Thought leadership is frequently included as an element in Marketing Works’ strategic marketing plans. But, sometimes it’s difficult for the client to understand exactly what we mean by thought leadership and how that translates into value for their company. We’ve put together this presentation for our readers to help break down the idea. To view a more in-depth discussion, check out our two-part blog post: Leader of the Pack Part 1: http://bit.ly/102sRlt Leader of the Pack Part 2: http://bit.ly/ZQZBw3

1. Thought Leadership:
An Introductory Overview
April 1, 2013

2. “We are transitioning from a knowledge-based
economy to a wisdom-based economy. It’s no
longer just about what you know, but what you
do with what you know.”
-Glenn Llopis, Forbes
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3. Value
• Strategic differentiation
• Entry point to relationship
• Help close sale for current clients
• Retain clients, interest them in new services
• B2B-specific
– The thought leader can spec out the contract to their
competitive advantage
– If the contractor has demonstrated unique capabilities, a
competitive bid might be skipped altogether
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4. Define Thought Leader
1. A thought leader is an individual or firm that prospects,
clients, referral sources, intermediaries and even
competitors recognize as one of the foremost
authorities in selected areas of specialization, resulting
in its being the go-to individual or organization for said
expertise.
1. A thought leader is an individual or firm that significantly
profits from being recognized as such.
-Forbes
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5. General Misconceptions
• Any subject-matter
expert can be a thought
leader
• Thought leaders are the
leading experts in their
field
• Thought leaders are
always forward thinking
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6. Elements of Good Thought Leadership
• Don’t sell anything except
ideas
• Always give it away
• Have a unique perspective
• Focus on one thing at a
time
• Address a specific
audience
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7. Elements of Good Thought Leadership
• Address a specific audience
• Get involved
• Admit what you don’t know
• Make your audience feel
smarter
• Market thought leadership
like a product
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8. Opportunities
• Speaking engagements •Infographics
•Research & surveys
– Panel discussions
•Online groups – LinkedIn
– Workshops •Videos
– Associations •SlideShare
• Writing an article (or being •Speakers Bureau
a source for)
• Networking
• Board positions
• Webinars
• White papers
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9. Final Notes
Effective thought leadership
is a result of consistent,
cumulative efforts
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10. Final Notes
Team comments?
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11. Sources
• How Thought Leadership Can Help Companies Avoid the RFP
(Business to Community)
• The Golden Rules of Creating Thought Leadership (Fast
Co)
• Become a World Changing Thought Leader (Inc)
• 10 Steps to Successful Thought Leadership to Elevate Your
Career and Your Organization (Forbes)
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