The recipe for thought leadership

Standing out in your industry has become increasingly challenging. As more and more companies enhance their presence online, it is harder to make your voice heard. One strategy that has been successful through the years is establishing yourself as a thought leader. 

Becoming a thought leader is not something that happens overnight. Nor is it a title that you can give yourself. You must earn it. Thought leadership is a long term strategy in which a person or company uses their unique expertise and industry perspective to gain trust and become an influencer. At Lab42, we believe there are 3 key elements to becoming a thought leader: Expert Insights, Point of View, and ultimately, Influence. 

Expert Insights

Expert insights are based on data you collect and incorporate into a content strategy to build your credibility and expertise. These insights are actually what differentiate thought leadership marketing from regular content marketing. Powerful insights are often based on original research that you or your company conducts, your own novel ideas (backed by validated data), or synthesizing existing information in an innovative way. 

Point of View

In order to build successful thought leadership, there must be a clear point of view or opinion about the subject matter. These opinions do not need to be controversial, and they don’t necessarily have to be unique. They must be clear, strong and add something new to the industry’s body of knowledge. 

Influence

You don’t have to be high profile to have an influence. Insightful perspective, ideally with data to back it up, is inherently interesting, worthy of sharing, and your industry is hungry for it. You can grow your influence by writing articles for industry journals, publishing a blog, hosting a webinar, or finding public speaking opportunities. Even better, offering your insight to journalists in your industry can give you a credible platform where your ideas have greater reach and independent validation. 

Implementing thought leadership research strategy ensures you have the raw material to generate meaningful insights. And sharing those insights demonstrates your knowledge, competence and credibility - enhancing your position and reputation in your industry. If you’re interested in learning more about Lab42’s approach to Thought Leadership, check out our one pager.