How To Integrate Thought Leadership Into B2B Marketing [Case Study Included]

We are in the 100th edition of the Elevate Your Marketing newsletter!!

To be honest, I can't believe that I have come so far with this. What started as a hobby has now become a serious endeavor to educate B2B marketers and founders all over the world.

It has been such a fulfilling journey. On this occasion, I want to thank all my readers who have continued to support this initiative through all its ups and downs.

As always, going ahead, I will try my best to share valuable tips and insights that will help elevate the performance of your B2B marketing engine. Meanwhile, I would request you to spread the word about the newsletter so that the knowledge bits I share reach the maximum number of people.

That said, let us get to the topic of the week.

Thought leadership in B2B marketing

Thought leadership is often a loosely used term in the B2B world. Everyone claims to be a thought leader in their space. However, in almost every niche, there are only a handful of companies that we consider to be true thought leaders.

And there is a reason for it. They have set the path for others in the industry to follow. They are the trendsetters. They could see the future coming. They could see how technological advancements would impact their business in the coming years.

Think about HubSpot for example. They have pioneered inbound marketing and we all consider them a thought leader when it comes to content-led demand and lead generation. But the reality is that not everyone can attain such an iconic status. So if you are limited in budget and resources (and smart people), you need to be creative about trying to be a thought leader in the space.

In this edition of the Elevate Your Marketing newsletter, we look at 5 marketing techniques you can use to come across as a thought leader in your space. We will also discuss a case study about a company that I believe is carving the path forward for marketers today.

5 ways to use marketing to come across as a thought leader

When I say 'come across as a thought leader', I am not encouraging you to fake it. It goes without saying that you need to have the expertise and capabilities to act (and contribute to the world) like a thought leader. With those necessary arms and ammunition, below are a few techniques you can use to achieve the goal:

1. Talk about trends and the latest news
2. Conduct and publish your own studies and reports
3. Show your presence on others' channels
4. Plan your marketing initiatives wisely
5. Be visible across channels as you do this

1. Talk about trends

In any industry, trends are one of the most interesting topic items. Whether you are selling CRM solutions or building special tools for the manufacturing industry, your target audience would want to know what the future looks like in their niche. Hence, covering a trendy topic in your content is a great way to exhibit thought leadership.

For instance, at Skalegrow, we started a series of articles that talk about various trends in the B2B marketing space. Here are a couple of articles from the series:

• B2B Email Marketing Trends For 2024 And Beyond
• Top B2B Social Media Marketing Trends For 2024

Similarly, think about what is trending in your industry. How AI is impacting your space in one direction in which you can think. You can find trending topics in your niche using tools like Exploding Topics and Google Trends . X is another great platform to find what's trending.

Once you identify the right topics, you can convert them into good marketing assets by creating content pieces such as:

• Blog posts
• Webinars
• Videos
• Newsletters
• Ebooks and whitepapers
• Podcast episodes

2. Conduct and publish your own studies and reports

This requires dedicated resources and time investment. If you don't have the capability internally, consider outsourcing this to a market research agency. Here are a few examples of proprietary reports and studies:

• State of the Automation Professional Report 2023 by UIPath
• The 2023 State of Work Report by Adobe
• 2023 Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic by Cheifmartec

Giving away an industry analysis and report for free can help you generate a ton of traffic and leads. Though a vast majority of these might not become business opportunities immediately, you can nurture them to convert some of them eventually into customers.

By publishing interesting studies and reports, you will become a credible source of information in your industry, and could very well be perceived as a thought leader.

3. Show your presence on others' channels

This is by far the most underrated tactic when it comes to showcasing thought leadership. While using your channels and social media handles should be a priority, if you can get influencers in your space to talk about you, that adds more credibility to your name.

If you don't have the budget or access to work with popular influencers, consider working with micro-influencers who are upcoming. To learn more about how to do this, check out the below article:

Lean B2B Influencer Marketing: An Untapped Gem

The idea is to collaborate with micro-influencers to create content that will make you visible to their audience. For example, have a look at the recent episode I did with Sanjana Murali on the All About B2B Marketing podcast.

This is nothing but an example of micro-influencer marketing. When I do podcasts like these, the host also promotes the content, adding more credibility to me as an individual and Skalegrow as a brand.

4. Plan your marketing initiatives wisely

This is so simple yet overlooked quite often. In marketing, it's not just what you say, how you say it also matters a lot. So plan (and name) your marketing initiatives in a way that they 'reflect' thought leadership.

Let me explain.

Imagine you are into selling analytics solutions to enterprise companies. You of course have a lot of insights and tips to share with CEOs and CTOs of your target companies. Instead of simply writing blog posts and social media posts around it, consider starting a weekly newsletter or video series so that you create a sense of curiosity among your audience before each edition comes out.

Also, make sure to give it a catchy name so that it 'shouts' thought leadership (say 'Insights to Action'). A good example is the Know Your AI Tools video series by Analytics India Magazine.

5. Be visible across channels

This point is not just true for thought leadership but marketing in general. Taking an omnichannel approach is important since you never know which channels work the best for you. Even with all the research and tools, it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that your target audience spends the most time on a particular platform. So, showcase your expertise in all the relevant channels.

Do you have a podcast? If possible, create it as a video podcast so that you can promote it on YouTube. How about repurposing your podcast episodes into a newsletter? Are you sharing your expert tips on LinkedIn using a newsletter?

There are plenty of ways in which you can do this. The point is, don't let your thought leadership content be unseen. Be present in as many places as possible. In essence, be 'visible'.

Case study for thought leadership in B2B marketing - Marketing AI Institute

I consider Marketing AI Institute to be one of the thought leaders in the space of AI in marketing. It is an online education and media company that trains people on the applications of AI in marketing.

Content assets produced by the Marketing AI Institute

The institute produces high-quality content in various formats such as blog, podcast, newsletter, blueprints, webinars, and reports. It also runs a community where AI enthusiasts can interact and share their thoughts on how AI is changing marketing.

Why I think the Marketing AI Institute is a thought leader

The primary reason for me to consider the institute a thought leader in the field of AI in marketing is the quality of the content. Other reasons include:

• The content it produces is ahead of the rest. They talk about trends even before they become a thing.
• The institute leverages multiple content formats to educate its audience consistently on how AI can be used to enhance marketing.
• Marketing AI Institute not only talks about theory but also offers blueprints for CMOs, marketing agencies, and B2B marketers to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts using AI.

In short, they talk about trends, produce world-class content, and pave the way for other AI marketing enthusiasts to follow.

Final words about integrating thought leadership into B2B marketing

Integrating thought leadership into your marketing activities is a science as well as an art. As you apply all the techniques and best practices we discussed, make sure to use your creative brain to see how you can do it differently from the rest.

Looking to take your B2B marketing efforts to the next level? Try Skalegrow

Are you looking for a 'no-nonsense' B2B marketing agency? Give Skalegrow a try. No false promises. No 'we will change the world' narratives. We focus on simple marketing tactics that work. Moreover, we spend the time to understand your industry, however niche it is.

Visit our website to learn more about what we bring to the table. You could also write to us at [email protected] .

More learning resources

Skalegrow has a blog that has more than 60 articles on various topics in B2B marketing. We discuss content, ABM, demand gen, martech, LinkedIn marketing, and much more there. Check it out here .

Also don't forget to subscribe to Skalegrow's newsletter where we share 1 B2B growth hack every week.

As always, until we meet next time, happy learning!