Some secrets to business success are well-known: hard work, perseverance, keeping the customer satisfied. But others — like producing high-quality thought leadership content — are less recognized. Companies that can publish intelligent, insightful articles about their industry or sector often rise to the top ranks of the sector, with both competitors and customers seeing them as leaders. Indeed, it’s called “thought leadership,” but a more fitting term might be “industry leadership.”
Why Smart Brands Think Bigger Than Marketing
Most businesses are familiar with marketing — the kind of writing that trumpets the superiority of their product or service over the competition, highlighting specific advantages their offering provides. Thought leadership content is something else altogether. It explores issues and challenges within the industry, offers insights into why things are the way they are and how they can be improved, discusses technologies or systems that are currently in use and how and why they are used, considers how sector developments may shape the future, and addresses broader topics that affect players across the field.
Thought leadership articles are usually written by a top organization official — such as a CEO, CTO, or another senior leader—and they don’t directly promote a brand or organization’s products or services. This makes some question what value such articles can really offer. But writing about thought leadership issues is an absolute necessity for brands or organizations that want to rise to the top of their sectors. Here’s why:
1. Reputation Enhancement
A good article about the state of the industry — exploring what can be done to improve it or how technology, society, or regulations will impact its future — can propel a CEO and their company to the top of their industry, conferring on them an aura of authority. And that authority indicates to customers that the CEO — and by extension, their company — understands the “big issues” affecting their businesses, and what the best solutions are to the problems they face. This differentiates you from competitors who focus solely on product marketing and earns your company a different kind of credibility.
2. Trust
If a customer believes that a CEO — and their company — understands their needs and can help solve their problems, they’re far more likely to trust them. Customers trust brands that educate rather than just advertise. Thought leadership builds that trust by offering insights that help customers make informed decisions. It reassures them that they aren’t wasting their money when they buy a product or service, but rather investing in a brand that understands and delivers.
3. Impacting the Industry
Everyone wants to work with a leader, and being a leader means not only getting more customers, but being able to influence trends and markets. The more high-quality thought leadership content a brand or organization produces, the more it will be seen as an industry leader, attracting not only customers, but also partnerships, sponsorships, speaking opportunities, and more. It’s not just about increasing sales; it’s about increasing the heft and influence of a brand or organization on others in the industry, and reaping the benefits that come along with that.
Why Expert Help Matters
Producing content like this takes work — research, writing skills, the ability to put together a good story that will transmit a message clearly and solidly. Not everyone can do this, and it’s not a job for ChatGPT. Experienced professionals who have been doing this for years can help you narrow down ideas that will enhance your brand or organization’s reputation, enhance customer trust, and ensure that you are seen as a leader in the industry.
