Thought Leadership Marketing: From Hidden Talent to Visible Expert - Presented at the Iowa AMA

www.marke(ngsavant.com 888.989.7771 The Marke(ngSavant Group

The Marke(ngSavant Group

Thought Leadership Marke2ng



Presenta2on Roadmap

•  What is Thought Leadership Marke(ng? •  Why become a thought leader? •  How do we become a thought leader? •  How have others used thought leadership? •  What can I do to leverage thought leadership in my role?

•  Thought Leadership self-‐assessment


What is Thought Leadership?

RainToday.com

“Thought leadership centers on earning trust and credibility. Thought leaders get no4ced by offering something different—informa6on, insights, and ideas – for instance. Thought leadership posi4ons you and your company as an industry authority and resource and trusted advisor by establishing your reputa4on as a generous contributor to your industry.”


Thought Leadership is a Way of Being

Brian Carroll

“It’s not about trying to pon4ficate on how great you are, or just trying to edify yourself. In a lot of ways, it’s truly a way of being. It’s something you can’t say about yourself… it’s really what others say about you.”



Thought Leadership Is:

•  Not just being heard in important debates but being able to lead and shape conversa2ons

•  Not just appearing in leading publica(ons online and off, but being seen as the go-‐to source of opinion

•  Not just thinking and expressing but integra2ng the thought leadership into new products

•  Not just marke(ng but entering adjacent markets

Source: hQp://ngethinktank.com/2011/07/09/the-‐growth-‐of-‐thought-‐leadership-‐as-‐a-‐marke(ng-‐strategy/


However, Thought Leadership is Not…

PR Evangelism

Thought leadership has to have one essen4al component. Thought leadership must contain ideas that are in some sense leading a conversa6on, a market segment, a professional group. Task number one in designing a thought leadership program is to decide what conversa4on or market or group you want to lead and can lead.

Haydn Shaughnessy



Presenta2on Roadmap





The Thought Leadership Equa2on

Competence, purpose and core market

understanding inform the point of view & thought leadership plaDorm.

Thought leaders outshine their compe6tors who compete on price and

adver6sing.

Strategic use of TLM tools and channels with media collabora4on garner your share voice in the industry and spark the industry dialogue around your

ideas. As buyers seek out more real market dialogue, SOV is an increasingly important

factor contribu6ng to marketplace success.

Thought leaders and trusted advisors occupy

the greatest share of mind among business buyers. Share of mind predicts

share of market. Thought Leadership Marke6ng steadily increases your

SOM with buyers, growing your share of

market.



Marke2ng is Converging on Thought Leadership



Growing Chorus of TLM Advocates •  The Gartner Group cites Thought Leadership

Marke(ng (TLM) as a major business trend that was incubated in high technology and consul(ng circles but is now rapidly becoming an established field in marke(ng and a basis of compe((ve differen(a(on.

•  The Economist Intelligence unit iden(fied Thought Leadership Marke(ng as a top “Megatrend” in B2B marke(ng. B2B marketers view “posi(oning the business as a thought leader in the industry” and “standing out from the compe((on” as top challenges.

•  A recent analysis by the Corporate Execu2ve Board shows that high value customers like business clients, wealthy individuals or chief financial officers are increasingly demand educa(on and advice as part of the sales experience.

•  Forrester Research also has ongoing thought leadership research projects.



Thought Leadership Gets APen2on

•  9 of the top 11 effec(ve ways of ge\ng a business buyer’s aQen(on involve Thought Leadership Marke2ng

How would you rate the effectiveness of the following marketing vehicles in getting your attention? Mean Rating (N~344)

Speech or presentation at a conference or trade showCase studies describing successful customer solution implementations

Article in the business or trade pressInvitation to a Webinar, seminar, or workshop

Sporting or cultural event sponsorshipOnline advertisement

Vendor's blogTV or print advertisement

Phone call from a sales representative from the service firmEmail from a sales representative from the service firm

Direct mail brochureConference sponsorship

Electronic newsletter from the service firmWhite paper offered on the Internet

Search engine hits when doing research or surfing the WebAnalyst firm recommendation (such as Gartner/IDC/Forrester)

