This Week in Marketing: How to Develop True Thought Leadership

If everyone’s a thought leader, is anyone really a thought leader??

The internet has democratized content to the point that anyone can set up shop as an industry expert. That’s good news for people (and brands) that are just starting out and need more exposure. But it also means that just saying you’re a thought leader doesn’t count for much. If your content isn’t providing meaningful insight or value, people have plenty of other places to turn.

That said, thought leadership is still a worthwhile endeavor for brands and the people who drive a brand.?

It can help build credibility, raise brand awareness, and even develop relationships with potential customers. To realize these results, however, you need a strategic approach and a genuine heart for serving your audience.

This week’s issue is devoted to thought leadership: What it should be, how to build it, and why.

What to Read

Is Your Thought Leadership Content Missing the Point? (CMI): At the heart of it, thought leadership means establishing credibility and earning trust by providing value to the audience. It’s no simple task, but there are ways to make it easier without cheating your readers. Jonathan Crossfield offers practical advice in this piece from CMI.

4 Ways to Become a True Thought Leader (Convince & Convert): Individual thought leadership is good for both your brand and the folks who are producing the content. This piece from Lindsey Groepper can help you develop your personal brand, from finding your voice to establishing a narrative and beyond.

Interviewing Niche B2B Experts For A Better Content Strategy (SEJ): Adding expert voices to your content is essentially building thought leadership through influencer marketing. But interviewing these niche experts can also round out your own knowledge, making your original content more valuable, says Helene Jelenc . She explains how to conduct a productive interview and how best to use the content after you capture it.

B2B Marketing Trends: The Top Seven Focus Areas (Forbes): From AI to analytics, marketing is evolving faster now than ever before. Despite the changes, content will always be a central part of any B2B strategy. Conor Coughlan analyzes the current landscape and shares how to level up your marketing to meet the moment.

6 Overlooked LinkedIn Ad Techniques (SMW): The best thought leadership content still needs smart amplification to get results. This deep dive from Anna Sonnenberg is perfect for rounding out your LinkedIn tactics.

What to Watch

The social isolation of the pandemic made thought leader content even more essential, as in-person events dwindled and isolated people increased their media consumption. This video explores the lasting—and not-so-lasting—effects of the pandemic on marketing, and features execs from Amazon, Lego, and LinkedIn.

What to Know

Last week, we introduced the LinkedIn Collective , which is designed to inspire excellence and success for all B2B marketers. It will offer groundbreaking thought leadership and content resources informed by LinkedIn data and insights, our team of experts, and leaders across the B2B marketing industry.

Our first Collective piece spotlights creativity in B2B marketing, which often gets overlooked as performance marketing is prioritized and B2B marketers find it difficult to prove the ROI of brand building. However, our research shows that creativity drives profitability and harnessing emotion in advertising leads to a more memorable brand with higher engagement from buyers.

Follow LinkedIn Collective ?for more expert advice from our team and leaders across the B2B marketing industry.