Thought leadership in a living-with-Covid world
‘Thought leader’ is more than a buzzword. While some may say it has been overused (more than one million people on LinkedIn use the words ‘thought leader’ on their profile), it’s an exceptionally useful tool for brands and consumers alike.
Knowledge is power, so if you’ve got the knowledge, share it. What’s important though, is providing genuine and valuable thought leadership.
Breaking the thought leadership boundaries
We all know what a thought leader is: someone who looks for opportunities to encourage discussions, provide guidance and uses their expertise to help others. Some would say that in times of uncertainty, a thought leader even helps provide clarity and vision.
But no longer is this a top-down approach. As stated by McKinsey and Company, “during a crisis, leaders must relinquish the belief that a top-down approach will engender stability.” Rather, organisations need to rely on the strengths of everyone no matter where they stand in the organisational structure.
Covid-19 has forever changed the world, the customer experience and the employee experience.
Thought leadership in 2021-22
As we learn to live with Covid-19, the businesses that will thrive are those that continually reinvent themselves alongside the changes society is facing, and thought leadership will play a huge part.
Some of the biggest changes we’ve seen have come digitally. In a world where in-person interactions were snatched in the blink of an eye, technology had to step up. And step up it did.
All of a sudden, capabilities that organisations thought impossible were being implemented, and companies embraced organisational change. This includes helping to connect the workforce online and ensuring offices are Covid-safe for the return to work.
Tips and tricks
There are plenty of organisations that do thought leadership successfully.
One that stands out? Phillips. The company understands that people don’t always buy into your company because you’ll solve their problem, sometimes it’s because they appreciate the way you approach the business of solving problems.
For Phillips, getting their employees to tell their stories was the way to go, giving viewers a backstage pass to understanding how the company works. Here’s an interesting stat for you: 60% of decision-makers say thought leadership content convinced them to buy a product or service they weren’t previously using.
And then there’s Microsoft, with their ‘Stories’ blog, publishing the latest Microsoft products, events and initiatives, showing their brand in a broader context, over and above a ‘just a software company’.
Story Labs hosts long-form content that seems to lean more on the thought leadership side, including employee stories.
So how do you create genuine and valuable thought leadership with substance?
Find the data. According to Survey Monkey, 73% of people find data-based pieces more trustworthy. Make it even more unique by conducting your own research rather than relying on things already available.
EAT it up. Yes, you read that right. Google tries to prioritise pages that display Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness, so make sure your content reflects this. Focus on what you can bring. There’s a lot of noise out there but there’s only one you. Use your unique perspective.
Use everyone in the business. You can’t be everything. You single-handedly can’t be an expert in marketing, HR and IT. Even if you’re the marketing manager, you’re not an expert in every single nitty-gritty detail. That’s why you employ your staff. So get them to help you out. For example, publish thought leadership pieces on SEO by your company SEO expert.
Providing thought leadership content can be a huge part of business success. Your company has the expertise, so demonstrate it.
Just make sure you’re translating that expertise, creating content in a distinctive and unique voice that makes people sit up and take note.