Use Case: GenAI to prepare for the presentation of an annual study

By Rhea Wessel

In this article, I want to share a GenAI prompting strategy that I used recently to prepare to write an article about an economic report that is presented annually.

I've adapted the example to the Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadershp report, and I'm comparing 2024 with the last one I could find, 2022.

This is something that you can use on studies in your niche to make the research and framing step of your thought-leadership writing go faster and easier.

Here's a summary of the editorial task:

Prepare to write an article based on an annual study that is being presented.

Below is how I did that with the help of ChatGPT 4.0. Please feel free to copy/paste my prompts.

The answers that were generated to the prompts are at the bottom of the article.

Step 1: Upload the old and the new reports to ChatGPT 4.0 using the attachment icon in the conversation field

Prompt 1 to copy/paste:

First show me what press reports were written about [[insert report name]] in [[insert oldest report year]]. Provide links. Give an overview of the angle that was used by the writer. Present the results in a chart.

Prompt 2 to copy/paste:

Give it to me as a table, showing which angle for which story and provide a link. Show stories not written by Edelman.

Prompt 3 to copy/paste:

What were the main findings of the 2022 report?

Prompt 4 to copy/paste:

Now summarize the 2024 report

Prompt 5 to copy/paste:

Now compare and contrast the two reports. What changed dramatically? What hardly changed at all? What would you say is the news in the 2024 report? Present your results in a table and refer back to the page number of each report when citing data or providing passages

Prompt 6 to copy/paste:

I am an expert in thought-leadership writing and strategies. Considering my audience of chief marketing officers and individual subject-matter experts, which angles of the 2024 report, and which changes between the two reports would be interesting to my audience. Provide headline ideas and notes how you frame the story.

Prompt 7 to copy/paste:

What key data points in the 2024 study would be relevant to my audience and these story ideas you suggested?

And so on!

Answers from ChatGPT 4.0

Prompt 1:

First show me what press reports were written about [[insert report name]] in [[insert previous year]]. Provide links. Give an overview of the angle that was used by the writer. Present the results in a chart.

Here is a brief overview of the angles used by writers in the press reports about the 2022 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report:

1. Economic Uncertainty: Many articles highlighted the report's focus on how high-quality thought leadership can help organizations break through with decision-makers during challenging economic conditions. The emphasis was on the role of thought leadership in securing business despite procurement processes becoming stricter(2022 Edelman LinkedIn T…).
2. Importance of Quality: Several writers pointed out that low-quality thought leadership can negatively impact business, with a focus on how B2B companies need to refine and enhance their content. The pieces often stressed that decision-makers expect thought leadership to be insightful, data-backed, and offer concrete solutions(2022 Edelman LinkedIn T…).
3. Procurement and Sales: Reports focused on how businesses that offer non-essential products and services would face tougher times, highlighting that only those able to demonstrate their critical value would survive in a tight market(2022 Edelman LinkedIn T…).

Here are some links that were provided within the document for further reference:

• Edelman 2020 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study
• Edelman 2021 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study

I will also create a chart summarizing these angles.

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Here is a chart summarizing the angles used by writers in press reports about the 2022 Edelman LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report. The focus areas were largely on Economic Uncertainty, followed by the Importance of Quality in thought leadership, and lastly, the impact on Procurement and Sales.

Prompt 2:

Give it to me as a table, showing which angle for which story and provide a link

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Prompt 3:

What were the main findings of the 2022 report?

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The 2022 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report highlighted several key findings, especially around the role of thought leadership during economic uncertainty. Here are the main takeaways:

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1. Economic Downturn and Procurement Processes:

?? - 62% of C-suite executives were planning for an economic downturn in 2023, tightening their procurement processes. This made it more difficult for suppliers to get the attention of decision-makers and pass through procurement filters.

?? - 44% of decision-makers indicated that they would be less receptive to sales calls and marketing outreach during tough times【5?source】.

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2. Value of Thought Leadership:

?? - Thought leadership was seen as one of the most effective tools to demonstrate a company's value to customers, even more so than traditional advertising or product marketing.

