In this week’s thought leadership roundup, we take a look at expert advice from Joe Chernov, VP of Marketing at Hubspot; the common elements of high-impact thought leadership; and finally, guidance from Brian Solis, author and principle analyst at Altimeter.
Ask the Expert: Joe Chernov on Thought Leadership Strategy
From LinkedIn:
“The very best way to get started is to not think of it as thought leadership content. You earn a reputation for being a thought leader by delivering content that people find interesting, useful, and fresh. Thought leadership should be considered an output, not an input.
It’s also important to note that thought leadership requires patience. Very few people have said one thing or written one post that thrust them to the front of the line. Anyone looking to fold thought leadership into their program should give it at least a year before deeming it a success or a failure.”
Our take: Want to make it as a top-tier thought leader? Take (really take) advice from one. As Hubspot’s VP of Marketing, Mr. Chernov was named 2012 Content Marketer of the Year by the Content Marketing Institute, and has worked as an advisor for many a start-up. This is a leader who’s truly thoughtful, and one who’s carved out his corner of success through diligence, learning, and hard work. In this interview, he divulges his methodology clearly and directly, making it a must-read for anyone in the TL sphere.
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Three Elements Of High-Impact Thought Leadership
From Forbes:
“Criterion 1: Concentrate on cutting-edge topics. Considering your audiences, your thought leadership content has to be state-of-the-art, solutions-oriented and actionable. It has to provide answers and a way for segments of the affluent or their centers of influence to benefit from those answers. ‘Marketing via thought leadership is de rigueur right now, especially in the financial sector,’ says Grove. ‘As such, you need to be able to deliver meaningful insights and value that your competitors cannot match.'”
Our take: Interpretation is always a difficult task, but typically more so for people who are (a) new to a role or industry, or (b) unclear on what advice to take to heart (a common issue we like to blame on the over-saturated Internet). Thankfully, this piece is all about directives, broken down into easily comprehensible, applicable chunks. A handy, albeit brief guide to an effective TL thought leadership program.
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The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to Thought Leadership
From the Brian Solis:
“If you define thought leadership as thinking about people and how to provide these people with value, how to help them solve problems, and how to help them achieve aspirations and goals, it’s absolutely critical. If you define thought leadership as personal branding, the opposite is true. People often confuse thought leadership with personal branding. There’s a difference.
[True] thought leadership starts with empathy. Can you tell me the top ten problems your audience has at any given time? How about the top ten aspirations? Are you thinking through where your audience wants to be, compared with where the market is going? That’s what inspires me. Someone who is honestly trying to better understand the people they are trying to help. And if understanding and helping is the goal, I don’t think any thought leaders would call themselves thought leaders.”
Our take: This piece from author and renowned analyst Brian Solis provides a refreshing take on why thought leadership matters in the first place — and luckily, it’s not just because it’s a popular term. In a conversation with Jason Miller, LinkedIn’s senior manager of content marketing, they explore thought leadership as a tool of demonstrative caring, empathy, and understanding, rather than just a means of driving returns.
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The post Thursday Thought Leadership Roundup: Advice from Hubspot’s Joe Chernov, High-Impact Elements, and a Sophisticated Guide appeared first on via @Mindjet's Conspire #ideasquad.