BY MEL DUNN

What do Dr. Jen Welter, the first female NFL coach, and Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual speaker and author, have in common? Expertise. Credibility. Influence. All aspects of a sought-after thought leader.

Welter has become a top voice in sports, inspiring the next generation of female athletes with her messages on inclusivity and self-determination. Likewise, Tolle’s profound teachings have helped millions of people find inner peace. By publicly sharing their unique insights, ideas, and experiences, Welter and Tolle launched successful careers in their industries, as a trailblazer in professional football and “the most popular spiritual author in the world,” respectively.

Relating to marketing, we hear the term “thought leadership” thrown around in a lot of meetings. But it’s not just another buzzword. Engaging experts in your organization and elevating their voice to build brand recognition is an effective strategy. Beyond the rather cold, and often one-time, transaction of a B2B product or service, thought leaders provide continuous high-value content to your customers and prospects. It’s what makes them excellent marketing partners.

Recognizing the Right Thought Leaders in Your Organization 

To earn trust, your organization doesn’t need to put a household name on everything that you publish. The key to success is identifying which thought leaders are worth putting on a pedestal. While it may seem like any executive can be a thought leader for their own brand, it takes more than knowing about one’s business and having clout within the company. A thought leader should possess the desire to share their wisdom widely. Some words to live by: A thought leader is always a subject matter expert (SME), but a SME is not always a thought leader.

So, what makes a good thought leader for a B2B brand? Look for these characteristics when identifying individuals to tap for marketing collaboration.

·       Innovative thinker: Brings original ideas to the table and often thinks outside the box.

·       Passionate educator: A natural teacher that’s not concerned with oversharing.

·       Strong communicator: Is comfortable speaking to a crowd and sparks valuable conversations.

·       Brand champion: Generates buzz about your brand just because.

·       Has a loyal following: Established an online and offline following in the relevant audience.

Engaging Thought Leaders in Marketing Activities 

Once you’ve identified the right thought leader partners, it’s time to engage them to help build brand recognition. While asking nicely usually does the trick, it’s important to explain to thought leaders—and get their feedback—about how you’ll fold their perspective into your marketing mix. The opportunities are virtually endless: write articles, post on LinkedIn, co-host webinars, speak to the media, and more. But first, it’s important to determine each thought leader’s area of expertise and what they’re passionate about, and then you can align the key themes and topics with your marketing strategy.

Keep in mind, these individuals’ schedules are usually synonymous with “My calendar is pretty full this week…,” so it helps to establish a time and resource commitment up front. For instance, do you expect a thought leader to write full articles or just give a 15-minute interview? With these details nailed down, you can develop a content strategy that leverages their expertise.

Here are a few ways we recommend incorporating a thought leader’s voice in your marketing activities to address industry challenges and promote your product or service.

·       Collaborate on content creation: If content is king, then original content is emperor. People are wooed by novel ideas, and that’s where involving thought leaders in the content creation process is invaluable for your business. This may include working together to create blog posts, byline articles, whitepapers, case studies, videos, webinars, or podcasts.

·       Incorporate them in PR activities: As industry experts, thought leaders are often willing to participate in media interviews, be a guest contributor in industry publications, or speak at conferences and events. These public-facing activities help highlight their authority, which not only strengthens your brand’s reputation but enhances their personal brand, too.

·       Amplify their influence: Typically, a thought leader publishes their own content on a personal website, blog, or social media page. This content is low-hanging fruit for you to re-share from your company channels (with their permission, of course) and help expand its reach to a larger audience.