Tag: Thought Leadership Content

All About Content Creation: How Content Creation Helps Businesses Grow

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

In today’s uber-competitive business environment, content is king.

Brands that produce fresh, engaging, and relevant content stand out among their competitors.

According to data by HubSpot, 90% of brands plan to continue focusing on content creation in 2022 and beyond. This figure underscores the importance of relevant content in the current and future business landscape.

So, how important is effective content creation?

Content creation has proven to be an incredibly successful option for marketers. Given the significance relevant content has for consumers, brands must use content creation to reach their target audience.

This article will discuss content creation and its role in business growth. Moreover, this article will explore how content creation has gained a foothold in today’s business landscape.

What is content creation?

Content marketing has increasingly become to go-to format brands use to communicate with their target audience. In particular, content creation effectively delivers consistent value to consumers without “selling.”

Best-selling author and entrepreneur Jay Baer offers this thought: “Content is the emotional and informational bridge between commerce and consumer.”

This quote illustrates the significant relationship brands create with their consumers. Building this relationship is possible when brands successfully bridge the gap between themselves and consumers.

Please bear in mind that content creation is not about “selling” anything.

Effective content is not about getting consumers to buy products. Effective content creation is about eliciting an emotional response in consumers.

Think about the ads that brands such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi produce.

These brands focus on the emotional response their products elicit from consumers.

For instance, people who drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi have fun, are happy, and find themselves surrounded by loved ones.


A brand evokes a personal connection when content strikes a chord with consumers. This connection fosters trust.

As brands consistently deliver value, they position themselves in their consumers’ minds. Ultimately, brands may create bonds with consumers that can last a lifetime.

Why is content creation important?

Undoubtedly, successful content can take a brand to the next level. Specifically, there are three key reasons why effective content creation is critical to successful business growth:

1. Promoting Brand Awareness

Brands seek to position themselves in consumers’ minds. However, using catchy slogans and jingles does not always translate into sales. As a result, promoting brand awareness becomes a top priority.

Please remember that brand awareness is not necessarily about placing billboards all over town or hoarding ad space on television. Brand awareness is about creating a positive association between brands and consumers.

Marketing guru Seth Godin offers this thought: “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Indeed, Godin’s contribution underscores the importance of brand awareness: compelling consumers to choose one brand over another.

Successful brands know how to compel consumers to choose them over another. This effect does not require mind control or deceit. It requires communicating the brand’s unique value proposition.

Effective content creation helps communicate value in a way that resonates with the target audience’s specific expectations.

2. Increasing Engagement

Traditional marketing (television, radio, and print) focuses on a one-sided conversation. Consequently, consumers have little to no say in anything the brand does to meet their expectations. This type of advertising leaves plenty of room for brands to get it wrong.

How so?

One-sided marketing does not allow consumers to voice their opinions about the product or the brand itself. As a result, the brand must directly approach consumers to find out their expectations, wants, and needs.

This situation changes dramatically with engaging content creation.

New channels such as social media enable brands to maintain two-way communication with their consumers.

Consequently, brands receive direct input from consumers.

Brands now have the opportunity to make quick adjustments to meet their target audience’s needs and expectations.

This ongoing dialog is possible thanks to engaging content.

3. Boosting Sales

Indeed, the ultimate goal is to boost sales. But please note this is not merely about making money. It is about delivering value while turning a profit.

Without profits, brands and their unique value propositions would cease to exist.

Engaging content creation facilitates consumers’ purchasing decisions. Amid the sea of alternatives, creative and effective content creation allows them to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In other words, sales climb as consumers’ brand perception reflects a specific set of values and a vision.

Brand expert Simon Mainwaring offers this highly interesting contribution: “Define what your brand stands for, its core values, and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.”

Boosting sales hinges on consistently communicating a brand’s message throughout its interaction with consumers.

Consistency builds trust in consumers’ minds. And trust is the treasured commodity that ultimately sways consumers’ purchasing decisions in favor of one brand or another.

What kind of content do growing businesses need?

Businesses focused on growth need content. However, it must not be content for the sake of content.

Producing irrelevant content can do far more harm than good.

Content that fails to resonate with consumers can lead to a disconnect between brand and consumer. Moreover, consumers may be unclear about the brand’s values and vision.

Brands must, therefore, strive to produce content that is relevant, useful, and delivers value at all times.

Here are three key content types that brands must consider to foster engagement and drive revenue:

Blogs

On the surface, blogs may seem old-fashioned. This perception stems from social media’s predominance, particularly among younger demographics.

Nevertheless, blogging holds a significant foothold among relevant content across the board.

Consider the following figures:

  • 77% of online users read some type of blog.
  • 77.2% of long-form blogging produces more links than short-form ones.
  • 74% of companies report that content creation has increased the volume and quality of their sales leads.
  • 65% of business-to-business customers report that their vendors’ websites are the most influential source of information.
  • 73% of marketers indicate that effective content creation allows them to nurture their leads. In comparison, 64% indicate that content creation enables them to generate increased sales and revenue.

Based on these data, it is evident that blogs represent a powerful means for brands to maintain close communication with their consumers. An informative and relevant blog can increase traffic, drive sales, and boost overall revenue.

Videos

Videos are a particularly effective means of engaging younger audiences.

Attractive visuals are often a great way in which brands can interact with their consumers.

For instance, YouTube is a highly engaging video streaming platform that enables two-way communication.

Consumers can leave their comments, suggestions, and opinions about any number of issues.

Is video content truly that effective? Consider these figures:

These figures make video content hard to ignore.

Nevertheless, the biggest challenge facing brands is compelling content that engages and reaches audiences effectively. There is, consequently, growing demand for adept content creators that can tailor content to suit consumers’ needs.

Infographics

Infographics are predominantly visually based content creation strategies. They allow consumers to digest a large amount of information in a condensed format. As a result, consumers can easily get large data sets without having to go through extensive research and reading.

Here are some interesting points on infographics:

  • A study revealed that 82% of test participants’ attention spans increased due to the use of infographics.
  • In general, people are 39% likelier to remember information when using a colorful and visually attractive format.
  • Readers are 80% likelier to remember information in documents using color than black-and-white ones.

Indeed, colorful and visually appealing graphics are incredibly effective in engaging consumers.

Nevertheless, infographics are useless if the information they contain does not resonate with the target audience.

Consequently, brands must present compelling and useful information with attractive visuals. This combination makes infographics a highly successful communication device between brands and consumers.

How can a ghostwriting agency help brands boost their content creation strategies?

Producing high-quality content requires compelling prose, systematic research, and speaking the target audience’s language.

Without these elements, producing content that truly resonates with audiences can be difficult.

Brands face a considerable challenge as they may not always have a dedicated content creation team on staff.

Moreover, they may lack expert writers able to produce top-notch content within a short turnaround time.

So, what can brands do to ensure producing high-level content in a short timeframe?

Brands can employ a ghostwriting agency to tackle writing engaging content. Here is a list of what a ghostwriting agency can do for brands looking to produce top-quality content:

  • Short and long-form blog posts
  • Articles and whitepapers on various topics
  • How-to guides
  • E-books and handbooks
  • User manuals and technical documentation
  • Research and text for infographics
  • Video scripts
  • General marketing copy
  • Website materials
  • Product information
  • FAQ and data sheets

These materials are a sample of what a ghostwriting agency can do for any brand’s content creation strategies. As a result, a professional ghostwriting agency produces content that allows brands to provide worthwhile content, leading to a personal connection between brands and consumers.

What are the benefits of employing a ghostwriting agency?

There are three key benefits brands can expect when employing a ghostwriting agency to produce their content:

1. Hiring a ghostwriting agency saves time.

Even when companies have a dedicated marketing staff, producing high-quality content can become a time-consuming proposition.

There are research, writing, editing, and publishing tasks that often intersect simultaneously. As such, marketing professionals often need a helping hand to produce high-quality content in a timely manner.

A ghostwriting agency can step in at any time to help take the burden off overworked marketing staff.

Some brands may look to avoid overwhelming their marketing staff with content creation tasks. As a result, these brands may look to a trusted ghostwriting agency to help them produce high-level content in a fraction of the time.

Please remember that professional ghostwriting agencies employ experienced and vetted writers. These writers have backgrounds and expertise that enable brands to meet their marketing objectives.

