How Content Marketing Builds Thought Leadership

Have you ever asked someone for advice? Whether the advice you needed was personal, financial, or business-related, you probably went to someone you trusted – someone you listened to before and set a good example on the topic. This is called thought leadership and can be achieved through strategic content marketing.

Thought leadership can take your marketing and corporate branding to the next level. It combines important strategies like content marketing and PR with digital cornerstones like social engagement and SEO. It allows you to establish yourself as an expert – and in 2014, your prospective clients are looking to screen businesses based on your leadership within your particular industry.

The hard part is that thought leadership with content marketing can take time. Before you can write content and promote articles through social media, your company needs a content strategy in place. Fortunately, here are three popular content marketing techniques that can raise your bottom line, keep your schedule uncrunched, and establish your company as a thought leader in your industry:

Blogging

Perhaps the most popular free tool of all, blogging on your own corporate website can help you establish thought leadership in your industry.

Get started on your own blog by establishing an editorial calendar and setting aside time to write each week. If you aren’t a strong writer – or you don’t have 1-2 hours per week to devote to it – hire a writing team to manage and write your blog articles. A long-term relationship with a highly-skilled writing team will allow you to devote your time to your business while reaping the rewards that can come with thought leadership.

After each article is published, it’s important to promote your content through branded social media channels and targeted groups. Social media promotion often drives the greatest amount of traffic to your blog and company website. Instead of passively waiting for users to find your articles through Google searches, social promotion brings your content to a qualified audience and is a crucial aspect of any successful content marketing strategy.

Webcasts

As an exciting and visually-appealing way to present information, video webcasts and SlideShares are becoming increasingly popular in the B2B marketing world. Take advantage of this popularity by creating a free company channel on YouTube or SlideShare and leveraging free online tools to create webcasts, videos, and presentations.

Webcasts can include both formal and more creative company assets. What really matters is that each entry informs, entertains, or surprises your prospective audience. Promote your newest entries on your social media platforms, company blog, and email newsletter to get as many eyes on it as possible.

Podcasts

A company podcast can be a versatile tool that allows a whole new segment of prospective clients to engage with your brand. Every minute a user listens to your podcast, you are becoming deeply entrenched in their minds as a person or company of authority. Podcast users love to listen to opposing viewpoints and promote and share the podcasts they listen to. If your customer personas indicate that they would be a good audience for a podcast, connect with a marketing firm to brainstorm, develop, and create a podcast series.

With all the pressures and responsibilities of running a business, it’s easy to get caught up working in your business and not on your business. Using content marketing to establish thought leadership will extend your focus beyond your daily to-dos and into habits that will take your business to the next level.