?? - 50% of C-suite executives said high-quality thought leadership had a greater impact on their purchase decision-making during economic downturns compared to better economic conditions【5?source】【22?source】.

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3. Expectations from Thought Leadership:

?? - Decision-makers expect thought leadership content to provide a strong, data-backed point of view on how to succeed during challenging times. High-quality content that offered actionable insights and addressed industry-specific pain points was seen as more likely to break through the noise【5?source】.

?? - 61% of decision-makers believed that thought leadership is more effective at demonstrating a provider’s potential value compared to traditional product-oriented marketing【5?source】.

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4. Low Confidence in Thought Leadership Quality:

?? - While companies had high expectations for the potential of thought leadership, only 33% of producers believed their content was of "very good" or "excellent" quality, with even lower confidence among C-suite executives【5?source】.

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5. Opportunities for Non-Critical Providers:

?? - Even for products and services considered non-critical, 91% of decision-makers agreed that such providers could still take steps to increase their chances of survival in a cutthroat business environment by focusing on how they can help improve profit margins or gain a competitive advantage【5?source】.

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These findings underscore the importance of high-quality, well-researched thought leadership, particularly during times of economic uncertainty, to maintain business relevance and secure contracts.

Prompt 4:

Now summarize the 2024 report

The 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report offers insights into how thought leadership continues to influence B2B decision-making, with a focus on engaging out-of-market buyers and navigating longer sales cycles. Here are the key findings from the report:

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1. Engaging Out-of-Market Buyers:

?? - A notable 95% of business clients are not actively seeking new goods or services at any given time. Thought leadership can prompt these out-of-market buyers to rethink their challenges, making it a valuable tool for generating demand【6?source】.

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2. Extended Sales Cycles:

?? - Due to economic uncertainty, 90% of global buyers reported that their purchasing process has become more drawn out, which has increased the importance of thought leadership in influencing decision-makers early in the buyer’s journey【6?source】.

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3. Trust and Influence of Thought Leadership:

?? - 73% of decision-makers and C-suite executives trust thought leadership more than marketing materials or product sheets when assessing a company’s capabilities. Thought leadership is seen as a more trustworthy indicator of competence【6?source】.

?? - 60% of decision-makers said that high-quality thought leadership had led them to research a product or service they had not previously considered【6?source】.

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4. Thought Leadership’s Impact on Pricing Power:

?? - More than half of decision-makers (54%) indicated they are willing to pay a premium to work with an organization that consistently produces high-quality thought leadership【6?source】.

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5. Challenges in Measuring Effectiveness:

?? - Despite the clear impact of thought leadership, 42% of organizations do not have a robust process for measuring its effectiveness. Many still rely on website traffic or social media engagement, which are not always directly linked to business outcomes【6?source】.

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6. Barriers to Effective Thought Leadership:

?? - 50% of thought leadership producers cited under-resourcing as a major barrier to creating impactful content. Additionally, 30% of organizations admitted they don’t know how to use thought leadership effectively as a marketing or sales tool【6?source】.

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7. Thought Leadership’s Role in Customer Retention:

?? - In addition to generating new business, thought leadership is seen as a critical tool for protecting existing customer relationships. 70% of C-suite leaders said a piece of thought leadership made them reconsider whether they should continue working with a current supplier【6?source】.

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The 2024 report emphasizes the importance of thought leadership not only in demand generation but also as a key strategy for customer retention and trust-building in a slow-moving, uncertain economic climate.

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Prompt 5:

Now compare and contrast the two reports. What changed dramatically? What hardly changed at all? What would you say is the news in the 2024 report? Present your results in a table and refer back to the page number of each report when citing data or providing passages

Here's a comparison of the 2022 and 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Reports. The main points are summarized below:

Key Changes:

• 2024 Report News: The focus shifted from managing short-term economic downturns to engaging long-term, out-of-market buyers. The 2024 report emphasizes how thought leadership can influence pricing power and buyer engagement, even when they are not actively in the market.
• Persistent Challenges: Measurement of thought leadership’s effectiveness continues to be an issue, with only marginal improvements in linking content to actual business wins.

This summary provides a clear picture of the evolving role of thought leadership from 2022 to 2024, highlighting both changes and continuities.