2. Hiring a ghostwriting agency saves money.

A common misconception is that hiring a ghostwriting agency is more expensive than employing full-time marketing staff. This idea could not be farther from the truth.

In the long run, employing a professional ghostwriting agency is much more cost-effective.

The savings in hiring full-time staff (salary, benefits, insurance, and taxes) outweighs the expense incurred in employing a ghostwriting agency.

Additionally, the cost-benefit relationship between a ghostwriting agency and the content it produces easily tilts the scales in favor of hiring a ghostwriting agency.

3. Hiring a ghostwriting agency provides maximum flexibility.

A ghostwriting agency is a team of writers. Therefore, a professional cadre of content creators offers maximum flexibility.

Brands can opt for an overarching content creation strategy encompassing several media such as books, ads, videos, blogs, podcasts, and so on when they employ a ghostwriting agency.

Employing a ghostwriting agency allows brands to shift strategies as needed.

When customer perceptions and priorities change, brands can easily request their chosen ghostwriting agency to produce the content consumers demand. With a full-time, in-house marketing staff, these shifts are quite complicated.

One Last Thought

Hiring a ghostwriting agency might not be the first thing that comes to marketing experts’ minds. In fact, some marketers may feel threatened by the idea of hiring a ghostwriting agency.

However, there is no need to feel apprehensive about it. A professional ghostwriting agency strives to become a trusted partner in a brand’s overall marketing strategy.

A trusted ghostwriting agency is like any other valued member and contributor. Ultimately, choosing to work with a trusted ghostwriting agency may become one of the savviest business decisions any brand can make.

Your Thought Leadership Book: Why Hire a Writing Agency?

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

You are a seasoned expert in your industry, and you’ve always wanted to write a thought leadership book. But a book is a big project. Where do you start? How do you organize your knowledge? How do you know your writing is any good?

You aren’t alone. Many new authors struggle to start and finish a book. After all, you’re an expert in your expertise, not in writing, editing, publishing, researching, or proofreading.

Getting Help to Write Your Book

“There are two main reasons authors hire a writing agency for help with a thought leadership book – skill and time,” says Wintress Odom, owner and senior editor at The Writers For Hire, Inc. (TWFH), a Houston-based writing agency.

“Writing a book can take hundreds of hours; it’s quite an endeavor. To add that type of workload on top of what is already a 40-, 50-, 60-hour-per-week schedule—it’s just not going to get done. And others feel that their skillsets lay elsewhere. Who has time to be an expert at everything?”

Flori Meeks, a TWFH ghostwriter, agrees it can be difficult for clients to see a thought leadership book through to completion.

Their attempts to write a book can stall for any number of reasons.

Some are stuck at the idea stage, she says. 


“Some bring an outline and others bring nearly-completed manuscripts and hire a writing agency to create a smoother finished product that appeals to its intended readers.”

Wherever you are in the process, a good writing agency’s ghostwriters and editors will pick up your project from there—whether it’s brainstorming your book’s concept, organizing its structure, writing your manuscript, or proofreading and editing your finished work.

Hire a writing agency and get a team on your side.

An undisputed thought leader himself, inventor Thomas Edison used the principle of teamwork across all his enterprises. In an article for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Sarah Miller Caldicott explains Edison’s thinking:

Because he believed that a diverse group of individuals offered the best chance for collaborative success, Edison consistently created teams that had members from several disciplines. The famous group that drove the breakthrough thinking behind the incandescent electric light consisted of a glassblower, a machinist, a chemist, a mathematician, an instrument maker, and a textile worker, along with Edison himself.

You, too, have probably enlisted teams to accomplish large professional goals. When you hire a writing agency, you recruit a team of writing experts to help you achieve another significant goal—finishing your book.

The Writers for Hire is a Houston-based writing agency with a history of effectively filling the writing needs of clients using teamwork.

Odom outlined two team-centered scenarios her agency uses in producing thought leadership books.

The team collaborates with the author (usually remotely) throughout the writing process. If additional help is needed with research, the agency provides it.

When a manuscript is completed, Odom says, an objective proofreader and a previously uninvolved editor are assigned to the project to bring outside perspective:

Basically, [it is] having enough hands to really perfect the book—it’s not something a single person can do. It’s not physically possible. I don’t care how good a writer you are—trying to write in a vacuum without any sort of editing or QA (quality assurance) process, you’re just not going to get the same level of refinement that we can by adding those extra people in the process.

In the second scenario, a more rushed project is produced by the agency on a three-to-four-month timeline. Some projects, the owner recalls, have involved “really intense research [on] tough subjects where they really wanted to show an expertise, but it was a time-sensitive subject for them, and they really wanted [the book] out quickly.”

The company assigns teams of four to five writers to the book in this scenario to finish it on schedule. An editor “smooths out” chapters as they are completed, ensuring that each chapter is written in the same style and voice.

Odom’s teams have put in 600 work hours within three months, something she says is “not physically possible for a single person.” But with multiple team members, the writing and editing are finished on a compressed schedule with continual quality control.

“You can write a book with one person in three months. It’s just not going to be very good,” she adds. With a lone writer, the objective viewpoints of others are missing from what becomes a more hurried process.

Meeks affirms that when the team approach is used, “you’re more likely to have multiple sets of eyes on your manuscript, which is going to produce something that is very clean, polished, and likely to resonate well with the readers.”

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Preserve your legacy

HIRE A GHOSTWRITER

Hire a writing agency for its scope of experience.

Just as your expertise has been broadened and deepened over time while communicating and working with your customers or clients, the same is true of a reputable writing agency. Its writers have built their skillsets in crafting thought leadership books through years of conversations and collaboration with leaders in many industries.

Meeks notes: “Our writers have experience writing for many specific industries, and we try to match clients with writers who understand their industry and know to ask the right questions to get the best stories and really flesh those out and get, not just an interview, but a conversation.”

She recalls working with an author who was an entrepreneur in a wide range of industries. With Meeks’ understanding of business and entrepreneurship, she was prepared to ask good questions. The result was “a book that really showcased his expertise.”

Meeks also recounts helping leaders in the oil and gas industry, including one based in Africa, another who ran home foundation and horse-breeding businesses, a female executive in the energy industry, and an author involved in finances and investing.

A ghostwriting team with experience in your own or related industries will offer an informed sense of what your target reader wants to learn from your thought leadership book. The team will help ensure that your readers’ most likely and crucial questions get answered.

A good agency understands thought leadership books.

As you consider writers and editors for your book, look at their published projects. Have their efforts resulted in complete, cohesive, and polished thought leadership books? A respected writing agency has a portfolio of well-organized, well-written expert books to its credit.

One reason an agency completes these books successfully is its ability to oversee the entire process—something usually lacking with independent freelancers.

Odom explains: “A lot of individual freelancers may be familiar with one part of the process—they may be an excellent writer or editor. They may be very good at marketing the book, but it can be difficult to find someone who has a specialty in making all of these connections to walk you through the entire process.”

When a manuscript is completed, her company also advises authors on a range of options for getting it into print.

This could include anything from using a smaller independent publishing house to self-publication or other options in between.

Most important to you as an author, an agency will work to ensure that your own voice, personality, vision, and objectives for your book are reflected when it goes to publication.

Agency ghostwriters will take as much time as needed to learn all about you, your business, your expertise, and your style of communication.

Meeks explains how a skilled ghostwriter listens to an author:

It’s letting them tell stories about their experiences and reflect on their significance or lessons learned or changes they made as a result; share advice for others in their industry based on what they’ve gone through; and maybe reflect on what they’ve observed among colleagues and other companies. They’re given a chance to show what they know and understand.

Thought leadership authors are glad they hired a writing agency.

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Here are a few samples of author feedback received by TWFH:

“I had previously sent you an email stating how very much pleased with the book…but, I am not sure whether I fully expressed it. Frankly, the writing of the book is simply outstanding! You and your team have done a wonderful job of creating a very readable and interesting book! I just can’t believe how it is all coming together.” — Norm B.

“You guys have been AWESOME throughout this process, and we can’t thank you enough for how quickly you knocked out a whole book insuch a short time. Wecould not have been more satisfied with the work you did!” — Tommasina D.

“Wanted you to know that the book finally arrived on Wed. I would love for you to have a copy. You spent so much time with it you should see the printed version. Thanks for help once again. You may never get rid of me!” — Danny K.

