- Your organization doesn't get to decide
if your content is considered thought leadership.
The readers, listeners, and viewers of your content
are the ones that make that call.
With that said, there is a lot your company can do
to convey its expertise, passion, and experience
more effectively through content to earn attention.
Start by recognizing that in order
to become known for your expertise,
you've got to consistently publish content
for the long term.
Consistency is key as it'll take numerous interactions
with your content before a person associates
your organization with a particular subject area.
A long-term commitment to publishing videos,
infographics, or a mix of content
gives you multiple opportunities
to demonstrate that your content is reliable,
trustworthy, and helpful.
Hand in hand with committing to consistency,
it is also essential that your content is always focused
on a similar set of topics so it's easier for your audience
to understand your expertise.
For example, IBM publishes videos, White Papers,
articles, and other content on artificial intelligence
and cloud computing to position the organization
as a leader on these topics.
And while IBM does publish resources
on a range of topics, they're all closely related,
addressing their customers' needs
and are still relevant to what the company does,
making it easier to recognize them
as an organization with a particular expertise.
Beyond publishing consistently
and focusing on the same set of topics,
aim for your content to provide the best answers
to your customers' most important questions.
That might mean going in depth on a topic
with a lengthy article to cover the many aspects
of the subject and adding more up-to-date information
like new industry research.
Or you could produce an infographic or a video
to better explain a topic visually,
especially when it includes complex concepts
that are difficult to understand.
Aiming to provide the best answer
to an important question is a more realistic approach
than trying to come up with a distinctive viewpoint
on a topic every time.
There's no exact formula for finding the best answer.
When your content is very thorough,
includes the most current information,
and is beautifully designed,
it has a much better chance of making an impact
with the right people.
Another way to convey thought leadership with content
is including exclusive information
like insights from subject-matter experts at your company
or data from a recent customer survey.
For instance, the National Association of Realtors
created a visual guide on how to buy your forever home
and throughout the resource included the advice
of different real estate experts.
Sharing this type of proprietary information
can help an organization become the go-to resource
on a subject, leading the conversation in their niche.
By embracing these techniques with your content,
you'll be more effective at signaling
your authority to customers.