Speech or presentation at a conference or trade showCase studies describing successful customer solution implementations

Article in the business or trade pressInvitation to a Webinar, seminar, or workshop

Sporting or cultural event sponsorshipOnline advertisement

Vendor's blogTV or print advertisement

Phone call from a sales representative from the service firmEmail from a sales representative from the service firm

Direct mail brochureConference sponsorship

Electronic newsletter from the service firmWhite paper offered on the Internet

Search engine hits when doing research or surfing the WebAnalyst firm recommendation (such as Gartner/IDC/Forrester)

2.02.22.32.32.32.3

2.52.82.9

3.13.23.33.43.4

3.73.7

Source: ITSMA, How Customers Choose Study, North America

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“Tradi4onal approaches to B2B marke4ng are losing their impact. Today, B2B marketers are turning to thought leadership marke4ng as a way to differen4ate their organiza4on, products and services in an increasingly compe44ve market.” “Thought leadership marke4ng helps to posi6on you as trusted advisor in your industry.”

Thought Leadership Wins the Sale

Economist Intelligence Unit

A Cahners Research study of business-‐to-‐business buyers shows that selling professionals who become trusted advisors and understand the needs of economic buyers are 69% more likely to come away with a sale.



Presenta2on Roadmap




Thought Leadership is APained, Not Claimed

“Thought leadership is the recogni4on from the outside world that the company deeply understands its business, the needs of its customers and the broader marketplace in which it operates.”

Elise Bauer

Thought Leadership

Intellectual Capital & Content

Thought Leadership Execu2on

Resonance Industry Recogni2on

Followership of Ideas

Movement of Ideas in

the Marketplace


Develop a Thought Leader’s Mindset Love what they do

Have the drive to teach

Reach out & communicate

Take risks with messaging

Balance confidence & curiosity

Put in the 2me today

Persistent presence

Everyone is in Marke2ng



Thought Leadership Opportunity

Recognize a Thought Leadership Opportunity in Your Industry

Gap in the Conversa2on •  Customers •  First-‐mover •  Economic

Predic2on Opportunity •  Where is the market going? •  What weaknesses exist? •  Shape and shi` the dialogue

Significant Industry Shi[ •  Trends •  Compe(tors •  Technology •  Counter-‐cycle

Window of Opportunity •  Legisla(on •  First-‐mover •  Economic



Shape the Four A’s of Thought Leadership Marke2ng

Assets – A]tude – Acceptance – Alignment

Read the en(re ar(cle: hQp://www.marke(ngsavant.com/ar(cles/four-‐as-‐thought-‐leadership-‐marke(ng/



Create Your Thought Leading Assets

You must have a sufficient base of assets or be able to develop these assets in order to be a thought leader. •  Do you have the required assets to leverage as a thought leader?

•  Intellectual capital •  Innova(on & intellectual property crea(on •  Unique insight and exper(se •  Cases & results on your products & services



Cul2vate a Thought Leading A]tude One important aspect that we find in the making of a successful thought leader is their a\tude. Thought leaders have a value-‐first mentality and a proclivity for educa2ng your market and customers. •  Desire to educate clients; the market •  Willingness to share real value (this makes it easier to use social media as well)

•  Ability to control your “urge to sell” •  Long-‐term mindset on contribu(ng to the industry dialogue



Secure Market and Peer Acceptance Studies by ITSMA and The Economist Intelligence Unit have pointed to the efficacy of thought leadership content in gaining the aQen(on of and persuading buyers, but that content is of liPle value of the market won’t accept you as a thought leader. •  How will our thought leadership be accepted? •  Are clients persuaded by thought leadership? •  Is the industry in need of fresh perspec(ve? •  Are we credible, or at least neutral in our industry?



