What Is Thought Leadership Content?
“Thought leadership,” a term coined by economist and author Joel Kurtzman, can be defined as original thinking on important ideas that have real-world application. Thought leadership content, therefore, positions your company as an authority in your industry by delivering new ideas and solutions to your audience’s biggest challenges and pain points. It creates a value exchange between content provider and audience.
Thought leadership content has become a staple of content marketing strategy because it attracts and engages people with objective, high-quality content. It establishes trust with them because it does not explicitly promote your business and its products and services. Instead, it is a vehicle for articulating expertise, opinions, visions, and fresh perspectives that inspire your audience.
Types of Thought Leadership Content
- Blog posts on your company website
- Guest posts and op-eds on news sites or trade publications
- eBooks and white papers
- Original research papers
- Videos and webinars
- Speeches and presentations at conferences and public events
Why It Is Important to B2B Marketing
Today’s B2B customers want to do business with brands that they trust, and thought leadership content is one of the best ways to create that trust through credible, helpful content. It is a proven means to engage prospects, especially at the awareness stage of the funnel when people are doing research on a problem or need. They’re looking for unbiased answers and solutions—not (yet) products and services. But thought leadership can also deliver value at every stage of the customer journey.
Countless B2B companies have developed well-crafted programs to establish their expertise and position themselves as innovators in their field. Technology companies, in particular, can use this content to help humanize their brands. That’s because individual thought leaders can be found throughout a company—from executives to engineers—and thought leadership can elevate their voices, passion, and expertise.