What Is Thought Leadership and Why It Matters?

‍

Ben:
Welcome back to another episode of Content Amplified. Today I'm joined by Kelsey. Kelsey, welcome to the show.

Kelsey:
Hi, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Ben:
I'm excited too, this is gonna be a fun conversation. Kelsey, let's get to know you real quick before we dive in. How did you get into marketing? What do you love about marketing and content? Let's get to know you a little bit.

Kelsey:
Yeah. So I actually got into marketing, I guess in a different route, but I suppose a lot of people get into their careers in a non-traditional way.

I actually never took a single marketing course when I was in college. I went to university for creative writing, and my parents were a mechanical engineer and a paralegal. I think it was certainly a surprise for them, but they were very supportive.

While I was attending university to get my creative writing degree, I had an advisor who initially focused on narrative, long-form content, short stories, things like that. They challenged me to consider poetry because they noticed my love for selecting just the right word.

I hadn't considered it before, but I loved the idea of condensing a whole story into its rawest form. That really resonated with me. It wasn't until after I graduated that I discovered the similarities between poetry and marketing, specifically content marketing.

The power of words in marketing, whether it's long-form content such as ebooks or blogs or even social media posts, where you have limited characters to work with, really drew me in. It was a seamless transition once I discovered that link, and I've been in marketing ever since.

What is Thought Leadership?

Ben:
I love it. I love it. Again, I think there are so many cool pathways into marketing, and I think it's so cool to come from poetry. I love how you focus on distilling the story in the right way and the power that that makes.

Today, we're going to talk about thought leadership. What it really is, focusing on different aspects, and then how to get the most out of it. So, to start things off, what is thought leadership? What does that look like today?

Kelsey:
Personally, I would say thought leadership first starts with having something to say, whether that's for your personal brand or for a company brand.

What makes it thought leadership content is not just having something to say but creating something of value from what you're trying to say. That could mean creating quality content, which is important.

When people think of thought leadership, they might start with a blog, but it's important to define a North Star, like what your perspective is, what you stand for, and what your unique viewpoint is.

There are a lot of people shouting into the void, so having a solid understanding of these things is crucial. When you start creating content, whether it's a podcast, a blog, or something else, make sure it not only inspires or persuades people to take action but also educates them.

It's also important to entertain them because there's a lot of dry stuff out there. Creating quality content that gives tangible advice and also has an element of entertainment is key.

What’s the Difference Between Content and Thought Leadership?

Ben:
I love that. So one question that comes to mind as you were saying that: For anyone thinking about content in general, what's the difference between content and thought leadership? When should you use each one?

Kelsey:
That's a great question. Thought leadership can be, for example, when you work for a company and sell a platform-based product.

You might put out content about the product, like product marketing, talking about the benefits of using a smart home security system. That type of content might be more bottom-of-the-funnel, educational but still focused on the product.

Whereas thought leadership would be more top-of-the-funnel, big-picture ideas, and unique perspectives. This could work well when you pick someone from the company to share their perspective, like our podcast host, Ryan, who is the president of our company.

A podcast is content, but there's also a unique perspective involved that makes it thought leadership. Thought leadership content is more big-picture and top-of-the-funnel, while content flows throughout the whole funnel depending on what you're trying to communicate.

How Do We Get the Full Benefits of Thought Leadership?

Ben:
I love that differentiation. Now that we've got a good definition of thought leadership and know we need to invest in it, how do we get the full benefits out of that material?

Kelsey:
That's the challenge I really like, and it ties back to how I got into marketing. We're moving so fast, and no one has time for anything, which makes repurposing thought leadership content crucial.

You might create a fabulous guide or ebook, but not everyone will read it. So, you need to find ways to cut up that main piece of content and repurpose it across various platforms. Figuring out what works for you and your content is key, whether you're a company or personal brand.

For example, we used to rely on video clips on LinkedIn for our podcast, and they performed well for a while. But then the LinkedIn algorithm changed, and we had to pivot.

It's important to not only think about how to repurpose your content but also to stay on top of what works. If something stops working, like our LinkedIn video clips, you need to find another way, like switching to YouTube shorts.

There are so many platforms and channels where your content can go. It's crucial to hook your audience with shorter form versions of your content to get them to engage with the bigger pieces.

Ben:
I love that. I love that whole framework in the conversation today about building thought leadership that's meaningful, how it's different from content, how to repurpose that content, and the importance of retesting and reworking as algorithms and habits change.

Kelsey, if anyone wants to reach out and connect with you online, where can they find you?

Kelsey:
You can find me on LinkedIn, Kelsey Sullivan. If you want to check out our content and subscribe to our podcast, we're called Inside Insights, focused on the market research industry.

Ben:
I love it, and we'll link to everything in the show notes below. Kelsey, again, thanks for the time today. I really appreciate it.

Kelsey:
Yeah, thank you. This was great.

‍