Calling All Thought Leaders: Why Hire a Ghostwriting Team?

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

You’re an expert in your industry. So why should you enlist a team of professional writers, proofreaders, and editors to help with your written communications?

The answers could transform the quality and quantity of your messaging—from blogs to speeches, whitepapers to books, and more.

Thought Leadership Involves Thought Sharing

You know that consistent thought sharing is key to thought leadership, but you are busy. So are your department heads and SMEs—and writing thought leadership pieces probably isn’t something any of you trained for.

Yet, you understand that frequent, effective communications are vital to your authority and your brand in an age of non-stop messaging.

As Blyth Campbell of PRSA Alaska writes:

Customers, employees, and other stakeholders want authentic communication from leaders, brands, and organizations. Executives and thought leaders want to communicate better—and more often— but don’t have the time to create compelling, creative content across multiple platforms. Modern ghostwriting can bridge the gap.

If ghostwriting is a practical solution to this dilemma, should you start searching for a ghostwriter? Or should you hire a ghostwriting agency that can provide a comprehensive team approach to producing your written communications?

Why an Expert Employs a Ghostwriting Agency

Much like other savvy companies, a well-structured ghostwriting agency uses the dynamics of teamwork to benefit its customers and clients.

There is synergy at work within a team that just cannot happen with a single ghostwriter. There are several other powerful factors on an agency’s side, too.

Project Management

The first factor is project management. An adept agency will assign a ghostwriting team of a project manager/editor and one or more writers for each project. Whether you need a single, defining thought-leadership book or many pieces of authoritative, informative content for a website, project management keeps all the essential parts of the process moving and on schedule.

Process

Another motive for choosing an agency is process. In a first-rate ghostwriting agency, objective review of each piece of writing is built into the team’s method. After a piece is drafted, a so-far uninvolved proofreader and editor scrutinize it. This offers a level of refinement not possible with a single ghostwriter—and confirms the writing is done in your voice and style.

Deadlines

Deadlines present another compelling reason to hire a ghostwriting team. All businesses have deadlines of sorts, and writing projects are especially prone to be deadline-driven. With multiple writers, a ghostwriting agency can meet a due date impossible for a single ghostwriter on a rush project that needs timely publication.

Volume

If you need a volume of material ghostwritten, an agency is a natural choice. You will become a much more productive author with a team assigned to write in your name. And, not to worry, the same editor will hone each piece of writing to be sure it retains your unique, branded style and voice.

Similar Projects

A ghostwriting agency of depth and breadth will equip you with a team that has completed projects similar to yours. An independent ghostwriter cannot be expected to have an agency’s diversity of writing experience. An agency hires ghostwriting team members from a variety of backgrounds, and your team will either be familiar with your industry’s language or pick it up quickly.

Security

Lastly, but not the least reason to choose a ghostwriting agency is thatyour project’s timeline is secure. You never have to worry about your writing project getting stalled because there is always more than one person assigned to it. If a writer or editor must be absent for any reason, it continues uninterrupted.

Thought leadership requires copious amounts of creative communications.

A ghostwriting team helps you produce a quantity of creative, timely communications that become part of your distinct brand of thought leadership. You may want to include others in your organization as authors of some pieces as well.

In her blog titled, “How to Win the Thought Leadership Arms Race in 2022,” Brook Zimmatore suggests in Entrepreneur that experts who want to optimize their messaging “roll out a structured calendar of thought leadership.” She advises:

Once you have identified your purpose, pillars, and spokespeople, you need to plan out a structured thought leadership content calendar. A calendar will allow you and your team to be more strategic in your thought leadership. Schedule your content so that each piece ties into the other, creating a complete picture that takes your audience along a path of continual growth.

If creating such a calendar sounds like more than you have time for, a seasoned ghostwriting agency can create one for you.

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Here are some other types of content a nimble agency can help you compose.

Blog content.

An adept ghostwriting agency has produced blogs for many industries. Its experience means that you will likely be matched with a ghostwriting team that has written on yours or similar industries, enabling it to work with your SMEs gracefully and knowledgeably.

Team members will research and absorb your subject matter quickly. Cross-checks between members help ensure your blog is interesting, flows, ranks on search engines without keyword stuffing, and sounds like you every time.

Books.

A reputable agency has the resources to complete your thought leadership book or memoir from any stage of the process—conception through research, writing, and editing. The agency will add members to your ghostwriting team if needed to finish and polish your book more quickly when time is of the essence.

In an example familiar to most Americans, the hugely popular Nancy Drew book series was written by a ghostwriting team, not the mythical Carolyn Keene. The team dynamic, exodusbooks.com explains, was the reason “Keene” wrote so many books:

Nancy Drew is that kind of series, each book ostensibly written by Carolyn Keene but really the work of a team of ghostwriters and editors churning out novel after novel about the exploits of a smart, brave and attractive adolescent girl named Nancy Drew who solves mysteries as an amateur sleuth.

Your thought leadership book will presumably target a different audience, but the principle holds: Hiring a ghostwriting team means books can be published more quickly while staying faithful to their author’s voice.

CAPTURE YOUR STORY, TODAY

Preserve your legacy

HIRE A GHOSTWRITER

Speeches and Presentations.

You may need to give the keynote address at a conference or awards ceremony, a PowerPoint presentation to interested investors or desired clients, or a motivational talk to employees.

You won’t have to sweat through writing these or other presentations yourself when you hire a ghostwriting agency. Instead, you can put your energy into a memorable delivery.

Whitepapers.

Whitepapers are now a vital element of showing thought leadership. The documents that explain your products or services and what they do for your clients need to be accurate and authoritative. But do your SMEs have the time or inclination to write them?

An agency well-versed in writing for a variety of technical industries fills this need. Team members know how to converse with your SMEs intelligently and tactfully to get the information they need to write convincing whitepapers.

Press Releases.

Today’s thought leaders know the value of compelling, well-timed press releases. A media-savvy ghostwriting agency knows how to write them, with teams composed of professionals trained and skillful in journalism. Getting their heads around your business and goals quickly is their business, and collaboration among team members fuels creativity.

Your team will deliver press releases with eye-catching headlines and lead paragraphs that show leadership on topics of real interest to audiences. These are designed to trigger the media attention you want, then find their way swiftly into the echo chambers of social media.

Magazine Articles.

Thought leadership becomes highly visible when you author articles for an inside-the-company magazine or for industry- and audience-specific magazines. A ghostwriting agency of size and scope offers writer/editor ghostwriting teams with magazine skills under their belts, ready to work with you and/or your marketing department and SMEs.

Case Studies.

When you hire a team to write your customers’ or clients’ success stories, a tedious process becomes a rewarding joint venture. Your ghostwriting team helps pinpoint a case, formulate an approach, and write copy that tells future customers you have answers for their issues, too. The agency manages the project throughout, even seeking approval for the final product from your legal department.

Authorship is assured when you hire a ghostwriting team.

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Whichever types of content an agency helps you create, as a thought leader and author you can be assured that:

  • A professional ghostwriting team understands confidentiality in all executive communications: Its writers and editors appreciate confidential sources, your proprietary processes, and “off-the-record” elements of your conversations. Your team also understands what to leave in your written product—and what to leave out—for its intended audience and purpose.
  • A capable agency prioritizes your preferences and lets your voice shine through in all the work it does for you. It is your blog, your book, your speech, and your press release the team creates. Each says what you want it to say, is error-free, professionally polished, and appeals to its readers.
  • The “checks and balances” of the team approach ensure that both of the above are true, for every project. Objective proofreaders and editors maintain consistency in these vital areas.
  • You as the authority in your field are the author of all work done by your team on your behalf, and all credit goes to you. This is a top priority for every member of your ghostwriting team.

What Makes a Thought Leader?

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

What do you do when you need a solution to managing your money? You jump on your computer and begin searching for innovative ideas. On the first page of your Google results, you will come across an article from Ramsey Solutions – founded by best-selling author Dave Ramsey.

Dave Ramsey is a Thought Leader.

Thought Leaders like Ramsey are experts in their fields. The public considers them the most trusted individuals in their profession, and they are the go-to people when consumers need solutions.

What Exactly is a Thought Leader?


Thought leadership is not something you go to school for. And there are no degrees for thought leaders.