Gain Alignment Within the Organiza2on Alignment could very well be the glue that holds this all together. If your CEO is not on board (nothing is worse than coming up with a great marke(ng strategy only to have your CEO on a different planet) or if your front line teams are not on board, thought leadership marke(ng is not a viable strategy. Being a thought leader takes an en2re company’s support to succeed. What does the thought leadership aligned organiza(on look like? •  Clients embrace ideas & engage in dialogue •  Front-‐line teams embrace and leverage thought leadership •  Thought leadership is aligned with industry challenges &

conversa(ons •  The point of view, channels and tools work together to deliver

results



Your Thought Leadership Must Have a Unique POV

Point of View

Novelty Develop a unique problem diagnosis

Relevance Meet a specific

market need

Validity Provide a

solu(on that is proven effec(ve

Prac2cality Demonstrate implement-‐

a(on

Focus Develop a single,

fundamental message

Rigor Deliver your TL with (ght, consistent

logic

Source: The Bloom Group’s 2006 survey, AOaining Thought Leadership

Clarity Language

that resonates with the target



Develop a Single Focused Message •  A strong point of view must have a single, overriding message that can be stated in one or two sentences.

•  All explana(on and evidence should reinforce the main message.

•  The message should be clear, specific, and intriguing, because of its relevancy and novelty.

•  It should deliver one or more of the following: –  a new way of thinking about an issue, –  a new solu(on to an emerging or exis(ng problem, –  a new insight into a trend or phenomenon, –  a new set of experiences that reinforce or contradict conven(onal thinking or prac(ce.



Express a Novel Problem Diagnosis •  A point of view must be unique and break new ground. •  To ensure that their ideas are novel, a firm must be thoroughly aware of other points of view on the topic, both those in business and academia.

•  A novel point of view can address a topic that has been addressed by others (e.g., Sarbanes-‐Oxley, organiza(onal change management, labor nego(a(ons)—but only if it sheds new light on the nature of the problem and/or the solu(on.

•  A new “label” applied to a previously stated problem or solu(on, new case example of an exis(ng issue, or new sta(s(cs underscoring an o`-‐discussed challenge do not make a point of view novel.



Your Solu2on Must Resonate with Relevance to the Target Audience •  A point of view must meet a cri(cal and specific market need.

•  It must demonstrate a “case for ac(on.” •  The target client must believe they share the problem and that they have to take ac(on now.

•  If a target audience is unaware of a problem that a firm discusses, the firm must provide solid evidence that the problem exists.

•  This requires real-‐life examples, sta(s(cs that point to an inescapable trend.



Publish Concepts that are Proven and Valid

•  A firm’s solu(on must be supported with strong evidence of how the solu(on works and where it has been used.

•  This proof must take the form of case studies of organiza(ons that are willing to go public and will vouch for the efficacy of the solu(on.

•  If a point of view’s validity cannot be proven conclusively, it is just an interes(ng theory.



Demonstrate the Prac2cality of Your Ideas •  A firm must demonstrate that its solu(on can be implemented.

•  The point of view must outline and detail the approach, and must demonstrate that the firm knows the biggest barriers to implemen(ng its approach and how to resolve them. A firm must guard against communica(ng blatantly that its target clients need outside help to adopt the solu(on.

•  The difficulty of the problem and the solu(on— and the insights and experience the firm demonstrates through its point of view—should make it clear to the target audience that it needs assistance.



Cra[ Your Solu2on with Rigor and Logic

•  A point of view must have (ght, consistent logic throughout.

•  Asser(ons must follow from previous asser(ons, and must be grounded in fact and be defendable.

•  The logic of the argument must follow the form of problem/solu(on.

•  Logic “gaps”— assump(ons made by the content experts that may not be held by the target audience—must be filled.



Deliver Your POV with Absolute Clarity •  A point of view must be communicated in language and

concepts that the target audience understands—not the firm’s language and vernacular.

•  A point of view can be communicated in a compelling way through the use of such wri(ng devices as analogies, metaphors, anecdotal leads, and hypothe(cal examples.

•  The structure of the point of view should be: –  statement of problem; –  brief statement of solu(on and benefits of solu(on; –  elabora(on of problem; –  elabora(on of solu(on (with examples); –  challenges to implemen(ng the solu(on; and –  summary/case for taking ac(on now.



