Establishing true thought leadership is an important part of a successful content marketing strategy. True thought leadership positions the subject matter as an expert, catches the attention of investors and pushes forward your chosen brand narrative. Here at Lexington Public Relations, we work with your team to produce and secure placement for guest articles in leading publications and establish impactful thought leadership.

What is thought leadership? 

The first step to understanding thought leadership and how to start producing it for your business is knowing the difference between thought leadership and self-promotion. True thought leadership is providing usable expertise to give others clear takeaways they can incorporate into their own work and their own lives. It is information that is timely and impactful and establishes you as an expert in your field. Not only does producing thought leadership increase the media content that contains your brand, but it makes your brand more trustworthy while bringing a face to brand leadership. Thought leadership builds relationships and establishes you as an expert in your field, whereas self-promotion directly pushes your product or service without providing real-value.

The Top Ways to Start Sharing Thought Leadership:

• Share Your Expertise on Owned Media Channels (Social & Blog): Sharing thought leadership through your company media channels like social media and corporate blogs are by far the most cost-efficient and timely methods of producing content and sharing your expertise. Regularly posting tips, staying consistent, and sharing thought-provoking content is an easy way to establish yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy expert. Not only does this promote better SEO with targeted keywords, but it’s a way to get your message  – straight from you – to your audience. We recommend content that shares value, has clear takeaways and connects with your audience. Linkedin is a great space to participate in conversations with others, providing your thought leadership in a way that isn’t just a one-way street. 

• Write Bylines for Other Media Channels: Another way to share your story is through bylines and contributing news articles, which involves writing an article and submitting it to an outside news source to publish for their audience. By writing about topics related to your brand, you show knowledge and expertise in the field and reach audiences who may not have heard about your business. Not only does published by a trustworthy platform establish credibility but it positions you as a leader in your field. 

• Be Quoted as an Expert: One more way to share thought leadership and establish credibility is through the role of offering expertise in the form of quotes for relevant articles. See where others with similar expertise are being quoted and look for outlets that frequently comment on your area of work, then pitch yourself! Sign up for HARO (helpareporter.com) and pitch yourself to relevant leads as well.

Thought leadership is relevant for all businesses seeking to raise their profile, and a powerful tool to get brand messaging in front of audiences.

Here are some fantastic examples of executive leadership from some of our clients sharing insightful, timely and memorable thought leadership: Female Fashion CEO’s Articles for Entrepreneur.com, Women’s Wellness Founder’s Articles for SWAAY and Expert Quotes in Forbes, Fashion Retail Co-Founder’s Insights for Forbes, Supplement Brand’s Corporate Blog