A thought leader is an experienced, trustworthy professional who consumers look to for answers to their most pressing questions.

As a professional, your goal is to win your clients' trust. Winning trust is how you gain an excellent reputation. A solid reputation leads people to search for the answers you provide and heed your recommendations.

Dave Ramsey…Seth Godin…Oprah Winfrey

What do all these people have in common? They are all thought leaders.

But how did they become recognized industry leaders?

While their journeys to thought leadership were all vastly different, there does seem to be one common thread among them. They all used a variety of mediums such as radio programs, blogs, television shows, and books, to position themselves as experts in their perspective fields.

In building such a robust platform, these well-known figures have not only achieved great financial and business success, but they have also become household names.

So, what makes them different from the rest of us? And what can we learn by examining their successes and failures?  

Industry Thought Leaders

Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey took the real estate exam at age 18, immediately diving into the industry while attending The University of Tennessee and earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Real Estate. By age 26, Ramsey had accumulated a weighty portfolio worth over $4 million in real estate.

Unfortunately, by age 30, when the Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987 went into effect, leaving several banks with a change of ownership, over one million dollars of Ramsey's mortgage loans were recalled because he was over-leveraged.

Unable to pay the loans back, Ramsey filed for bankruptcy in 1988.

After several years of rebuilding his financial life, Ramsey began providing financial advice to parishioners at his church. He founded the Lampo Group (renamed Ramsey Solutions in 2014), offering financial counseling services.

Shortly after finding success in the Lampo Group, Ramsey and fellow entrepreneur Roy Matlock began hosting the finance-based radio show, The Money Game. Eventually, the show became The Ramsey Show which today reaches an audience of over 18 million weekly listeners. In 1992, Ramsey wrote his first book, Financial Peace.

In Financial Peace, Ramsey uses practical and easy-to-follow methods teaching readers how to get out of debt and stay out, how the flow of money can transform relationships, and how to make sound financial decisions.

Today, Ramsey is a best-selling author with over 5 million copies sold of his 28 books.

Seth Godin

You may know Seth Godin from his thought-provoking quotes or reading one of his several best-selling books.

In addition to establishing one of the most recognized blogs globally, the originator of 'permission marketing' has authored 20 best-selling books, including his 2003 smash hit Purple Cow.

Godin is considered the ultimate entrepreneur, a marketer, businessman, public speaker, and author.

While earning his MBA in Marketing from the Stanford Graduate School of Business from 1983 to 1986, Godin began working for Spinnaker Software. After leaving Spinnaker in 1986, he emptied his savings and started his own company – Seth Godin Productions.

In 1998 he established Yoyodyne, a company that later was acquired by Yahoo! It was during his time at Yoyodyne where Godin promoted the concept of permission marketing.

In 2000 after releasing his first e-book, Unleashing the Ideavirus, now available for free in 10 languages, Godin wrote and published his most famous book, Purple Cow; Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable. In Purple Cow, Godin describes his vision of creative advertising in our world of the abundance of products.

Today Godin is in the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, Marketing Hall of Fame, and Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame.

In addition to 20 best-selling books and a renowned blog, Godin creates life-changing workshops, makes appearances on podcasts, and has hosted TED talks. However, he still considers himself a professional writer first.

Oprah Winfrey

There isn’t a better example of an industry leader than Oprah. Oprah is so well-respected and trusted we usually don’t even use her last name when referring to her.

From an abusive childhood and pregnancy at 14 to America’s first Black female multi-billionaire, Oprah has experienced it all.

Born in rural Mississippi into poverty, Oprah spent most of her teen years living with the man she considered her father in Nashville, Tennessee, after her premature-born son died.

While still in high school, Oprah was hired at a local radio station. By 2019, the rising star was co-anchor for the local news.

And in 1986, her self-titled daytime talk show debuted; The Oprah Winfrey Show aired for 25 seasons.

Today it remains the highest-rated daytime talk show in the country. That same year, Oprah launched her production company Harpo Productions.

In 1998, Oprah wrote her first book, Journey to Beloved. She went on to publish five more best-sellers; The Path Made Clear is Oprah’s guide on taking steps to live your best life. Known for overcoming adversity and promoting self-help ideas, Oprah’s 2005 number one best-seller, Make the Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Body and Better Life, received one of the world’s highest advance fees.

Why You Should Write Consider a Thought Leadership Book

As you can see from the examples above, thought leadership is about sharing your experiences and know-how to influence, educate, and motivate your audience.

And what better way to share your expertise than through a thought leadership book?

Content for a thought leadership book, like the ones written by Ramsey, Godin, and Oprah, is born entirely from your unique knowledge and perspective.

If you have authority on a topic in a niche industry, then you have a valuable insight to share with the world.

And sharing your expertise through a thought leadership book is a great way to show the world that you are a leader in your trade.

However, as a busy professional, you may be thinking that there’s no way you’ll find the time needed to write a book. You are not alone in this dilemma. Many industry leaders have a lot to say, but no time to write. And many of them turn to ghostwriters to get their books complete.

If you consider hiring a ghostwriter to author your thought leadership book, it is essential to know that working with a ghostwriter doesn’t mean you consent to the control of your book. You work with the ghostwriter to ensure your thoughts are the final result. The thought leadership ghostwriter is there to help you produce your book while saving you time.

The Bottom Line

Working one’s way up from a first-time publisher to a recognized industry thought leader doesn’t happen instantly, but if you stick to your guns (and hire a ghostwriter, if needed), becoming a thought leader brings countless benefits.

Elevate your brand and reputation, strengthen your industry visibility, and receive top dollar for your service!

Thought Leadership: Creating Compelling Content to Position a Brand and Improve Visibility

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Leadership is one of the most sought-after traits in the business world. After all, leadership is what makes the difference between a good organization and a great one.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, described the ultimate “level 5 leader” as someone humble but willing to do anything in the company’s best interest.

However, the term “thought leadership” has now become a catchphrase thrown around aimlessly.

So, what exactly is thought leadership and how can you use it to improve brand visibility and increase conversions in the long-term?

Thought Leadership Basics

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In general, leadership is the ability to lead, that is, to guide people, individually and collectively, toward a goal or objective.

For most observers, leadership is a quality exhibited by exceptionally charismatic people. Nevertheless, a good leader isn’t always in the limelight. Leadership is about adding value to people’s lives. Therefore, good leaders improve the lives of those around them.

The emergence of the term “thought leadership” places a different spin on conventional leadership. After all, leadership isn’t just about meeting objectives. Leadership is also about possessing exceptional capabilities. Likewise, a person or organization is a thought leader if others in their chosen field consider them an authority in a specific area. Consequently, individuals and organizations seek the thought leader’s knowledge to solve a problem or improve upon a situation.

Thought leadership is a vital part of content marketing. In this type of marketing, thought leaders can offer their knowledge and experience to their followers. In turn, followers can find solutions to their problems while expanding their understanding of a specific topic.

By regularly providing this valuable content, thought leaders position themselves and their brands prominently in their readers’ minds, and sales ultimately follow.

Using Thought Leadership

Content marketing provides useful and actionable information that followers can use. And through content marketing, brands can use thought leadership to assert their expertise. Thus, thought leadership is successful when an individual or organization has the depth of knowledge needed to position themselves as a go-to expert in their chosen industry or field.

It’s also important to note that thought leadership is not about selling.

Thought leadership is about providing value that can eventually convert interested parties into paying clients.

Thus, it’s a question of positioning your brand as the go-to choice when the time comes to spend money.

It’s worth noting that thought leadership isn’t for everyone. Additionally, it isn’t the answer to every problem. Instead, thought leadership is ideal for individuals and companies that seek to position themselves as go-to experts in their respective fields.

As thought leadership is about building credibility, regurgitating common knowledge does not improve credibility. Meaningful content that can add value is what drives thought leadership.

Circa Interactive’s George Bradley offers this insight:

“There are times where it may be best for a business not to position itself as a thought leader. When making this decision, a company should always look at its customer base. Is making a particular stance going to divide your customer base? Could this lose you more clients or customers than it is likely to gain? If the answer is yes, then sometimes the bottom line has to come first, and it may be best to position yourself where the company will thrive.”

