By Hilmarie Hutchison, CEO of Matrix Public Relations  

 

With the increasing volume of content evident today, innovative ideas are something that will set you apart.  A vital by-product of this is Thought Leadership which helps in establishing your position in the industry and position you as a strategic differentiator. Moreover, being a thought leader helps you build credibility and trust amongst your primary audiences.

 

Globally, consumerism has experienced a paradigm shift where consumers aren’t just interested in your products but also explore if the brand can be a reliable and credible source of industry information. Thought leaders are seen as experts who can divulge authentic market insights, innovative ideas, and intelligence that can help consumers choose. It is an inspiring thread where brands can cultivate trust with proven knowledge and adds credibility to businesses.

 

There lie immense benefits in treating Thought Leadership as a marketing advantage because as a marketer, you’re an expert in your domain. With marketing in mind, you drive traffic to the site, nurture the audiences’ curiosity for authentic information and convert leads to build brand authority and reputation. As a Thought Leader you are seen as an active industry expert who promotes industry-specific awareness and education. And while we’re at it, you may want to know that there are more benefits than one that come along with establishing Thought Leadership.

 

Rise in popularity among collaborators: Thought Leaders are popular with bloggers and press reporters because they are seen as reliable sources of information. They are also instrumental in capitalising on media visibility and raising your brand awareness. This exercise also serves as a built-in channel for PR opportunities because it can lead to more publicity and visibility in key publications and digital platforms.

 

Turn leads into profits: Thought leaders are known to share their knowledge openly and engage with potential customers. This consequently leads to conversion into loyal customers; thereby increasing your market share. A constant flow of valuable content must be created by experts to maintain the momentum.

 

Creates a lasting impression for the brand: There are a plethora of brands and companies that offer quality products and services but only a handful represent thought leadership. This means that clients can quite quickly move from one product to another. But when a company is steered by thought leadership this is unlikely; simply because thought leaders are difficult to replace.

 

Leads to market leadership: Businesses benefit by embracing thought leadership in their marketing strategy. The idea is to provide knowledge beyond the obvious marketing techniques and move from just promoting a brand to incorporating credibility and authenticity of the information.

 

Serious roleplay in social setup: Finally, thought leadership also has a role to play in the burning public and societal issues of today, and CEOs will do well to articulate their values and corporate objectives. Companies want to be seen as trailblazers in their industry, fighting for more than just sales but issues that matter to people’s lives. This represents a massive differentiator in a world of sameness.

 

Creating impressive thought leadership content takes a lot more than just having an opinion. Done right, it is the single most content marketing assets brand can have. Do you have that in you?