Thought leadership: The underrated marketing tool

A creative thought leadership strategy keeps your organization relevant and top of mind.

Photo Credit: Kane Reinholdtsen via Unsplash

There's nothing more exciting to me than when I'm in a meeting and say something that makes my counterpart frantically start to take notes. Aha — I've shared information they didn't know, or maybe I sparked an exciting idea! Whether I'm meeting with a government official or a potential customer, these "aha" moments are the ones that build credibility and advance the discussion.

Whether an organization's focus is on advancing policy in Washington or securing its next round of funding from venture capitalists, the organization needs influential people to buy into its ideas.

Your product can be great or a policy issue can be existential to your company, but without feelings of urgency in your audience, you're unlikely to get their support when you need it.

A good thought leadership strategy can build your credibility and educate your target audiences so they're ready when you come with your opportunity or challenge. I should know—I've helped several organizations develop their thought leadership and public affairs strategies.

Here are four steps you can take to grow your reach and influence, with strategies that will work for individuals and businesses.

To become a thought leader, provide value

First, you need an interesting and relevant idea to promote. This concept can be related to your business, but shouldn't focus on selling something.

Thought leadership is about advancing ideas in the public space.

Every January, geopolitical risk firm Eurasia Group publishes a report of the top risks for the year. By creating valuable information, it drives in-depth media reporting in dozens of media outlets, enhancing brand awareness.

Think about how you can do something similar in your sector: what is a concept you are uniquely qualified to discuss? It doesn't need to be a big report. It could take the form of a white paper, blog posts, or public speaking opportunities.

Create buzz and anticipation

The trick to thought leadership is building buy-in. If you're too far in front of other people, you may lose them or confuse them. To name one example, McKinsey & Company spends at least a full month before the World Economic Forum Davos Summit releasing educational content and doing media hits to publicize its involvement. Its efforts are so comprehensive they have targeted content for everyone from CEOs to Gen Z.

How can you replicate this for yourself? Invite the audience to be a part of your thought leadership effort before a big milestone. Have one-on-one meetings with prominent members of your field to ask for their feedback - or better yet, participation. Hold smaller, exclusive events leading up to a big public event. Release sneaks previews prior to a launch. Find the group of supporters that's right for you, and bring them in early. 

Go big on release day…and the day after that and the day after that

If you've put months of effort into developing an original report or website, you should get credit for it! 

Let's say you find the perfect launch venue for your report: it attracts the right mix of policymakers, media, nonprofit, and corporate attendees. But even then, only a few dozen or hundred people may attend, so any big announcement needs a way to also reach the rest of the world. 

You won't be able to reach everyone in a single launch event. Make sure you create specific outreach plans to let all of your audiences know about your big effort before, during, and after the event itself.

Whether you host a launch event, a webinar, give a speech, or go live online, the work you put into generating buzz will pay off.

Keep your idea fresh and new

The Eurasia Group's Top Risks work because the company puts in work every year to keep them fresh and at the top of reporters' inboxes. The company attends major forums like major forums like the United Nations General Assembly and hosts their own GZero Summits to stay in the mix throughout the year.

As we all vie for eyeballs and limited attention span, it's important to keep yourself and your ideas relevant. This may involve refreshing them every year; it may mean revisiting those topics throughout the year across different channels (a podcast here, an op-ed there); or it may actually mean evolving your ideas over time. Repeating yourself is not only okay, it's encouraged. People need to hear ideas many times before they stick.

Preparing for liftoff

When you start to see your ideas take off, that's when you'll know you've done it. You've become a thought leader.

Being a thought leader is about driving fresh ideas that create value for you and your audience. Keep your ideas fresh, and share them often to make sure they stick.