Often, thought leadership implies sharing knowledge freely. There is one caveat, however: Thought leadership does not mean self-promotion. Great content can get quickly overshadowed by self-promotion. Thus, focusing on the topic is always the best course of action.

Sherrilynne Starkey of Thornley Fallis Communications poignantly sums up this point:

“Start with from a paradigm of generosity. Freely give news and information to assist and support the people in your target audiences. Give them real value in terms of ‘how-to,’ ‘why you need to know,’ ‘here’s how to do it’ type stories and content. By being generous and focusing on giving value, you’ll reach more people, build loyalty, and gain market share.”

Valuable thought leadership can emerge from practically anywhere. Individuals can derive contributions from their personal and professional experience, formal training, and academic study. And organizations can pool the talents of their members into a compilation of knowledge and experience.

Generally speaking, there is a potentially infinite number of sources for thought leadership within an organization. These sources enable individuals and organizations to build their point of view and distinguish one authority from another by contributing their unique talents and skills.

After all, it would be impossible to stand out without having a unique point of view. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers. It is a question of offering value at all times. A unique perspective can deliver value consistently.

Benefits of Using Thought Leadership

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Using thought leadership as part of a content marketing strategy can yield significant benefits. On the whole, these benefits help individuals and organizations stand out above their competition. In particular, five benefits often prove to be the most meaningful.

1. Positioning the Brand

The most immediate benefit of thought leadership is personal or professional brand positioning. For example, professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and consultants can position themselves as experts in their field by using thought leadership. As for corporations, they can use their members’ collective skills and experience to provide their clients value.

It’s important to note that brand positioning is also not about selling. Instead, it is about becoming the go-to source in a specific area.

According to Lily Ray of Lilyray.nyc, a widely acknowledged thought leader in the content marketing space:

“Thought leadership is extremely important when it comes to establishing and building your brand. While it’s important to provide commentary and share your thoughts about industry trends or research others have done, what can really set you apart is to conduct your own research or develop your own fresh set of ideas to contribute to the community. Sometimes this can prove to be challenging; others may not always be receptive to your ideas, and it can often be uncomfortable to push the dialogue forward. But adding a fresh perspective, new data, or new ideas – and remaining consistent with this process over time – is what can build a solid brand and set a leader apart from the rest.”

Indeed, brand positioning is about being generous with knowledge. Therefore, a fresh spin on an existing situation can make a significant difference.

2. Improving Credibility

Clients seek professionals and companies they can trust. As such, thought leadership can improve credibility by showcasing both individuals’ and teams’ skills and experience.

As followers see the value a brand has to offer; they will come to trust that brand. Ultimately, credibility helps communicate a brand’s value proposition without openly pitching a product or service.

As Saxton and Stump’s Anthony Gaenzle explains:

“Your team is a critical part of your brand; this is especially true in fields like healthcare, marketing, legal and other areas that require true experts. Your clients or customers want to know that they’re hiring or purchasing from knowledgeable individuals with a lot of experience in their respective fields, so being able to convey that message in your marketing and PR is important for success and growth.”

This quote highlights the importance of expertise in building credibility. As such, the aim is to convey a message through content.

3. Shortening the Sales Cycle

A product or service’s sales cycle begins with leads first coming into contact with the brand and ends with a successful purchase.

While sales cycles differ significantly from product to product, thought leadership can substantially shorten the sales cycle by maintaining constant communication between clients and brands. Once clients are ready to approach the brand, they are already focused on purchasing. In the words of Jimmy Daly of Animalz, “high volume, top of the funnel content works best.” Indeed, top-notch content is the best way to shorten the sales cycle.

4. Generating Greater Visibility

An essential aim in marketing is generating greater visibility for a brand’s products and services. Unfortunately, traditional marketing is often unsuccessful because it pitches products directly to potential clients. Furthermore, traditional marketing rarely establishes two-way communication.

This is where thought leadership shines.

Effective thought leadership enables clients and brands to communicate back and forth. Consequently, clients feel the brand hears their voice.

5. Reaching Decision-makers

In a B2B context, content marketing reaches decision-makers directly. Quality content does not need filtering from an assistant or secretary.

Excellent thought leadership can even reach top-level executives directly. In fact, 43 percent of top-level executives indicate that thought leadership helps them research an issue, while 39 percent indicate it helps them find a solution to a situation.

This is why it is so crucial for thought leadership to be relevant at all times.

Creating Thought Leadership Content

By definition, content marketing is only as effective as its content. Luckily, thought leadership can take content marketing to the next level.

The following is a breakdown of guidelines and best practices that will ensure your thought leadership content does the trick.

Cite reputable sources.

When it comes to creating effective thought leadership content, using plenty of citations from reputable sources is a great way to show the reader that your arguments are well-reasoned while also showing how well-read you are.

According to Grist, 53 percent of executives want to hear information from industry experts, while 44 percent indicate they seek information from professional services firms.  Thus, citing information from leading sources is a must for compelling content.

Consult subject matter experts.

Subject matter experts are thought leaders in their own right. Considering that 53 percent of executives look to industry experts, it makes sense to consult them.

Effective content marketers know that consulting subject matter experts will enhance their material. Whenever possible, arranging exclusive interviews or getting written opinions can boost visibility.

Additionally, opinions found in blogs, YouTube videos, or webinars make good secondary sources.

Create a consistent narrative.

A consistent narrative means that all materials produced have a common voice and tone.

Creating a consistent narrative gives followers a reason to identify with the brand and is crucial for building long-term conversions.

In contrast, disjointed content may appear scattered and random. Planning multiple pieces of content in advance is an easy way to ensure everything you create has a clear narrative through-line.

Do extensive research into the topic and target audience.

Influential thought leaders know how powerful creating targeted content can be.

However, doing so successfully requires careful research into the topic and a clear understanding of who the target audience will be.

Thus, getting started is a question of getting to know the target audience well.

Demographic information such as age, gender, occupation, and educational level all help produce relevant content.

Moreover, 84 percent of executives value content that enhances their role, while 79 percent want to stay ahead of the game. Thus, knowing audiences is key to successful thought leadership.

Provide as many real-life examples as possible.

Ideas and concepts don’t exist in a vacuum; real world application is key. This is why it’s crucial to provide as many real-life examples as possible, as doing so will enable audiences to see the practical application of the knowledge you share.

Since 47 percent of executives consider thought leadership that is too conceptual ineffective, and 63 percent consider thought leadership that is too generic ineffective, it makes sense to include as many real-life examples as possible.

Highlight the role of a thought leader.

It’s important to highlight a thought leader’s role by referencing any relevant significant achievements and experience. After all, audiences expect to get information from an experienced source.

However, it’s equally important to avoid self-promotion; this is not the time to exalt the brand.

According to research, 53 percent of executives feel that thought leadership based on self-promotion is ineffective.  Thus, when highlighting your experience and industry achievements, it is best to remain humble.

Testing Thought Leadership Content

Once the content is ready for publication, it’s worth testing its effectiveness before launch. Savvy marketers understand that conducting test runs can help them refine the content to meet their target audience’s needs and expectations specifically.

Here are three handy ways to test content before final publication.

Pitch to clients.

Testing content on real-life clients is an excellent way of measuring its impact. The use of focus groups is the most common way marketers can test their content.

In some instances, companies can contact their clients directly to ask them to participate in surveys, provide feedback, or suggest ideas for improvement. Pitching content to clients is crucial as 66 percent of top-level executives believe that thought leadership provides them with insight into emerging trends.

Pitch to peers.

When looking for feedback, other thought leaders in the same space are a great resource.

After all, receiving honest criticism can help fine-tune any marketer’s efforts. And, as an added bonus, it might make a new industry contact.

Generally speaking, feedback from peers can provide useful insights into why content is not hitting the mark.

In a recent survey revealing the most common complaints among top-level executives regarding thought leadership, 63 percent of executives indicated that the content was not relevant, 58 percent indicated that it lacked original ideas, and 38 percent said it was boring.

Gauge public reaction.

Once content hits audiences, gauging their reaction is crucial to ensuring its eventual success.

According to research, 47 percent of executives believe that a majority of thought leadership content is too theoretical or offered no practical advice. Likewise, 40 percent indicate that they ignored thought leadership content that did not contain any substantiated opinions, while 38 percent found this type of thought leadership content too bland to be of much use.  

