‘Thought leader’ is one of those phrases that is in danger of being dismissed as corporate jargon. 

Tarred by puff pieces and self-aggrandising LinkedIn posts, many often declare themselves thought leaders whilst offering little in the way of value.  

To become a true thought leader, your content needs to tackle industry challenges, move tough conversations forward and provide insight into the industry landscape or marketplace.  

Sounds like a lot of effort, right? That’s where we come in. Creating credible thought leadership means having your finger on the pulse of industry news, challenges and being able to turn around topical content quickly is a must, and a great PR team can help you do just that.   

A robust and comprehensive thought leadership programme has a huge number of benefits.  

• A thought leadership article placed at a top title can increase brand awareness to your target audience.  

• Linking your content to a current issues or news story demonstrates you are at the forefront of the industry. 

• Providing in-depth analysis or advice-based pieces will position you as an expert, making it more likely for people to want to use your product or service. 

• Unlike ‘paid for’ advertorials, earned media gives third-party credibility from a professional journalist, which helps to build trust with readers as it avoids the ‘hard sell’. 

Interested? Here’s our top tips for thought leadership articles. 

1.Aim for best 

Thought leadership articles are typically between 600 and 800 words, although they can exceed 1,000 in some cases. This isn’t a quick undertaking and requires careful consideration and planning. In order to get the most value out of these types of pieces it’s important to be selective about which publications get this time-intensive content. Choosing top industry titles also increases your chances of being seen by your target audience.  

2.Make it relevant 

Some issues will come up time and time again, for example, health and safety in the construction sector or discrimination for employment lawyers. By linking your content to something topical, such as a change in law, a government announcement or a breaking news story, it gives journalists a reason to publish content and it provides readers with a fresh take on perennial problems.  

3.Include advice… but don’t give away your secrets. 

 This can be a delicate balancing act: how can you give useful advice to make the piece valuable and appeal to the audience without giving away your USP? Our answer? Leave that to the professionals. We know the difference between insight and giving the game away, and exactly what journalists are looking for.    

 4.Don’t over-sell yourself.  

 This may seem like an odd thing for a communications agency to tell you – but being overly promotional can be off-putting for readers, as the advice or message can come across as disingenuous. It can also be a barrier for journalists, who take thought leadership pieces on in good faith, expecting that the content within it is editorial and newsworthy, rather than commercial.   

Want to know more about how thought leadership can elevate your brand and your experts? Contact our team today.