Create Thought Leading Content •  Instruc2onal -‐ Instruc(onal posts tell

people how to do something. I find that Tips posts are generally the ones that are among my most popular both in the short term

•  Informa2onal -‐ This is one of the more common blog post types where you simply give informa(on on a topic. It could be a defini(on post or a longer explana(on of some aspect of the niche that you’re wri(ng on. This is the crux of successful sites like Wikipedia.

•  Reviews -‐ Another highly searched for term on the web is ‘review’ -‐ I know every (me I’m considering buying a new product that I head to Google and search for a review on it first. Reviews come in all shapes and sizes and on virtually every product or service you can think of.

•  Lists -‐ One of the easiest ways to write a post is to make a list. Posts with content like ‘The Top Ten ways to….’, ‘7 Reasons why….’ ‘ 5 Favorite ….’, are not only easy to write but are usually very popular with readers and with ge\ng links from other bloggers.

•  Interviews -‐ Some(mes when you’ve run out of insighoul things to say it might be a good idea to let someone else do the talking in an interview (or a guest post). This is a great way to not only give your readers a relevant expert’s opinion but to perhaps even learn something about the topic you’re wri(ng yourself.

•  Case Studies -‐ Profile a client, a peer, an organiza(on or person that you admire either through direct contact or an interview with them or by doing some of your own benchmarking ac(vity.



Presenta2on Roadmap





Thought Leadership Marketer: Miron Construc2on



Thought Leadership Marketer: Faith Technologies



Thought Leadership Marketer: Cisco

•  En(re senior management team is organized around the goal of promo(ng Cisco as a thought leader in the technology field

•  Earning credibility by crea(ng informa(on that places company objec(ves second to the goal of educa(ng prospects

•  Every Cisco execu(ve must establish and nurture his or her own reputa(on for thought leadership, through blogging, public speaking, and wri(ng ar(cles

“When you look at thought leadership you can break it out into a number of different areas. It must be visionary. It looks at the future. It must be provoca4ve, and it must put the our customer’s needs first.” Mark Peshoff, Senior Director of Cisco’s Execu(ve Thought Leadership







“Once thought leadership is established, the rest of the industry, the media, academia, government policymakers and the broader business community turn to that company for ideas and for insights into where things are going.” “The credibility we gain through thought leadership contributes to a sustainable market leadership posi4on. “Cisco’s status in the technology field, and the business world, and its dedica4on to thought leadership are inseparable.” Mark Peshoff, Senior Director of Cisco’s Execu(ve Thought Leadership



Thought Leadership Marketer: Pheedo

•  Start the conversa(on & set the tone for a new industry

•  First to market with data & expecta(ons

•  Built on blogging & community

•  Strong media & speaking presence

•  Over 50% of growth aQributed to TLM ac(vi(es



Pheedo Pheed Read Report •  Created “industry first” data,

reports and research •  Generated over 2000 media

men(ons, 20 analyst calls, 70 speaking engagements and over $1M in new business

•  Thought leadership posi(on is s(ll unmatched by compe(tors today

•  Secured stories in WSJ, NY Times, Ad Week, Ad Age, Business 2.0, and over 25 other major press hits in just 2 mos.



Thought Leadership Marketer: LifeMeetsWork.com

•  Startup company successfully launched using thought leadership principles

•  Executed full 12 month social media & thought leadership plan

•  Chosen by DeloiQe and Sara Lee to lead a Flex Work roundtable session & research project



Life Meets Work Work/Life Issues Research Report

•  Take a thought leadership posi(on during Na4onal Work & Family Month

•  Industry wide survey that reached the top work-‐life Fortune 500 leaders

•  Used to influence pending work/life legisla(on (gathered support from direct compe(tors)

•  Garnered over 100 media men(ons

•  Generated over 140 new leads for LMW services

Thought Leadership Toolkit ü Research survey ü Whitepaper ü Media rela(ons ü Blogger rela(ons ü Webinar ü Lead follow-‐up and nurturing


Thought Leadership Marketer: Indium Corpora2on

“[Being a Thought Leader] is being considered the best, most authorita4ve, trusted source. It means being the “go to” people. It means being given the first look, being invited into a development project and asked for advice. It means being the organiza4on that others MUST HAVE involved with a project. And it all leads to increased sales, profits, and image or it simply didn’t maOer..”