Gauging these reactions can help marketers tweak their content to reach their target audience much more effectively.

Hitting the Mark with Thought Leadership

Nowadays, business is all about providing clients and followers as much value as possible, which is why thought leadership content is so popular. In the end, doing so helps position brands and the trusted, go-to source in their respective fields.

When done right, thought leadership can provide ample opportunities for making sales. It’s just a matter of identifying the right moment for sharing content and the right moment for selling.

How to Utilize Content Marketing as a Tool for Business Success

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

In today’s world, we see businesses come and go. And although external forces, such as the pandemic, may be out of our control, there are things that business owners can do to improve their chances of being successful. One of those things is creating and implementing an effective content marketing strategy. 

Not only can a quality content marketing strategy propel a business into financial success, it can also help to establish a company as an industry expert.

Identifying and Serving the Target Market

To get started on a content marketing campaign, businesses must first identify their target market.

After all, without a specific market in mind, to whom will you offer your services and products?

Probably the best way to determine your market is to select one that you yourself identify with.

Drawing on personal experiences and lessons learned that align with prospective customers proves quite valuable.

Those personal experiences provide you with the necessary background and allow you to serve the client as an expert because you can portray the “been there, done that” attitude.

Past experiences also provide you with the tools to be a problem solver. They can be harnessed to assist you in steering the customer away from making mistakes similar to those you made in the past. This proves to be quite valuable and brands you as an expert. By guiding the customer in a successful direction, you have earned your fee. You’ve also saved the customer a potential financial loss.

The secret to this recipe is marketing yourself as the expert. In these times, it takes more than a resume and college diploma. We live in a results-driven society, as everything is at our fingertips due to our friend, the internet. Content— and your expertise —builds credibility.

Qualifying Yourself

Content marketing can be accomplished in various outlets. Blogging, white papers, eBooks, and newsletters are all strategies that can be used as outlets to position yourself as a subject matter expert. By flooding the internet with content subject matter parallel to the services being provided, you are establishing credibility by numbers.

Imagine if you post quality material in those extensive numbers. Not only are you on the web, you also offer a credible service contributing to your reputation as an industry leader in your field.

And by posting a surplus of blogs, informative white papers, or interactive eBooks, the target audience sees you as an expert.

In today’s world, nothing shows an individual’s qualifications more than being highly searchable on the internet.

Consider the world of business consulting as an example. Developing a website and hosting it on the web looks professional and serves as a landing point for customers. This is an important facet of business, but it must be taken even further.

But how are customers drawn to your website? If a business consulting company establishes a website and lists an array of services provided, it does not accomplish much if no one knows about it. So how is attention generated?

The answer is quite simple. It takes populating the internet with content. This strategy can utilize blogging alone or can incorporate other outlets as well. A combination of two or more is most conducive to meeting your goals.

For example, if you’re looking to increase your reputation as a business consultant, flooding the internet with content about running your own business will make you searchable. It brings your message to the public. By publishing blogs on entrepreneurial startups, white papers targeting a business demographic, and even eBooks on developing a business plan, those searchable standards will bring searchers straight to you.

Overcoming Challenges

The process of content marketing is relatively simplistic but unfortunate detours can be made. Failing to niche down can result in an abundance of wasted work.

No, you are not going to drown the internet in content. However, failure to define your audience can have a negative effect. You could end up publishing a great deal of content that does not result in income.

It is best to select that target audience prior to developing content. Refer to personal experiences and strong points in your knowledge and focus content marketing based upon those key factors.

If you want to offer advertising services, there is no need to blog on quality control or publish a white paper on production management. If advertising will be the source of your profits, then focus content development on that service.

There are additional challenges that can be encountered with content marketing.

You have identified the target demographic and determined the services you will offer. You are ready to blitz the internet with content but discover you do not possess the creative pen to produce the information.

Just because your talents are lacking in creative marketing or blogging, does not mean your business must suffer. In fact, you should concentrate your talents on providing the quality service you offer. And then hire a professional ghostwriter to help you with the rest.  

An experienced ghostwriter will be capable of taking your personal experiences and blogging about them on your behalf.

There’s no shame in letting someone else do it for you. History has taught us that major success has been had in identifying strengths and weaknesses and then filling in weak areas with experts. In the end, all bases are covered.

Regardless of who blogs about the service you provide; the goal is to publish the information and link it to your company. It makes no difference who puts the information out there if it is real, accurate, helpful, and owned by your company.

Summing Up

The key to successful content marketing is avoiding complacency. Business owners should never fall into the trap of getting comfortable and alienating their customers. All customers, no matter their income potential, want to feel special. They want to believe they are your primary focus. It is crucial to produce content that services all your customers and not just one in particular.

Content marketing should capture subjects that your clients can relate to, both large and small. Offer topics that apply to everyone within your demographic. Do not disregard a smaller client by failing to produce content on a subject that the larger client might deem unimportant.

And remember, at the end of a day spent fishing, it is often the case that three small fish will feed more than one big one.

Thought Leadership: How the Big Players Do It

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Amid the sea of content out there nowadays, thought leadership constitutes an immensely powerful communication tool between brands and followers.

Effective thought leadership goes beyond merely regurgitating common knowledge. True thought leadership is about investing the necessary time to actively engage followers.

Brands that effectively use thought leadership position themselves as authorities in their specific industry.

That is no easy task. However, it is made easier when brands develop high-quality opinions and provide original insight. This type of insight stems from an insider position that only real thought leaders can deliver.

Thought leadership is a highly effective means of exposing a brand to the right people.

According to a LinkedIn paper, roughly 60 percent of decision-makers read at least an hour’s worth of thought leadership content weekly. Moreover, over 60 percent of these individuals indicated that thought leadership content influences them to try new products and services.

In this article, we will explore the way three major brands use thought leadership to position themselves as industry leaders, and the valuable lessons we can learn from each case study.

American Express

Image by Republica from Pixabay

American Express (AMEX) is one of the leading players in the world of financial services. Beyond its advertising on traditional media, AMEX leveraged its digital presence to improve communication with its customers.

This newfound communication took shape in the form of a blog. The Business Class Trends and Insights blog “…provides a modern business education through insights, tips, and inspiration to help your business adapt to changing times.”

The blog predominantly intends to provide up-to-date information to individual and business customers. Therefore, the blog does not seek to serve large corporations. It focuses on small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The most striking characteristic of the Business Class blog is that it does not attempt to drive sales. Instead, it aims to provide useful and actionable information on a myriad of topics. These topics range from personal finance to human resources strategy.

The content on the blog comprises four main areas: managing money, getting customers, team building, and growth planning. Certainly, these are all areas relevant to virtually any business.

What makes AMEX’s blog truly unique is a section entitled “Small Business Stories.” This section provides a space in which small business owners can share their success stories.

While AMEX seeks to provide expert opinions, it also balances content by including real-life success stories.

There is a common thread among all success stories. The stories underscore how these businesses were successful thanks to AMEX’s products and services. As such, these stories are not shameless puff pieces. Instead, they seek to provide credible examples of real people succeeding in the business world. Consequently, the featured business owner shows how they can be successful by adapting to “changing times.”

The “Small Business Stories” section enables real people to pen their stories in their own words. This strategy allows for an unbiased account of what it takes to be truly successful in the business world. This approach provides a truly authentic touch.

Furthermore, AMEX does not rely on a writing staff to produce generic content. The authenticity of this content aims to strike a chord at a profound level with current and potential customers.

Originally, AMEX started with a solely text-based approach. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, AMEX has started a video series called “Office Hours.” The series highlights small business owners’ journey navigating the pandemic. It intends to provide other small business owners with useful and actionable insights. Moreover, the business owners featured can show how AMEX’s products and services have helped them throughout this trying time.

Lesson Distilled:

Thought leadership is not a one-way street. Effective thought leadership must provide two-way communication between brands and customers. This communication needs to empower customers through relevant and actionable information.

While AMEX aims to do this through its blog, it takes it one step further. By allowing customers to showcase their stories, they empower their customers.

AMEX positions itself as a leading brand by showing how its products and services enable business owners to succeed. This type of content is much more relatable than abstract content from a professional writing team. Customers can see themselves in the real people featured in the content. Therefore, AMEX becomes a thought leader as it leverages its influence on a wide range of users. Moreover, it can influence potential customers to come aboard.

