As you probably already know, establishing your brand’s authenticity, credibility, and trustworthiness is the key to success.
Nearly 86% of consumers cite brand authenticity as a main factor when deciding what brands they support and 81% of consumers stated they needed to trust the brand to buy from them.
One way to build this authenticity and trust is through the creation of thought leadership (TL) content. Thought leadership content has become an essential pillar in content marketing strategies. Not only does it set you apart from your competitors, but it also positions you as an influencer and trendsetter in your industry. Let’s dive into why thought leadership content is absolutely crucial for your brand.
What is Thought Leadership Content?
Before we explore the importance of thought leadership content, let’s clarify what it is. Thought leadership content is a form of content marketing where individuals or businesses share their expertise, insights, and unique perspectives on topics relevant to their industry or niche. This content goes beyond generic information and offers valuable, original insights that can benefit the audience. It is a great way to share the knowledge you’ve gained from your profession and better connect with your customers.
Thought leadership content can come in all shapes and sizes. Some examples include:
- Blogs
- Short-form videos
- Long-form videos
- Infographics
- Live streams
- Podcasts
- eGuides
The type of content you use to share your thought leadership depends on the target audience you want to reach and the specific topic of information you’re sharing.
Why is Thought Leadership Content Important?
Thought Leadership Content Establishes Authenticity & Credibility
Trust is often in short supply these days, so establishing authenticity and credibility is crucial. Thought leadership content allows you to showcase your expertise and knowledge, positioning you as a trusted authority in your field. By consistently delivering high-quality content that demonstrates your understanding of industry trends and challenges, you build a reputation as a reliable source of information.
The goal is to become the source that people go to when they need guidance. By continuously posting relevant thought leadership content, you can grow to become that go-to place for your audience.
Thought Leadership Content Builds Trust & Customer Loyalty
Trust is obviously the foundation of any successful business relationship. Thought leadership content helps you build that trust with your audience by providing them with valuable information and insights they can rely on. When people trust your brand as a source of knowledge, they are more likely to remain loyal customers. Helping your customers reach the level of becoming loyal to your brand will bring further success down the line. In fact, 59% of American consumers say that once they’re loyal to a brand, they’re loyal to it for life.
Not only customer loyalty, but brand trust can also increase your sales. 41% of consumers say they’ll pay more for a product or service that comes from a brand they trust. Trust and customer loyalty are two things every business is striving to improve and thought leadership content is the way to do it.
Sets You Apart From Competitors
Social media is overwhelming. There’s an endless number of brands all fighting for attention. That’s why you need to do something to set your brand apart from all the others. Thought leadership content allows you to distinguish yourself from competitors by showcasing your unique perspective, innovative ideas, and in-depth industry knowledge. When potential customers perceive you as a thought leader, they are more likely to choose your products or services over those of your competitors.
Be An Influencer in Setting Industry Trends
Thought leaders are often at the front of industry trends and developments. By consistently creating thought leadership content, you not only stay informed about the latest happenings but also contribute to their creation.
This positions you as an influencer who can drive discussions, offer innovative solutions, and set the agenda for your industry. Once again, this leads back to the topic of building trust with your customers. By paving the trends in your industry, you’ll become even more trustworthy.
Exposes You to Potential New Customers
Thought leadership content has the potential to reach a broader audience, including potential customers who may not be familiar with your brand. A lot of times thought leadership content is answering questions and solving problems. Therefore, with the right topics and SEO, you can reach a whole new collection of potential customers. When people find value in your content, they are more likely to explore your products or services. By connecting with new audiences and converting them into customers, thought leadership content can significantly impact your business’s growth.
Are You Ready to Be a Thought Leader?
Thought leadership content is an essential factor of every content marketing strategy. If you’re not already posting this type of content, you need to be. Not only can it set up your brand to be a trendsetter in your industry, but it’s also going to increase your overall authenticity, trust, and brand loyalty, all while distinguishing you from competitors. By consistently delivering valuable insights and knowledge, you’ll build trust, foster customer loyalty, and expose your brand to new audiences. In an age where we have an abundance of information, but a lack of valuable expertise, thought leadership content can be what sets you apart.
Not Sure Where To Start?
While you may know you need to be creating thought leadership content, actually starting this strategy is easier said than done. That’s where our team comes in.
We’ve worked with so many thought leaders, helping them take all of the subject-matter expertise they have in their brains and turn it into consistent, high-level content that engages their audience and puts them in a position of authority and credibility.
Ready to Launch a Content Marketing Plan for Your Small Business?
We know that carving out the time, resources, and energy to create ongoing content for your brand or business is a full-time job. That’s why we created Breezy – your instant content marketing team.
You don’t need to hire multiple full-time employees to handle all of the strategy, planning, writing, designing, and publishing of content. You also don’t have time to wrangle tons of different freelancers to get this all completed. What you need is one expert team that can help get all of the amazing thought-leadership and subject matter expertise out of your head and into formalized, engaging content that keeps you top of mind with your audience.
We’re that team!
See how we can help your small business, startup, or agency with a free consultation.
