So, you want to be a thought leader?
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Develop a thought-leadership strategy for your CEO
We formulate thought-leadership programs for many of our clients to help them rise above the noise in their marketplace and position themselves as experts in their respective fields. This brand storytelling program is essentially an extension of a media relations program, and involves working closely with your executive team to identify the right voice for your brand, and the content that demonstrates your expertise.
What makes you an expert?
Take a stand — what’s your expertise? For example, is it a cause, a technology or process, a specific industry sector, a skill or technique? Some clients want to showcase their domain knowledge and analytic capabilities. Others are looking to develop their personal brand as an influencer or pundit. Spend time figuring this out because it will shape the editorial strategy for your thought leader.
Who are you trying to influence?
Where you show up is as important as the story you’re telling. Are you looking to connect with C-level decision makers or mid-level managers who select and implement solutions and technology. With that defined, research the ideal mix of media outlets (publications, websites, blogs, etc.) that reach your target audiences.
Define your editorial strategy
With your media targets defined, now you can research each to understand what content they seek from contributors. A rule of thumb here is that business publications are looking more for widely applicable advice and guidance, and less for technical analysis. Whereas trade publications are more likely to be interested tips and tricks that are useful for a more specialized and technical audience.
Putting it together
Here are some examples of successful thought-leadership program execution.
Want to get your in-house expert some visibility? Contact Tim to learn more about any of these and how to get started on your thought-leadership program.
Forbes
Kintone CEO Dave Landa writes about how enterprises can improve workplace collaboration.
Forbes
RecVue CEO Nishant Nair writes about how businesses can gear up for the subscription economy.
MarTech Advisor
Alice Li, principal email engineer at Litmus, provides advice for marketers wondering how to design email campaigns for Apple’s Dark Mode.