The real-world approach AMEX fosters with its “Office Hours” segment also builds a sense of community. Consequently, followers can embrace the feeling of belonging. In particular, followers can see they are not the only ones facing the same dilemmas. Once again, this approach empowers customers to be successful. In the meantime, AMEX portrays itself as the means facilitating customers’ success.

Ultimately, the underlying message is one of community and support. AMEX supports its customers through its community. As such, anyone who joins the community will receive the same support. In turn, they too can become successful.

Microsoft

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Microsoft is a renowned brand in the world of tech and computing. Its ubiquitous Windows operating system is a must on PCs and tablets. For decades, Microsoft has fostered a positive relationship with its customers. Microsoft has attempted to create products based on its customers’ needs and expectations through its various Windows versions.

As a major player in the tech industry, Microsoft has continued to foster its relationship with customers through effective thought leadership. Nevertheless, Microsoft has moved away from the conventional information-dump approach. Instead, Microsoft has leveraged the use of storytelling.

Storytelling is an important component of thought leadership. After all, theoretical information is not fully helpful unless it has a practical application. This example shows where Microsoft has used thought leadership to stand out from the rest of the competition.

“Story Labs” has become Microsoft’s thought leadership workhorse. It is a long-form blog that aims to provide deep insights into various topics surrounding the tech world.

Like AMEX’s Business Class blog, Microsoft’s Story Labs looks to use palpable stories to highlight how the tech world is evolving. As such, Story Labs looks to present relevant information on the tech world users can actually use.

It is worth noting that Microsoft does not advertise its brand. Story Labs’s content comes from both users and professional writers. Thus, it is not marketing material disguised as thought leadership.

This content genuinely intends to provide followers with savvy content. Its material source is what makes it stand out. After all, Story Labs looks to frame developments in the tech world through the people making it possible.

The most interesting feature of Story Labs is called “People.” This section features Microsoft’s collaborators, and the stories depict the work those collaborators do routinely.

The People section looks to gain recognition for innovative contributors. Their stories become the content. Hence, it is not a section in which collaborators contribute. Collaborators are the section itself.

Storytelling is thought leadership on steroids.

Thought leadership is extremely valuable when it comes from the people who make things happen. Industry movers and shakers are the most appropriate individuals to share their experiences and insights.

Also, Story Labs features stories of ordinary businesspeople. Stories of successful entrepreneurs make up a considerable amount of the content. The entrepreneurs featured reflect how new trends in the tech world apply to actual businesses.

The key element in these stories lies in Microsoft not actively pushing its brand. Therefore, it is not a plug for Microsoft’s products and solutions. It is a means of showcasing how entrepreneurs use technology to solve their business’s challenges.

On the whole, Story Labs provides useful content followers can contextualize in their personal realities. Microsoft’s brand of thought leadership looks to embrace contributions from the individuals on the front lines of the tech world.

Lesson Distilled:

Storytelling is a major component of effective thought leadership. Unfortunately, brands often fail to position themselves due to sterile content. This type of content is not relatable to real users. Content that does not embrace true applications falls into a generic categorization.

Microsoft’s Story Labs avoids this pitfall by providing followers with relevant content that comes from the true movers and shakers. As such, Story Labs is not an attempt to extol the Microsoft brand.

Moreover, it is not a platform intended to feature Microsoft products. It is a platform that Microsoft uses to show how people behind the scenes contribute to advancing technology.

Storytelling provides thought leaders the opportunity to contextualize content. Brands that believe thought leadership is about sounding smart have it wrong. Thought leadership is about showing followers that the brand “gets it.” Brands show they “get it” by offering content wrapped within a story. When the story highlights real people building real solutions, the brand’s positioning as a thought leader soars.

General Electric Healthcare

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In the healthcare industry, thought leadership often revolves around generic wellness advice. While providing followers with practical health advice is useful, this type of advice is generally impersonal. General Electric’s healthcare division has sought to change that perception.

General Electric (GE) has invested a great deal into diversifying its product offering. Within its portfolio, the healthcare division has provided both individuals and companies various products and services. Nevertheless, GE has attempted to take its relationship with customers one step further.

Overall, GE’s attempts to position itself as an industry leader have focused on becoming a thought leader. As a result, GE’s content offering has focused on delivering compelling materials. In particular, the GE Healthcare Insights blog provides relevant information with a completely different spin.

First, GE’s healthcare blog looks to provide technical information on industry advancements. In particular, the blog delivers up-to-date information on the latest healthcare-related developments.

This information is often technical in nature. As such, the articles look to make the content much more compelling than a mere technical rundown of specifications and futures.

Second, the breadth of topics ranges from medical technology to personal health and wellness. As such, the blog intends to provide something for everyone. For instance, a reader interested in radiology technology can browse personal wellness content. This approach leads users to spend more time interacting with content.

Third, the blog provides a high degree of customization. Readers first find content specific to their region. The site automatically detects the user’s IP address, thereby redirecting them to a regional site.

For example, readers based in Europe can choose between English, Spanish, French, or German sites. Also, users in America may choose from the English United States site or sites in other languages. Therefore, readers can consume relevant content in their language.

The most notable aspect of GE’s healthcare blog is the human touch behind each story. The content presented in the blog is not a dry, clear-cut description of how medical technology works. Moreover, it is not a mere presentation of specifications wrapped within a great narrative. GE’s blog aims to present how its technology helps real people improve their health.

Additionally, GE’s content looks to underscore the role individual contributors play in developing new technologies. This type of content accentuates the importance of every person in GE’s organization.

This approach is akin to Microsoft’s Story Labs. Followers can see the human side that leads to life-saving technologies. Ultimately, GE can paint a human dimension onto an otherwise unengaging topic.

Lesson Distilled:

The high degree of customization in GE’s content makes it more relatable to its followers. Undoubtedly, generic content will fall flat with most users. While certainly informative, generic content will not position a brand as a thought leader. Consequently, thought leadership must strive to offer a highly personalized experience.

In GE’s healthcare blog, its use of customization through regional content makes a significant difference. Unlike other brands, GE offers content in various languages. This approach opens the door to virtually every person in the world.

Users do not need to speak English to access its content. Therefore, healthcare professionals and individuals around the world can access its valuable insights.

The most successful brands in the world are those which offer a personalized experience. Brands that offer a one-size-fits-all approach do not connect at a personal level with their followers.  GE’s blog further enhances this personal touch by showcasing the individuals related to their products. For example, stories of people who have recovered thanks to GE’s technology resonate at a deep level.

Indeed, thought leaders must understand their target audience as best as possible. This understanding would enable them to produce content that is pertinent to them. This type of content demonstrates that brands care about their customers. Through customization, thought leaders can position themselves as true innovators in their field.

Conclusion

Thought leadership is a highly effective means of positioning a brand amid endless content offerings. And brands that offer a singular experience can distinguish themselves from their competition.

Ultimately, thought leadership is an investment in time and effort. When this investment yields high-quality and relatable content, brands can position themselves as unquestionable leaders in their industry. Consequently, this positioning transcends sales and market share. This positioning entails making the brand the go-to choice in their customers’ minds.

How Thought Leadership Content Can Preserve a Legacy, Advance a Mission, and Elevate a Brand

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Thought leadership content is educational and inspirational. It’s about a story, a mission, a goal.

Interface, Inc., a global commercial flooring company with an integrated collection of carpet tiles and resilient flooring, has all three. The story is about its founder, Ray Anderson, and its mission and goals are a part of his story.

The company’s website and its social media content provide a myriad of examples of thought leadership content and content marketing.

As you look at their site and social media accounts, the difference between the two will become clear. And you’ll see how thought leadership content can preserve a legacy, advance a mission, and elevate a brand.

Note: The Writers For Hire is in no way affiliated with Interface, Inc. and does not create its marketing copy. Interface, Inc. is spotlighted here solely as an example of thought leadership and thought leadership content.

First, the Story

In 1994, Ray Anderson was a highly successful entrepreneur. Within a 20-year span, he had become a millionaire—the Chairman and founder of a publicly traded company.

These accomplishments had been realized with the help of a few investors and a singular focus—popularizing the manufacturing technology for making carpet tiles.

Ray foresaw the growth of open plan offices with the constant need for spaces to be rearranged.

