Do you ever look something up, scroll through Google, see a website you know and say “here we go, here’s the answer”?
Do you ever wonder what gave you so much confidence in that business?
The answer is trust built on thought leadership; the fact that you clicked there with so much confidence proves it.
Wouldn’t it be great if your business could have that kind of trust with an audience?
Good news. You can, and we’re going to show you how.
First up, what is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is a new term for something that’s been around forever. Basically, it means that you are the brand people trust when they need answers because they see you as the authority in your field. And how do you show web browsers that you are an expert? You create content that proves it.
Think about this. Let’s say you need a fireplace installed, you know nothing about fireplaces, just that you need one. Where do you start?
You’re probably going to turn to Google and look up fireplace installers in your area.
Let’s say you get ten results. Now what? Which one should you trust?
Herein lies the punch. Trust. If there was nothing else to go off, would you trust the business with an old website and no social media, or the one writing blogs about fireplaces and an active Facebook page?
The goal of thought leadership is trust, and in business, we build this type of trust with thought leadership content.
How to create thought leadership content for your business
We’ve mentioned that the goal of thought leadership is to create trust, but what are the things that build trust and how does this relate to content?
Effective thought leadership content:
- Offers something (like useful information) without asking for anything in return
- Is consistent with your brand
- Helps people get results
- Displays your expert knowledge
So, how can you apply this to content creation?
Blogging
The benefits of blogging spread far and wide. They are the easiest way to showcase your knowledge on a topic, they help you get found in search engines, they are a free resource for your audience (which builds trust) and you can house them on a platform you own (your website).
If your website continually shows up in search results, people will recognise you as a thought leader.
Video
Video is another great way to showcase thought leadership; it also has the upper hand on blogging as it’s generally more engaging and easier to consume. Video gives you the option to literally show your audience what you can do instead of relying on words.
Social media
Social media is where your content meets the road. It is where your audience can engage, share and talk about your brand. It’s also a great way to use your content to drive traffic to your website.
As well as being a place to demonstrate thought leadership, an active social media account shows that you have an audience who are interested in what you have to say.
Ready to learn more?
There’s a certain amount of responsibility that comes with being an expert in your field. Earning this reputation is one thing; maintaining it is another. For this reason, we recommend that thought leadership becomes a part of your brand strategy.
If you are ready to learn more about using thought leadership content to take your business to the next level? Send us a message or call us on +61 429 966 642.