Thought leadership – it just may be your B2B’s most valuable asset
November 12th, 2009 Posted by: Bill Gadless
Too many B2B marketers still think of thought leadership content mainly as something you put behind a landing-page registration form, hoping it will boost conversions. So many think this way, in fact, that we posted a caution flag here in “Value of Thought-Leadership Offers (Not Just for Conversions Anymore)”.
Two of the non-conversion benefits of thought leadership content we mentioned in that piece were:
- positive impact on SEO/pagerank (hence more & better traffic), the result of more inbound links from opinion leaders referencing your content; and
- improved company image as your thought leaders become sought-after industry experts.
In a recent Marketo post, Jon Miller also emphasizes those benefits, and suggests several specific means of getting there…
- Provide original research. Conduct a poll on your website, send out a survey to customers, perform a more in-depth study with the help of a qualified third party. Hopefully your research will be picked up by media and industry analysts, resulting in inbound links and an industry image of your firm as a trusted source.
- Use your company blog to provide insight. It’s still the most flexible and ultimately valuable publishing tool. To make it succeed at positioning your brand as a thought leader, include insightful commentary and analysis on industry trends, and start threads on original ideas.
- Be a solution for specific problems. If your finger is on the pulse of your industry, you’ll know what the pain points are for prospects; articulating solutions to timely problems will position you as a trusted source.
- Join the speaking circuit. Opportunities abound to provide insight for potential customers at industry events. Research the types of conferences that your prospects attend, and cultivate relationships with the event organizers.
In sum: avoid the trap of viewing thought-leadership content as just conversion bait. Pump it up in every way possible, and watch it build your brand’s value!
Entry Filed under: B2B Web Strategy
