This insights post is a summary of the blog post published by Airfoil Group. View the full insight at: How B2B Brands Can Build Trust and Authority Through Thought Leadership.
Thought leadership has moved from a differentiator to a baseline expectation in B2B strategy. According to the annual B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report from Edelman, 7 in 10 decision-makers are more likely to view companies positively when they produce high-quality thought leadership content consistently. In addition, 86% say compelling thought leadership makes them more likely to include a company in the RFP process.
The business development case is clear: brands that lead with insight build the trust that opens doors.
Establishing a Credible Voice
The good news is that there are many paths to establishing a credible voice in your industry. A thoughtful, audience-first approach to thought leadership strengthens your reputation. It can sharpen your value proposition, and builds the kind of credibility that matters most to key decision-makers by:
- contributing to industry reports
- maintaining a consistent blog
- pursuing op-ed placements
- speaking at conferences
- being on panel discussions
- developing the public profiles of your senior executives
5 Ways to Optimize Your Brand’s Leadership
- Activate your internal champions: The first step in devising an effective thought leadership strategy is to take stock of your internal champions. With the proper media training, even midlevel team members can serve as authoritative voices on trending topics in your industry.
- Say something valuable, and new: thought leadership means more than echoing storylines that are already out there. You need a new perspective that challenges long-held beliefs or provides a point of view that few have considered or experienced.
- Leverage industry media: Media relations remains one of the most powerful tools of third-party validation. Trade media outlets speak directly to the niche audiences that make key decisions in your market.
- Build your owned content library: A few well-placed articles can go a long way, but long-term impact takes consistency and a variety of materials for your audiences.
- Connecting the dots: Don’t forget to ensure connection to business goals–what gets measured gets achieved. Define success, measure impact of your message and optimize along the way.
To get more details about these insights, view the full article at How B2B Brands Can Build Trust and Authority Through Thought Leadership.