Prompt 6:

I am an expert in thought-leadership writing and strategies. Considering my audience of chief marketing officers and individual subject-matter experts, which angles of the 2024 report, and which changes between the two reports would be interesting to my audience. Provide headline ideas and notes how you frame the story.

Here are the headline ideas and notes on how to frame the story for your audience:

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1. Headline Idea: Why Out-of-Market Buyers are the Next Frontier for Thought Leadership in 2024?

?? Angle: Focus on the 95% of business clients who are not actively looking for new products or services, and how thought leadership can engage them. This is a key shift highlighted in the 2024 report.?

?? How to Frame the Story: Frame the story around how the rules of B2B marketing have shifted, with out-of-market buyers representing an untapped growth opportunity for CMOs. Show them how thought leadership can position their brand early, driving future sales and keeping competitors at bay.

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2. Headline Idea: How to Make Thought Leadership Your Premium Pricing Strategy?

?? Angle: Emphasize that 60% of decision-makers are now willing to pay more for companies producing high-quality thought leadership. This is a standout finding from the 2024 report.?

?? How to Frame the Story: Focus on the strategic importance of thought leadership not just for brand awareness, but as a tool for commanding premium prices in a saturated market. This will resonate with CMOs looking to differentiate through value rather than cost-cutting.

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3. Headline Idea: The Ongoing Struggle: Measuring Thought Leadership ROI in 2024?

?? Angle: Highlight the continued difficulty in effectively measuring thought leadership’s business impact, with only 29% of companies able to link sales leads to thought leadership—an ongoing challenge from both the 2022 and 2024 reports.?

?? How to Frame the Story: Present this as a cautionary tale: despite growing recognition of thought leadership’s value, many organizations are still falling short on measurement. CMOs need better metrics that tie content directly to revenue, not just traffic.

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4. Headline Idea: Longer Sales Cycles Mean It’s Time to Rethink Your Content Strategy?

?? Angle: Address how longer sales cycles are changing the thought leadership landscape, requiring new approaches to content, as highlighted in the 2024 report.?

?? How to Frame the Story: Position thought leadership as the answer to extended B2B sales cycles. Explain how content needs to do more than inform—it needs to nurture relationships over the long term, helping buyers stay engaged even before they are ready to purchase.

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These angles will help you engage your audience with insights relevant to their roles, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges in using thought leadership effectively.

Prompt 7:

What key data points in the 2024 study would be relevant to my audience and these story ideas you suggested?

Here are the key data points from the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report that would be most relevant to your audience and the story ideas I suggested:

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1. Story Idea: Why Out-of-Market Buyers are the Next Frontier for Thought Leadership in 2024?

?? Key Data Point: 95% of business clients are not actively seeking new goods or services at any given time (pg. 2).?

?? This data supports the idea that out-of-market buyers represent a vast, untapped audience for CMOs to target through thought leadership.

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2. Story Idea: How to Make Thought Leadership Your Premium Pricing Strategy?

?? Key Data Point: 60% of decision-makers said that they are willing to pay a premium to work with companies that produce high-quality thought leadership (pg. 15).?

?? This finding emphasizes how thought leadership can be a differentiator that allows companies to command higher prices, which will resonate with CMOs looking for strategies beyond cost-cutting.

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3. Story Idea: The Ongoing Struggle: Measuring Thought Leadership ROI in 2024?

?? Key Data Point: Only 29% of thought leadership producers can link sales leads back to specific pieces of content (pg. 23).?

?? This data highlights the ongoing challenge for CMOs in effectively measuring the ROI of thought leadership, underscoring the need for better metrics tied to revenue.

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4. Story Idea: Longer Sales Cycles Mean It’s Time to Rethink Your Content Strategy?

?? Key Data Point: 90% of global buyers reported longer purchase cycles due to economic uncertainty (pg. 2).?

?? This supports the argument that thought leadership needs to evolve to maintain engagement over extended periods, helping CMOs develop strategies for nurturing prospects during longer decision-making processes.

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These data points offer a clear, strategic value for your audience of CMOs and subject-matter experts, providing strong evidence to support the suggested stories.

And so on!

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