BY BART KING
In addition to being a valuable service to your industry, true thought leadership is also a tried-and-true way to gain visibility and attract new business opportunities.
Below are seven different formats in which you can publish thought leadership content. Plus, I’ll describe three content-marketing tactics that will help you get the most mileage out of the energy you put into capturing and sharing your ideas.
7 Good Formats for Thought-Leadership Content
Commentary – Also called an op-ed, the commentary is a short piece of writing (650-900 words) that presents a leader’s opinion and perspective on a particular topic. The bolder, the better. (Here’s a collection of examples by New Growth clients.)
White Paper/Report – A good white paper or report captures the collective knowledge of an organization regarding a topic that’s timely for its industry or customers. This format typically has a somewhat academic tone and includes solid supporting evidence, if not detailed citations. (Here’s a terrific example on sustainable agriculture practices by a New Growth client.)
Ebook – This longer format is effective when you have lots of practical advice and information to share, and when the reader will benefit from taking it in sequentially. In other words, the last chapters are more useful to someone who first reads the beginning and middle. (Here’s a dynamic ebook I edited on Enterprise Design Sprints.)
Reference tool – Checklists, templates, process maps and swipe files are all examples of tools people may want to add to their desktops for quick access. They can be tremendously valuable, but not many organizations publish them.
Q&A – This is probably the easiest type of thought-leadership writing to produce. (It’s also a great format for video.) Just send a list of questions to a leader or subject-matter expert and edit their responses for clarity. The alternating questions and answers are inherently readable and personal. (I’m particularly proud of this Q&A with Janine Benyus.)
Webinar – With so many people working remotely these days, webinars are more prevalent than ever. Essentially, it’s a slide presentation delivered as an online event. You know the drill, I’m sure.
TED-style Talk – Whether delivered at an actual TED event or not, this 20-minute format has set the bar for compelling public speaking. The best talks are tightly structured, well rehearsed, visual, humorous and deeply informative.
3 Thought Leadership Marketing Tactics
While similar in effect, the formats above are typically applied for different purposes within a marketing strategy. Keep these three tactics in mind as you consider what format to use, and how.
Build a Cornerstone Campaign
Depending on your marketing capacity, this type of thought leadership marketing campaign could be done quarterly, or every six to nine months. It’s built around a valuable, cornerstone piece of content such as a white paper or ebook, which is typically offered as a download in exchange for an email address. Concepts from the cornerstone piece are then spun out into promotional commentaries, Q&A and/or webinars to drive traffic to the download.
Use Multiple Channels of Distribution
Unless you already have a large, engaged audience, it’s not enough to simply publish thought leadership to your own website. To get the impact you want, you need to send it to people’s inboxes via your email list and promote it on social media. Even better, place those commentaries and Q&As with media outlets that already have the audience you’re trying to reach. Or try advertising your webinar. You can also pitch to a podcast that might want to hear about your latest report or ebook.
Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose
The underlying and most important tactic is to repurpose your thought leadership across formats. Important ideas need to live in more than one piece of content to effectively serve your industry and organization. Once you’ve captured an idea for the first time, it will be quicker and easier to rework it. For example, a white paper, TED talk or webinar can spawn one or more op-eds or Q&As. If you have a lot of practical blog posts on your site, they could be combined into an ebook. Or check to see if any of the posts could be turned into a reference tool. Repurposing also means you don’t need as many brilliant ideas (which is a good thing for some of us! ;)
If you’re thinking about stepping up your thought leadership marketing, we may be able to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
