When the pressure is on to hit targets and generate marketing-qualified leads, it’s easy to push thought leadership content to the back burner. After all, it doesn’t deliver the instant gratification of a performance campaign or a sales promotion.
But if you’re growing a business or working in-house as a marketing manager, the case for creating thought leadership content is about building long-term visibility and most importantly, equity. And some of the most valuable outcomes are ones that can be easily over-looked.
Connection and credibility
You’ve heard it before – people buy from people they trust, not brands. While large global brands may benefit from a long-established trust in their brand name alone, new and growing brands don’t have that advantage. They need to build that equity.
Thought leadership content that showcases your team’s expertise positions your business as credible, capable, and trustworthy. Over time, this builds a level of brand equity that performance marketing simply can’t.
It can speed up the sales process
Trust must come before a sale. B2B buyers want to know they’re dealing with experts. If your company has a bank of helpful, relevant content attached to real people in your business, prospects can quickly assess your knowledge and values – which accelerates the development of trust and speeds up decision-making.
Original content that can’t be replicated
Content drawn from the real-world insights and perspectives of your internal experts can’t be replicated. It’s unique to your business, and that’s a quality that’s becoming increasingly valuable in the AI era, both for readers and search engines.
Potential for media opportunities
Media outlets and industry publications are always looking for credible voices. If your subject matter experts are visible online and regularly sharing insightful content, it can open the door to invitations to comment in the media or contribute to publications.
Speaking gigs and podcast interviews
Original insights have reach. Once your thought leaders are known for sharing relevant commentary, it’s a small step to being invited to speak at conferences or appear on industry podcasts. These appearances can also strengthen your brand presence.
It’s good for your employer brand
If your team members are published and acknowledged as experts, it signals that your business values people – and their expertise. It’s a quality that can attract new talent – but it’s also attractive to existing employees, so it can improve talent retention as well.
It creates a culture that values knowledge
It’s a good sign when businesses value internal expertise. Creating thought leadership content can contribute to a culture of knowledge sharing and creative innovation. It can give employees a sense of pride and recognition and encourage them develop ideas and grow professionally. All of these things benefit the business.
The benefits of thought leadership extend far beyond brand visibility. For businesses that want to grow, attract top talent, and build trust and reputation, it’s one of the smartest long-term investments they can make.
Leonie Seysan is the Director of Article Writers Australia, and manages the team of professional writers and editors. She holds a Bachelor of Communications Degree (Media Studies) and has been writing professionally for over 15 years. Leonie is also the podcast host of 'Content with Humans'.
