Thought leadership
– Tips on the thinking and writing
Lead the flock
What is thought leadership?
A lot of content out there masquerades as ‘thought leadership’, but it soon becomes apparent that the author is pushing their company or a particular service or product.
Genuine thought leadership shares insights and expert opinion on a subject or sector. Yes it is part of marketing and PR strategy, but the primary aim is to provoke thought – rather than instant calls to the sales team – and to establish trust and authority.
What’s the purpose?
So your purpose should be to share real value that derives from knowledge and expertise grounded in real-world experience. Do that, and you can make people aware (or remind them) of your and your company’s expertise in your field.
That higher profile and reputation can generate its own payback. Judging by the investment in thought leadership, marketers have got the message now, but its value has previously been under-estimated. Research by PR agency Edelman (back in 2017) showed that whereas about 50% of B2B markets felt their thought leadership content built trust, among actual buyers that belief was shared by more than 80%. The gap was even bigger for influence on buying decisions: the buyers were more than twice as likely to say that thought leadership articles were influential (37%/41% of decision-makers / C-suite execs versus just 17% of the marketers).
What’s the downside?
Fall short, and you will tarnish your brand – personal and corporate. If an article is poorly written or argued, lacks originality or insight, is too generic or promotional, then it will be dismissed. And, possibly, your relevance along with it.
That’s a lost opportunity, and there’s the financial cost too. A decent thought leadership piece takes time – invested by your expert(s) in planning and writing, plus editing and promotion by your marketing/communications team. If you commission a professional writer, apart from the fee, a brief must still be prepared and the draft reviewed. Either way, you need to make that investment worthwhile.
What topics should you cover?
Every sector has a need and demand for thought leadership. But first, let’s be clear what topics are definitely not ‘thought-leading’ – rehashed press releases or articles by other commentators, product or service launches, expansion of your business or team…. In other words, most if not all of the ‘company news’ that’s most important to you and your colleagues.
Yes, there should be some fit or overlap with your business, but that should be natural, not forced.
There is no shortage of subjects that lend themselves to thought leadership. It could be a ‘burning issue’ of the day, or any challenge facing your industry and/or your clients, an emerging trend, an opportunity to improve quality or value for money, a disruption in other sectors/markets that has ramifications for your patch too, some other prediction of what’s coming down the line, or an appeal for concerted action in your industry or by policymakers.
Tip: As with most other content, start by focusing on the pain points for your clients – the problems keeping them awake at night.
Before you start
It’s worth reviewing what else has been published on the subject, if you’re not aware already. Competitors or industry commentators may have opined on the same matter. That does not preclude another article – it suggests the subject is topical and likely to be of interest. But it does demand a more nuanced approach.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself at the outset:
As with any article, who’s our audience? Identify the main interest group and keep them firmly in mind as you write.
If the topic’s been in the news, do we have another angle, can we go deeper, or add value in some other way?
What’s new, different and important about what we have to say?
Do we have research data or other information in-house that would afford new insight into this issue? (Or could we gather it?)
What other supporting data and evidence can we provide for our argument to bolster its authority and credibility?
Tip: Remember that your potential audience includes journalists as well as clients and prospects. They have an eye for what’s new or interesting, and can provide another platform.
ELEMENTS OF THE ARTICLE
Headline (& sub-head)
The headline has to balance clarity with interest. As short and simple as possible so that readers immediately understand what the article is about. Catchy enough to get their attention so they read on.
Tip: Here are some approaches that can work well:
State the subject – and then your take on it.
Pose a question – but don’t give away the answer in a sub-head (save your thunder for the article itself).
Challenge a conventional wisdom – not just for the sake of being contentious, but to draw attention to originality or a need for change.
Tip: Write, or re-write, the headline (and introductory paragraph) at the end – preferably, after a gap when you can re-visit the draft with fresh eyes.
Length
No longer than it needs to be. Busy people’s time and attention spans tend to be limited.
However, a thought leadership article that makes a cogent case, supported with data or examples as evidence, is likely to exceed 750 words if not the 1,000-word mark.
It’s not a problem if your article/blog post is shorter and succinct, and still skewers the key points on a specific subject. The aim may be to stimulate debate or test the ground for a series of articles on the subject. The acid test is not the number of words, but the value and authority of the piece.
Tip: If there are more than 400/500 words, use short cross-heads to break up the text into more reader-friendly chunks.
Style
Substance is key, but style does matter.
Do refer to your organisation’s house style / tone of voice guidance, if you have such. As it should be a bylined article, there’s some licence to add a personal touch. But your piece shouldn’t be out of kilter with your corporate brand (even if you’re also promoting your personal brand).
Authority comes from the insights in the article, not industry/professional code words. Using jargon, highly technical terms or abstract concepts smacks of laziness and will limit your audience.
Short, simple words and sentences suggest clarity of thought as well as expression. But there’s still space to be distinctive (see tip).
Tip: Mix it up. An occasional sentence that’s kept very short can vary the pattern of a piece and sharpen the reader’s attention (and reinforce that sense of authority – an author in command of their subject). Drop in the occasional non-standard term (eg, metaphorical, informal, even slang) to keep readers on their toes.
To sum up, your viewpoint is both personal and corporate. So the writing style should be professional but personable; friendly not formal; expert not arrogant; direct and active, not mealy-mouthed or couched in an anonymous, passive voice.
References
A thought leadership article is not a dissertation or a white paper, so it’s not necessary to pepper it with footnotes. But do add citations and textual hyperlinks where appropriate (eg, to credit eminent sources).
Quotes can also illustrate a point, but keep them short, do attribute, and don’t over-use; the article is meant to share your perspective, not common wisdom.
If possible, give real-life examples to underpin important points. If these are confidential or sensitive, cite generic, but realistic scenarios to ground your thoughts in reality.
Conclusion
Many potential readers will check out the article’s conclusion first (maybe after scanning the headline, intro and cross-heads) before deciding whether or not to read. So make it worthwhile for them – and for those who have read every word.
Tip: The conclusion is another key part of the article best reviewed afresh and revised in the cold light of day. And it should be re-visited after all other changes and tweaks to ensure it’s still consistent with the overall message.
Here are a few key questions to ask yourself at the close:
Does the conclusion provide an answer to the question or a solution to the problem you posed at the outset?
Failing that, does it offer some robust advice or recommendations for readers to weigh or act on?
Or does it at least draw out a valuable lesson from your analysis and the evidence?
Tip: If you’ve used a metaphor in the introduction or headline, or for a central theme of your article, echoing it here can help round off the piece nicely.
Call to action?
Your article is meant to be a worthy thinkpiece, not a sales pitch. So don’t throw away the trust you’ve earned with a cheesy call to action. Instead, encourage comment, debate and others’ thoughts. (Often it’s the most impressive leaders who show humility.)
I hope this (basic) guide to thought leadership isn’t all too blindingly obvious and may be of some help.
