Founders and executives hold significant influence. Beyond steering their company’s goals and direction, their position gives them an opportunity to build a public platform. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Mosaic, Netscape, and Andreessen Horowitz, did just that. After establishing himself as an entrepreneur, he published influential essays like Techno Optimist Manifesto and Why Software is Eating the World, cementing his reputation as a thought leader. This credibility worked in his best interest, helping his venture capital firm attract other founders.
Marc Andreesen’s essays are examples of a thought leadership content strategy in action. He shared valuable insights informed by his experiences, and others took notice. Entrepreneurs often use thought leadership to elevate their profiles and drive business success. Here’s how creating and sharing your own thought leadership content can help you do the same.
What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is a content marketing strategy to position yourself as an expert in your field or industry by sharing valuable knowledge, opinions, and predictions. This strategy is usually one part of a brand’s broader marketing strategy.
People look to thought leaders—often entrepreneurs or executives—for guidance, inspiration, and new ideas. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, for example, became a thought leader by sharing innovative ideas and insights into the tech industry. He suggested that “technology alone is not enough” and advocated for simple, intuitive devices that prioritized user experience.
Entrepreneurs and business leaders establish themselves as thought leaders by sharing their expertise and experiences through blog posts, long-form email newsletters, content on social media platforms, podcasts, and speaking engagements. Thought leadership marketing content typically falls into one of the three following categories:
-
Industry. For example, let’s say you make eco-friendly food containers. If you have a strong point of view about how to reduce waste in the restaurant industry, you could create industry thought leadership content that explores hidden or surprising drivers of food loss.
-
Product. Product thought leadership focuses on a single consumer item. The eco-friendly food container business leader in this case might create thought leadership content that highlights how takeout containers can play a role in reducing food waste and how to manufacture them sustainably.
-
Organizational. Organizational thought leadership addresses business operations and values. The food container company CEO could offer insights about how their company reduces food waste in the office, for example.
How can thought leadership content benefit small businesses?
Sharing thought leadership content may not immediately translate to earnings, but over time, demonstrating thought leadership can help you generate broader awareness for your business and build credibility with your audience. Thought leaders leverage their personal platforms as an extension of their brand. The more visible you are at live events and on social media, the more visible your brand is.
Your thought leadership content could generate increased visibility in the form of:
-
Organic traffic. Thought leadership content can double as SEO content if you target broader search keywords that are relevant to your audience. For example, if the CEO of a water filter brand regularly publishes articles about clean water access around the country, people researching water supply issues in their area might discover their content and their brand.
-
Media opportunities. Journalists look for authoritative sources for stories and might be interested in interviewing you or using your content.
-
Backlinks. When you publish unique and insightful content, other reputable websites might link to your materials. These backlinks can bolster your positive reputation and boost your visibility in search results.
How to develop a thought leadership strategy
- Define your area of expertise
- Identify your audience
- Create valuable content
- Hone a promotion strategy
- Stay up to date
Becoming a thought leader takes time. Here’s how to develop a strong thought leadership strategy that will help you stand out as a credible expert:
1. Define your area of expertise
Explore the potential scope of your thought leadership by identifying what topics you have a strong point of view on and what makes your point of view unique. Your point of view should spring from your experience as a leader in your field, so get clear on where your expertise lies and what’s special or different about it. Be specific rather than broad. A strong, studious point of view on a few topics can help you dominate that subject and establish yourself as a recognized thought leader.
2. Identify your audience
Who would you like to reach with your ideas, and who is likely to benefit from considering your point of view? Understanding your target audience can help you develop relevant content. Your target audience could be your business’s customers, other industry leaders, or people who aspire to be in your position, depending on your area of expertise and goals.
3. Create valuable content
Successful thought leaders come up with creative ideas, introduce new concepts, and offer actionable advice. Focus on writing valuable content that improves your audience’s lives or work in a meaningful way. When writing an article or newsletter or recording a podcast episode, ask yourself: Is what I’m saying unique and interesting enough that someone would be inspired to share it with their friends or colleagues?
4. Hone a promotion strategy
To create value for you, your audience has to be able to find your content. Share it on the platforms where they spend time. Professionals often use LinkedIn to find actionable career advice and read business and industry-related stories, whereas they might use X to find quick-hit commentary on current events. If you write content about how government policy changes affect your industry, you might choose to post hot takes with links to your blog articles on X and longer-form posts with advice for founders in your industry on LinkedIn.
5. Stay up to date
To be a successful thought leader, you need to take in a lot of information in addition to pushing out your thoughts. Stay informed about emerging industry trends and current events in your niche by subscribing to newsletters, attending conferences and networking events, and reading relevant online forums. Keeping your finger on the pulse of what people are talking about will allow you to continually refresh your point of view and stay relevant.
Thought leadership FAQ
What is an example of a thought leader?
Thought leaders are known for sharing their expertise in a specific field or industry. Famous informed opinion leaders include Mark Cuban, David Chang, and Brené Brown. These individuals have all reached thought leadership status by participating in speaking engagements, publishing books, and hosting podcasts.
How do you demonstrate thought leadership?
Thought leadership involves creating and sharing valuable advice or insights related to your expertise. Writing blog posts, sharing experiences on LinkedIn, and speaking at an event are all ways to practice thought leadership.
What are the three types of thought leadership?
The three types of thought leadership are industry, product, and organizational thought leadership. Industry thought leadership focuses on trends and challenges in a specific industry. Product thought leadership centers on insights around a specific consumer item. Organizational thought leadership discusses topics like corporate culture and values.
