How impactful is B2B thought leadership content?
As I was doing my usual afternoon LinkedIn newsfeed scroll, waiting for my third cup of coffee of the day to kick in, a post by Edelman caught my attention. In their latest report, Reaching Beyond the Ready: Thought Leadership’s Impact on Engaging Out-of-Market B2B Buyers, Edelman explores how thought leadership can do so much more than create brand awareness. Done right, thought leadership content makes buyers reexamine their assumptions and it protects your business against competitors trying to pinch your customers.
What is thought leadership content, exactly?
Before we dive into the main findings of the report, let’s explore what thought leadership actually is. It refers to content that offers reader expertise, guidance and a unique point of view. The goal isn’t to push the company’s own products and services but to make a knowledge contribution to their sector or field.
The content is typically free to access, although some companies publish gated content to capture relevant reader data. Thought leadership content can take many forms, including but not limited to long-form articles, white papers, eBooks or webinars. So, what makes thought leadership content worth the financial and time investment? Edelman has the answers.
The report’s main findings
The report, which combines the expertise of Edelman and LinkedIn, yielded several interesting findings:
Source: Edelman
Let’s explore some of the main findings in a bit more depth.
“Thought leadership that spurs business leaders to rethink their challenges is a powerful tool for stimulating demand for your business’s products and services.”
Influential people tend to consume thought leadership content. The report found that 52% of decision-makers and 54% of C-level executives spend an hour or more consuming thought leadership content weekly. Perhaps the most intriguing finding for businesses is that most executives trust thought leadership content over marketing materials.
The report found that three out of four decision-makers say they see thought leadership content as a more trustworthy basis for assessing its capabilities. Quality is also a major differentiator. Seven in 10 decision-makers say they are very likely to think more positively about organisations that consistently produce high-quality thought leadership content. So, if you think AI-generated content is going to cut it, you’re going to be disappointed.
“Offense is your best defense: Protecting your existing customers is critical.”
It’s important to recognise that thought leadership is not just about winning new customers—it’s about protecting the customers you already have. Your current customers’ challenges are always in a state of flux. The issues they’re facing will change over time, and they look to you to come up with solutions. Why would they bother partnering with a competitor if you’re helping them tackle new challenges?
The report found that 70% of C-suite leaders said that a piece of thought leadership content had occasionally led them to question whether they should continue working with an existing supplier. Of even more concern to companies not investing in high-quality thought leadership content is that 51% of C-suite leaders say that a piece of thought leadership content made them realise other suppliers were smarter or more visionary than their current suppliers.
These thoughts led to action. 25% of decision-makers said it led them to end or reduce their relationship with an existing supplier. Clearly, creating and distributing high-quality thought leadership content is vital.
“Effective thought leadership has three key attributes: it cites strong research and data, helps buyers understand their business challenges, and offers concrete guidance.”
The report makes an important point: ‘Good’ is no longer good enough. Only 15% of decision-makers who digest thought leadership content say the quality is ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. Taking your thought leadership content from good to great requires strong research and data, helps buyers understand their business challenges and provides clear guidance and case studies.
AI-generated content can’t provide you with this kind of content. It can churn out unoriginal ideas, with the occasional hallucination presented as fact for good measure. Using AI in this way goes against the very meaning of thought leadership: using your expertise to share unique ideas.
You’re busy. Things are manic and you probably don’t want to think about adding a bunch of tasks to your lengthy to-do list. But, after reading this, you probably recognise the importance of impactful thought leadership content. You need someone who can translate your organisation’s original ideas into compelling thought leadership content that provides readers with value without instant pressure to hand money over.
That’s where I come in! I’ve written thought leadership content, including articles, white papers and eBooks, for organisations in various sectors, from technology and IT to digital marketing and digital consultancy. Drop me a message today so we can chat about your ideas in more detail!
