Demonstrating thought leadership is a great way to make sure you and your company stand out from competitors and help the business to be seen as an industry front-runner.
There are a number of ways this can be achieved in the media, through comment opportunities, features and articles, as well as speaker slots at industry events. Although all of this seems pretty straightforward, there are some key elements to a thought leadership campaign that will make it a success. Below are some pointers to help you.
Start a conversation
Why not provoke dialogue? Think about recent conversations you've had with your peers that have ended up in a heated debate. If people feel passionate about a topic it is more likely they will interact or be interested in what you've got to say. Also, if there is a subject close to your heart about the industry that you want to discuss, get your thoughts out there and see what other people have to say. Be provocative; don't shy away from how you feel.
Talk about challenges
Think about the human aspect of your business. Why are customers buying your products or using your service? What are the challenges they are facing? If you can pinpoint the issues and offer them advice on how to overcome those difficulties, then they will turn to you as a specialist to help them. Products and services are created from a 'gap in the market' or to be a solution for something – why not talk about it?
Look at industry trends
To be a real thought leader, you should think about where your market is heading. What are the recent developments and issues to overcome in order to continue being a success? Also, think about external matters that have a direct affect on business. These could be government policy updates, technology developments or even staffing issues like the recent skills gap. All of this will make for an interesting read, plus it will make you look like a forward thinker and prepared for what possible changes could happen.
Be topical
Always read the news. Many comment opportunities will come from current news stories. Being on top of what is happening in the industry and being vocal about it will make you more appealing to the media who have to cover breaking stories. This will help build relationships with the press and shape you as the industry expert.
Don't sell
You might think your business is 'innovative' or the products are 'ground-breaking', but reading an article that is full of self-praise is not interesting to the reader. If your company is truly pioneering, it will speak for itself. On some occasions there will be an opportunity to discuss what the company does, but maybe look towards discussing end-user case studies that will work as an independent endorsement for your products or services.
If you can add all these elements to your thought leadership campaign it will be a success and you'll position yourself and the company as experts. Although, don't always feel it is left just to you to come up with ideas, turn to your team. For example, the sales team is always speaking to customers, ask them for feedback on what the issues are. Talk to the developers; try to understand what they are working on and why.
Ideas can come from anywhere in the business, use this, as it will make for a well rounded thought leadership campaign.
By Melanie Johnson, Account Director, Ranieri Communications
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