In our case for thought leadership content series, we’ve discussed how thought leadership content can support your marketing and sales efforts to improve your sales and performance and how you can create that content.
We know that businesses want to hire real people that are considered experts in their industry—and thought leadership content helps with both. If you’ve followed this series, you know the many benefits of thought leadership content and you have the top three tips that will help you create ideas as well as see what's important in the eyes of your prospect. Now, you’ll learn the different types of content that you can create in order to share your message.
Content marketing should be the heart of your business strategy. Whether it’s through your own blog, a company blog, or a guest blog—blogging and thought leadership go hand in hand. Your clients and prospects what to be informed and entertained, which means your efforts need to focus on publishing valuable content.
Many editors of active websites publish between one and ten guest articles each week. So even if you don’t own a blog, there are a lot of opportunities for you to get in front of your target audience.
Thought leadership content aims to engage your audience on a regular basis, and through multiple channels. Multiple studies show that video performs best on social channels, plus increases engagement and improves the sales process.
Consider creating a video for your clients or prospects that will help them with their business needs. Sit down and address their desired business goals, whether it’s through a personal video that you send through email or as a guest on a video (such as an interview). Remember, you’re sharing your expertise —not selling.
Print is not dead! But it’s vital to know your target audience and where they spend their time. If they’re reading newspapers and magazines, then get strive to a mention or quote in a publication they read.
Podcasts are one of the easiest ways to consumer content. Listeners value podcasts because they’re portable, on-demand, and the perfect secondary activity to complement a primary activity, like cooking, driving, or cleaning. Like blogging, podcasting is a marketing asset that can be used long after the recording and first publication.
Webinars are a great tool to show your expertise in a deeper way because they are longer format. Do a live webinar with a FAQ or smoothing your people really need. Dig in and give them tangible tactics or takeaways to benefit from —or host as on-demand webinar and send to prospects.
Create a simple checklist on, “What to Do Before XYX” or, “How to Do XYZ” and send it to prospects during the sales process or post on your social media. People who need this will see it and benefit from it and you’ll be seen as a though leader.
Check out the other videos in this series:
How Thought Leadership Content Supports Marketing and Sales Efforts to Improve Performance [VIDEO]
Checklist for Where to Share Your Thought Leadership Content to Maximize Results [VIDEO]