How to Create Thought Leadership Content (+ Examples)

Thought management content material is a good way to indicate off your experience, develop your community and

enhance model consciousness on your firm.

As a founder or government in a high-growth know-how firm, you seemingly use your experience to assist clients and drive income each day. That qualifies you as an issue knowledgeable.

What in the event you might seize a few of that experience and share it with a related neighborhood or viewers?

That’s what thought management articles are all about.

In This Article

What Is Thought Management Content material?

Thought management content material is written, audio or visible media that corporations use to set themselves aside by demonstrating experience and sharing distinctive views on a selected subject of curiosity to their target market. Thought management gives worth that audiences can’t get anyplace else.

Thought management articles are normally authored by a selected government or one other worker, with that individual’s title because the byline. If in case you have a advertising and marketing skilled in your workforce, they could assist with the writing course of.

In lots of circumstances, corporations will pitch these articles to media shops, hoping that the concept beneficial properties traction with a brand new viewers. Nevertheless it’s additionally high-quality to submit these concepts by yourself as weblog posts or long-form LinkedIn articles, both in your firm web page or your private profile.

A profitable and well-executed thought management content material technique will help:

• place your organization as an authority on a sure subject;
• enhance model consciousness; and
• expose you to potential new clients, traders and companions.

Qualities of a Nice Thought Management Content material Technique

Nice thought management content material tends to share 4 qualities:

1. Authentic: Readers need one thing new — not a regurgitated thought or a proof of a broadly held perception. Attempt to take a brand new stance. Should you’re writing a few widespread subject, develop a nuanced perspective.
2. Thought-provoking: Make your viewers really feel one thing whereas they learn. Don’t be afraid to problem norms and deal with issues in your business.
3. Predictive: Don’t cease at “This development is occurring…” Inform your viewers how issues will proceed to vary or what development is arising subsequent.
4. Non-promotional: This holds true for any thought management articles that might be pitched to a media outlet. Your purpose is to share experience, not promote your individual services or products. Keep away from phrasing corresponding to “At our firm, we’re doing XYZ.” Should you’re posting in your firm’s weblog or on owned social channels, it’s high-quality to be a bit extra promotional — however maintain centered on the massive thought.

Learn how to Create Thought Management Content material

Creating thought management content material is a five-step course of:

1. Concept Technology and Brainstorming
2. Outlining and Writing
3. Enhancing
4. Pitching
5. Selling and Repurposing

1. Concept Technology and Brainstorming

You’ve received to begin someplace!

Begin by figuring out your subject. Maybe you have got an overarching take in your business, a technical perception associated to your market or a technique for buyer acquisition. Subsequent up:

Arrange a brainstorming session. Don’t be afraid to ask a buddy or colleague to brainstorm the concept with you. Oftentimes, we do our greatest pondering in a free-flowing dialog. Attempt recording your self to seize these off-hand pearls of knowledge.

Be ready however versatile. Let your huge thought come to you. You may begin with an thought in thoughts, however as you communicate, one thing new pops into your head.

2. Outlining and Writing

Now it’s your job to show a dialog right into a coherent article.

Construct a top level view. This isn’t all the time needed, however it may be useful. Be sure to’re heading in the right direction earlier than you spend hours writing.

Write on your meant viewers. Converse the language of your target market, even in the event you’re unsure which media shops might be involved in your submit simply but.

Write a blurb about your self. This blurb is a useful paragraph for the start or finish of your article. It might appear unnatural to discuss your position, background, earlier accomplishments, and so on., however it’s necessary for the viewers to know why they need to belief your tackle this subject.

3. Enhancing

It’s all the time useful to have one other set of eyes in your article.

Discover a trusted editor. Whether or not that’s a buddy, colleague, advertising and marketing professional, and so on, you’ll want somebody who can provide you trustworthy suggestions.

Don’t over-edit. Attempt to maintain your enhancing circle small; the extra individuals concerned, the more durable it’s to agree on a remaining draft. Good is usually the enemy of fine; just a few considerate drafts are higher than a number of back-and-forths.

4. Pitching

Not all thought management content material might be pitched to a media outlet; it’s completely high-quality to publish the articles by yourself channels. In case you are looking for media involvement, it’s greatest to:

Write an summary. Ship a brief e mail that rapidly summarizes your article and why it might resonate with a media outlet’s viewers. Journalists desire e mail pitches which might be 100 phrases or much less, however solely 13% of pitches are this size, based on Plotlights.

Goal area of interest/business shops. Even in the event you write a spectacular submit, Forbes and TechCrunch in all probability gained’t be capable of publish it. And lots of massive shops function on a pay-to-play construction. Without spending a dime engagements, goal smaller information shops and commerce publications that your target market is more likely to go to. Should you’re writing about improvement, go to dev publications. Should you’re dishing on MarTech, look to an outlet that appeals to advertising and marketing professionals.

Construct relationships with reporters. A media outlet may decline your thought management article. Perhaps it wasn’t the fitting match, or the timing was poor. Preserve good relationships in case your subsequent piece is up their alley.

5. Selling and Repurposing

Thought management content material can solely be groundbreaking if it’s learn and shared by many.

Share by means of owned channels. Begin by selling your article by yourself social media channels – whether or not that’s a private LinkedIn profile or your organization’s account. Embrace sufficient data in your social copy to get the message throughout by itself.

Be a great companion. In case your media outlet companion is posting the story, you’ll want to remark and like their posts. Don’t be afraid to drop the hyperlink within the feedback of different related posts as nicely. This helps place your organization within the dialog.

Discover methods to repurpose your content material. You’ve labored onerous in your thought management; don’t let it fade after one submit. Break up the content material into smaller items for social media, report a podcast rehashing the concept or add a singular spin to generate an organization weblog submit. Now’s your probability to be promotional by means of your owned channels.

4 Thought Management Content material Examples

Listed here are 4 thought management content material examples revealed by York IE’s Advisory as a Service purchasers:

1. Learn how to Repair The Damaged Fundraising Course of for Entrepreneurs

• Outlet: Crunchbase Information
• Writer: Jason Furtado, CEO and co-founder, Shoobx

2. Distant Work Has Many Advantages. However It Might Be Higher — and Extra Enjoyable.

• Outlet: BuiltIn
• Writer: Scott Smith, CEO, CloudApp

3. How Human-Augmented AI Will Remodel UX Analysis

• Outlet: Quirks Media
• Writer: Nitzan Shaer, CEO and co-founder, WEVO

4. When Innovation Isn’t Sufficient: Pharma’s Subsequent Frontier

• Outlet: LinkedIn
• Writer: Michael Sheeley, CEO and co-founder, Nurse-1-1

Getting Began with Thought Management Content material

Now that you just’ve learn some thought management content material examples, it’s time to offer your self a platform to share your distinctive views. Begin jotting down your concepts, seize a buddy to brainstorm with and get began!