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Thought Leadership Marketing
April 17, 2008
By Steven Van Yoder
Marketing used to be about getting in front of prospects, delivering your pitch and making the sale. Today, the Internet has permanently changed the way people and companies find and evaluate products and services. Consumers now find companies through their own efforts, often through a search engine.
Moreover, buyers increasingly distrust marketing "claims" and expect businesses to show, not tell, when demonstrating their products and services. They shun self-serving salespeople and seek businesses that focus on making a difference, not getting a sale.
But business leaders can combat these customer-in-charge trends by building public credibility for themselves and their organization as industry leaders. This type of "thought leadership" centers on earning trust and credibility. Thought leaders get noticed by offering something different—information, insights and ideas, for instance. Thought leadership positions you and your company as an industry authority, resource and trusted advisor by establishing your reputation as a generous contributor to your industry.
Elements of a Thought Leadership Program
Thought leadership centers on sharing your knowledge and giving your expertise generously and frequently in a variety of formats.
Thought leaders position themselves as centers of influence who are always "present" within their target markets. Seek opportunities to be seen, read and heard on a regular basis by the people who matter most to your company.
• Media Strategies. The public values the media, and so should you. In one way or another, the media reaches and influences everyone with a direct impact on your business. As a thought leader, your should establish relationships with editors and publications in the trade—and in local, national and international media—to enhance your credibility, build your brand and reach far more prospects than you could in person.
• The Internet. The Internet has permanently transformed marketing. Regardless of your company's size or industry, people expect to find basic information about your company at the click of a mouse. A good virtual first impression is key. Prospects expect your company to be "findable" on the Web and demonstrate a credible record of results. If you appear lackluster compared to your competitors, you lose potential clients and risk becoming obsolete. Period.
To make the Internet an effective part of your thought leadership strategy, you must focus on showing your value, demonstrating your worth and making a difference. Your Web site should provide fresh, educational content that helps prospects see your business as a solution.
Syndicate articles on Web sites that reach your marketplace. Embrace blogs, podcasts, social networking websites, social bookmarking websites and online communities as virtual platforms to demonstrate your expertise and engage in two-way dialogue with your prospects.
• Speaking. Public engagements can be the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to establish yourself as a thought leader, and it gives you tremendous credibility that increases over time.
Identify trade shows, associations and conferences that customers and industry influencers are attending, and get on their panels or lead workshops. You don't have to be personally present to give a talk that reaches your target market. Online chats and teleconferences, using your own or others' Websites or telephone lines, can help you reach a lot of people eager to hear your message.
• Publish Valuable Content. Thought leaders create and distribute information, such as white papers, books and reports that educate their target market about issues related to their business.
White papers can be easily created in Adobe PDF format and offered from your own or others' Web sites. When done correctly, a white paper is a powerful vehicle for a thought leadership marketing strategy that attracts prospects via search engines and other online channels.
Thought Leadership Starts at the Top
Regardless of a company's size or industry, thought leadership always starts at the top. When you are deemed a thought leader, it is a broad acknowledgment that your company, in a real, authentic sense, leads the thinking in your industry. Thought leadership is most effective when led by a company's top management, who develop and express new ideas that keep a company at the forefront of change.
Steven Van Yoder is an internationally recognized expert on public relations, executive branding and thought leadership marketing and author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort (Second Edition). This article was originally published on the Get Slightly Famous WebZine, an online publication offering free articles, resources, white papers, podcasts and resources focused on thought leadership marketing.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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