Unlike broadloom carpet, carpet tiles could be used over flat wire electrical cable and provide the interface between the systems furniture (a modular furniture solution that provides the various parts needed to create workstations) and the electrical outlets.

Carpet tiles met the electrical code restrictions associated with flat wire installations. Carpet tiles also filled a particular commercial design need. Like pixels, carpet tiles create endless design opportunities.

As a result of Ray’s initial entrepreneurial instinct to focus on carpet tile and the company’s expansion into additional successful flooring solutions, Interface, Inc. (Interface) is the one of the top five companies in the U.S. carpet mills industry (IBISWorld Industry Research Reports). Its global operations include seven manufacturing facilities on four continents.

Despite COVID-19’s negative impact on office space expansion and redesign, the company reported net sales of $1.1 billion in 2020.

But that’s getting ahead.

A 27-Year Look-Back

Interface’s current president and CEO, Dan Hendrix, graciously provided his insights into the company’s history, its founder, and its current mission. His affiliation with Interface began in 1977 as a member of its audit team, and he joined Interface as an employee in 1983.

When asked to describe Ray Anderson, Dan used the words “genuine, authentic, smart, charismatic, and competitive.”

He described Ray as an engineer who was a big thinker, but he seemed to sum him up by calling him a Southern gentleman—something that Wall Street investors seemed to love about him. He described Ray’s leadership style as collaborative and inclusive.

In 1994, a customer asked Ray what Interface was doing for the environment. The question prompted Ray to create a task force of sales team members to address the question. Soon after, while preparing for the task force’s kickoff meeting, he began reading Paul Hawken’s book, The Ecology of Commerce. The experience set Ray on a mission that changed the course of Interface.

In one of the many instances in which Ray described his experience with Hawken’s book, he described his initial encounter with chapter 2, which is titled “The Death of Birth.” Ray admitted, “I was dumbfounded by how much I did not know about the environment and the impacts of the industrial system on the environment—the industrial system of which I and my “successful” company were an integral part. I got it. I was a plunderer of Earth, and that is not the legacy one wants to leave behind.”

Ray called it “an epiphanal moment, a spear in the chest.”

At the task force kickoff meeting in 1994, Ray surprised and challenged the team to take on the mission of sustainability. He put forward the ambitious goal that Interface would become an operation that takes nothing out of the earth that cannot be recycled or regenerated and does no harm to the biosphere. (Cornelia Dean, The New York Times).

Wait, sustainability in the carpet business?? The product’s made from petroleum! The manufacturing process requires energy, and it creates greenhouse gas emissions. Crazy. And, in 1994, that’s just what people thought.

Around the Bend

One investor said he thought Ray had “gone round the bend” and become a “tree hugger.”

When Ray heard that, he said it was his job as CEO to be ‘round the bend,’ to see what was coming next.

He began to pitch his mission of “do no harm to the environment” to all who would listen.

The steadfast sincerity with which he spoke led to countless invitations to speak.

In 2006 alone, he gave at least 115 sustainability speeches around the world.

Inspiration and Devotion

But he didn’t just preach. He put together a team of experts that included Paul Hawken and other notable environmental thought leaders—the “Eco Dream Team”—to assist Interface in creating, as Dan explained, “a roadmap to becoming a sustainable company.”

The course the team charted was a journey Ray later described as “a climb up a mountain higher than Everest.”

The company identified seven fronts to be addressed in climbing Mount Sustainability. The seven fronts included zero waste to landfills, zero fossil fuel energy use, zero process water use, and zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Convincing the entire workforce took several years. Dan admits that in 1996, he still questioned Ray’s assertion that they would ultimately “get off oil” at a time when it was 90 percent of their products’ input.

But in 1997, Ray invited renowned sustainability thought leaders to address the company’s first global sales meeting.

In Ray’s galvanizing speech to 1,200 associates from around the world, he told the story of the company’s journey in climbing Mount Sustainability. Dan calls that moment a “pivot point” that resulted in energizing the whole company.

Ray’s first push was toward zero waste. He offered suppliers incentives to reduce waste and he offered his employees incentives to think creatively about sustainability and put their ideas to work.

He took risks, and there were notable failures at first. But a year of innovations came in 2000, including a carpet collection that combined recycled nylon in the face fiber and a vinyl backing layer of 100 percent recycled content.

Dan was appointed President and CEO in 2001. Dan believed that the company should “brand the seven fronts of sustainability a bit differently.” He brought in a marketing group from Chicago and the goal was remarketed as Mission Zero®. It was then that the target of accomplishing the goal by 2020 was set.

Ray died in 2011. But Interface continued in its dedication to its mission, and by November 2019, the company was able to announce that it had accomplished Mission Zero. (Cision PR Newswire)

Today and Tomorrow

Like Ray, Dan has become an advocate for change in the greater business community. He and a group of 15 to 20 others within the company speak to a wide variety of organizations around the world about various aspects of sustainability and how sustainability has benefited both the environment and the company.

Dan insists, “We really do believe that we can change the world through thought leadership.”

He also attributes part of Interface’s past success in influencing carpet manufacturers and suppliers to adopt sustainability to the fact that “we were winning business and they were losing business.”

The company has now embarked on a more ambitious goal called Climate Take Back™—the goal of running the business in a way that creates a climate fit for life and becoming carbon negative by 2040.

As the company website states, “It’s no longer enough to limit the damage we do, but to think about reversing it…Influenced by this thinking are the four areas of our Climate Take Back strategy; Live Zero, Love Carbon, Let Nature Cool, and Lead the Industrial Re-Revolution.” It’s this idea of leading the industrial re-revolution that results in the company’s considerable investment in thought leadership content.

Interface’s Leadership in Content Development

Interface’s global marketing organization produces a prodigious amount of copy for the company’s website and its podcasts, as well as its YouTube channel and other social media platforms. It includes both thought leadership content and content marketing.

So, what’s the difference?

Thought leadership content is a way of conveying a company’s mission, enjoining others to latch onto that mission, and ensuring the reader that the company is indeed a leader in the industry in which it operates. It provides thoughtful articles on the subject of the company’s processes and perspectives that have earned its industry leadership. It’s about engendering readers’ loyalty through respect for the brand’s dominance.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

Thought Leadership Sampling

The titles of thought leadership content pieces are often a giveaway that what you’ll be reading is thought leadership. Take a look at the titles from the Interface website, and then take a dive into one or more of the articles.

Inside the World’s First Regenerative Highway

Calculating Carbon Emissions is Key to Improving Health

Carbon May Be Humanity’s Best Bet Against Climate Change

Turning Words to Climate Action

Building Momentum for Change

Our First Carbon Negative Carpet Tile

These are just a smattering of the thought leadership content pieces on the Interface blog site. More examples can be found on the company’s YouTube channel, its podcasts, and its LinkedIn presence.

Content Marketing Sampling

Much of Interface’s content marketing focuses on design trends, spaces and products, meeting client needs and eco-commitments, and case studies.

It relies heavily on pictures of the spaces Interface has created. Its platforms host design leaders from other companies and organizations, thereby distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—the previously stated purpose of content marketing.

It also builds an audience of readers interested in current design and eco-friendly material choices.

LinkedIn link to blog: Creating Unique Spaces for Exploration at Science World

Interface blog site: Pantone Color of the Year 2021: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating and

Can Biophilic Design Improve Emotional Wellbeing?

Interface YouTube channel: Biophilic Design and Carbon

Thought leadership content works.

Interface produces effective thought leadership content. The story of Ray Anderson and his mission are always front and center in the company’s message.

If there’s any doubt, look at the home page of the Interface website. It pays tribute to its founder and his mission, thereby preserving a legacy. It announces and describes the company’s current mission, Climate Take Back.

And through its thought leadership content and its activities focused on enjoining other companies to make and achieve climate-related goals, Interface reinforces its industry-leading uniqueness and its brand.

Your Story

Does your company have a mission? Does it have a unique point of view?

Would you like to earn the respect and loyalty of a defined set of readers by establishing yourself as a source of knowledge? Would you like readers to:

  • Come to your website to learn about things related to your expertise?
  • Understand what sets your processes or your products apart from your competitors?

Your marketing content can make a huge difference in achieving these goals, but it takes the right content and the right expertise. If your marketing communications staff is stretched thin or you need expert assistance with new content, check out our web content page

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