Measuring the ROI of thought leadership work can often feel more like art than science, but rest assured, there’s plenty of data out there to prove its worth. When done well, and…ahem…thoughtfully, your thought leadership will also help you grow your brand and scale your business.
For lots of B2B founders and leaders, thought leadership is the perfect tool to include in the marketing mix, and more information is explaining why (and how).
Here, we’ve compiled key data and insights from several studies from leading organizations such as Edelman, LinkedIn, Reputation Leaders, and Bospar that prove the effectiveness of thought leadership, and offer insights into what executives and decision-makers want to see from this content.
- The sixth annual B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report from Edelman and LinkedIn
- “The Value of Thought Leadership,” from Bospar and Reputation Leaders
- The fourth annual B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report from Edelman and LinkedIn
The bottom line is, if you’re not including thought leadership in your B2B marketing mix, you’re missing out on substantial opportunities for more leads, conversations, and sales. Why? Because thought leadership does so much more than just increase awareness. It differentiates leaders and businesses from the competition in the eyes of those C-suite execs and B2B decision makers.
Go Beyond Self-Promotion & Truly Show Your Value
Stand Out From the Competition
Give Execs and Decision-Makers the Content They Want
These are the four most highly-rated key content attributes that Edelman and LinkedIn say increase the value that B2B decision makers will attach to your thought leadership content:
Help Your Leaders Be Ready When They Meet the Right People
Bospar and Reputation Leaders say C-suite executives value these two things most about thought leadership:
As a thought leader, connecting with other experts is a key component to continually growing (and learning). But what does one do about personal conversation being the favored way to do so?
Having your thought leadership position in place will help. Being able to clearly and concisely articulate your vision, your beliefs, and your know-how at any time (and in any format) is a vital way to show prospects and other leaders that your way of looking at things is worth checking out.