From Pain to Passion
Thought leadership lifts up the voices of people who are helping advance pieces of their industry area rather than focusing on customer pain points. It puts advocacy and passion out into the world by helping thought leaders disseminate ideas that bring improvement to the world, with tools, skills, and channels to magnify their thinking.
Do Ads Work? Yes, But Don’t Squander Attention
Advertising does still make sense, but marketers should think about it holistically. Assuming ads are high quality, well-designed, and include compelling, well-crafted Calls to Action, they can provide an excellent way to get people’s attention. What matters next is how you use that attention? Do you squander it or use it to cultivate trust?
Thought Leadership Challenges Your Whole Strategy
Thought leadership strategy forces you to ask what you can say about yourself that is true, and what you do in the world to make it true. These questions span an entire organization. Answering them and then doing something about them unmistakably requires the input of people empowered to make executive decisions and lead towards change. Including top company leaders in thought leadership strategy discussions takes the best advantage of this transformative opportunity.
Patient Capital and Content Marketing
Adopting a “patient capital” mindset in marketing means slowly building up an audience by delivering the highest value thinking in the highest quality manner possible. People may not buy today. It means planning at longer timescales — quarters and years rather than days and weeks. You deliberately and intentionally build your reputation by developing your ongoing credibility. In the same way that a patient capitalist defers expectations of return, you defer your expectations of immediate buying decisions by focusing on the long haul.
Decency: A New Meaning for an Old Word
Decency? Yes. When applied to marketing and communications, the concept of decency means treating people with a deep conviction that their time and their attention have value. It means showing a courteous restraint. It means respecting that time and attention are not just finite but irreplaceable resources. It means working within a dynamic of gaining permission, building trust, offering value.