve got topics.

The most powerful thought leadership emerges from what people care about — the topics that stir emotion. That includes the things that matter most to the people inside your organization. Unpack those feelings and you’ll find gold: raw material that will give you something authentic to talk about.

3. Focus on what’s important to your audience.

While the thoughts and feelings of your own people are a good starting point, if you want your audience to truly care about what you’re saying, make sure your insights relate to things that are actually important to them. Look beyond your own walls and context to explore the challenges and opportunities facing your customers and stakeholders, then give a unique perspective on those topics.

4. It’s okay to join an established conversation.

Being a thought leader doesn’t mean you have to be the first to say something. You can add to a dialogue that’s already underway in your industry. Check third-party sources, social media and other forums to see what’s on the minds of your audience. Consider how your perspective maps to those topics to keep your content current and sought-after.

5. The best ideas come from collaboration.

Get out of your own head and bounce ideas off your colleagues to ensure your thinking will hold up to the scrutiny of your audience. Consult, collaborate and take whatever constructive feedback you can get. Ideally, your senior leaders should contribute to this process. Their time is usually pressured, but even a quick interview or email questionnaire can help make sure you’re putting your organization’s most compelling and authentic thinking out there.

6. You don’t have to say everything.

Once you know what you want to say, invest time and energy in communicating it effectively. Focus on what’s relevant to your audience and make it complete enough to advance the dialogue, but don’t feel you have to be exhaustive.

7. Be strategic.

What is the overall objective behind your thought leadership? Are you looking to build your brand, drive sales, raise awareness or reposition? Which differentiators do you most want to promote? The answers will help define your priorities and, in turn, guide decisions about what to publish and in what forms. It will also help you develop a long-term plan for the overarching story you want to tell over the upcoming content cycle, rather than scrambling to figure out what to post to your blog from one week to the next.

Ascribe can help you put it into action.

Our team can help you operationalize your messaging, starting with an editorial plan. We’ll work out content angles and formats to deliver the stories you’ve identified: some may work as one-offs, some as a series. Some may be fodder for blogs, others may work better as more in-depth e-books or white papers. Based on how frequently you need to publish, we’ll help you lay out a calendar for the next quarter, six months or year.

From there, we can handle the writing process from start to finish. We’ll interview people from your team to gather their thoughts and insights, develop outlines and concepts to ensure everybody is on the same page, then draft engaging thought leadership content that meets your goals and reflects what matters to your readers.

Check out these examples for just a few of the thought leadership articles we’ve written on behalf of our clients:

• Nokia: The role only CSPs can play in Industry 4.0
• Bell: How to develop a security-first strategy for the cloud
• Colliers Project Leaders: Cities within cities: Toronto’s new mega-mixed-use projects
• BDC: How to write a marketing plan
• Enercare: What to consider when replacing your AC unit

Contact us to today to find out how we can help you be a thought leader through strategic marketing communications.