Rick Short, Indium



Presenta2on Roadmap





Publish Content in Many Forms



Use Your Complete, Correct and Ac2ve LinkedIn Profile

1

2

3

4 5



Connect with Thought Followers

•  Track who is looking at your profile, then research those people and their companies in more depth

•  Follow-‐up with a connec(on request, phone call, e-‐mail or InMail



Share Ar2cles from Your Blog

•  Share with your LinkedIn connec(ons

•  Email to your prospects and clients

•  Contribute to industry forums

•  Print out for your next client visit

•  Comment



Curate Insights from Industry Sources

•  Use in status updates to LinkedIn

•  Send links to your network

•  Share in LinkedIn Groups

•  Share on other social media profiles



Make Thought Leadership a Habit

•  Share insights with your connec(ons •  Look for opportuni(es to add perspec(ve to a conversa(on



Presenta2on Roadmap





1.   Do people use the term “expert” when describing you or your firm?

2.   Do you have a “conversa2onal marke2ng” a]tude rather than a “sales first” a]tude?

3.   Do your marke2ng materials say more about your client’s work than yours?

4.   Do you strive to know your clients’ industries as well as they do?

5.   Are you publishing or perishing?

6.   Are you are considered “honest, trustworthy and selfless”?

7.   Are you considered one of the top 3 picks for your products/services by your target audience?

8.   Do you command higher prices and fees for your products or work?

9.   Do you impact the decision even if you don’t get the business?

10.   Does your compelling point of view create coherency out of marketplace chaos?

Thought Leadership self-‐assessment



"Our brand is the only _____ that ______."

The Onliness Statement dis6nguishes your organiza6on from every other organiza6on. It is a posi6oning statement that says what you do and for whom, and what makes it unique.

Onliness Our brand is… Harley Davidson is…

What: The only (category) The only motorcycle manufacturer

How: that (differen(a(on characteris(c)

that makes big, loud motorcycles

Who: for (customer) for macho guys (and “macho wannabes”)

Where: in (market geography) mostly in the US

Why: who (need state) who want to join a gang of cowboys

When: during (underlying trend) in an era of decreasing personal freedom.



Develop Your Onliness Statement

What: The only (category)

How: that (differen(a(on)

Who: for (customer)

Where: in (market/geography)

Why: who (need state)

When: during (underlying trend)

What:_________________

How:__________________

Who:__________________

Where:________________

Why:__________________

When:_________________



QUESTIONS?

The Marke(ngSavant Group www.marke(ngsavant.com

888.989.7771 dana@marke(ngsavant.com

Thanks for APending!



Thought Leadership Marke2ng Resources

•  The Pyramid Principle, Barbara Minto •  Get Slightly Famous, Steven Van Yoder •  Sustainable Thought Leadership, Sari Aapola •  Brand Stand, Craig Badings •  Thoughts on Thought Leadership, Robert Buday and Bernie Thiel

•  Value Forward Marke6ng, Paul R. DiModica •  The Challenger Sale, CEB •  The Trusted Advisor, David Maister •  How to Become a Thought Leader, RainToday.com



Thought Leadership Marke2ng


APPENDIX



Thought Leaders Master the 4 C’s Competence

Define your core competence and translate it into marketable intellectual capital with a differen(ated point of view

Content Crea2on Create problem solving, useful and influen(al content across a variety of media, to move your customer from “I don’t know

you” to “I trust you to solve my problem”

Channels Use those thought leadership marke(ng to dialogue with and learn from your audience while sharing your thought leadership message

within an industry

Connec2on In order to be a successful thought leader, an organiza(on should have

a well-‐developed and ac(ve online and offline social networking strategy in place



Thought Leadership Plan: Pheedo

Thought Leadership Marketing: From Hidden Talent to Visible Expert - Presented at the Iowa AMA

Business

service firm tv

service firm phone

sales representative

advertisement vendors

online advertisement

trade press invitation

inalotof ways

case studies