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Benefits of a thought leadership campaign

Guest post by: Craig Badings

Article Overview: What benefits does a company or individual accrue from being a thought leader? This is a question that I am often asked so I have listed these in a table.

Benefits of a thought leadership campaign

When I speak to people about thought leadership for the first time, one of the first questions they ask is: "What can it deliver to my business?"

It's a great question and one that has had me thinking for a while. The more I think about it the more complex and multi-faceted I realise the answer is which is why I have developed a thought leadership outcomes/benefits table.

But to all those thought leaders and writers on thought leadership out there, I need your help please. This list is by no means exhaustive and I would really welcome any further inputs you have:

Thought Leadership outcomes/benefits table
External	Clients/'customers and other targeted stakeholders: Illustrates your deep expertise and knowledge Enables you to deliver insights to your clients' businesses which in turn can help drive their growth Positions you as a trusted advisor Results in increased credibility Increases your relevance Aligns your interests with your clients' issues and interests You become one of their most valuable suppliers Deliver useable, quality content across the organisation Creates the perception that you are interesting and innovative Drives goodwill Differentiates you from your competitors Positions you as an influencer in their lives Underpins and supports your sales process with your clients Creates less resistance to price Helps vindicate their purchasing decision Clients perceive that you care and as a result they feel important Positions you as being proactive in your sector Positions you as innovative Builds closer relationships across all spectrums of client contact resulting in better engagement Provides a great platform for discussion above and beyond your products or services Increases positive word of mouth Results in brand evangelists from within your customer ranks Positions you as an employer of choice in the market Increases brand loyalty
Internal	Staff Positions your people as the experts and 'go to' people in their field Delivers a sense that this is a forward thinking, innovative place to work Creates pride in the brand Promotes relevant, topical discussions without the need for 'hard sell' Creates ambassadors from within for your brand Is a powerful motivator, mobilising management and staff alike Enables staff to see where the market is going, what the issues are and positions them at the forefront Delivers organisational confidence Focuses staff on the big picture and what matters to clients/ customers The brand Moves your brand from product and sales leadership to market leadership Delivers long-term, sustainable advantage over competitors because it has a longer life-span than product or sales leadership Puts the business out front in terms of sector leadership Delivers a broader client value spectrum to the brand Increases relevance to clients/customers and therefore increases the value of the brand Positions the people who represent the brand as trusted advisors Gives the brand's added authenticity Positions the brand and thus the business and its people ahead of the curve Displays a focus by the brand on the big picture Creates a commitment to a grander goal than sales generation Recognition by the media that the brand is the leader in its field Creates openings or invites for brand representatives to speak at conferences and seminars Delivers great content for marketing collateral, your website, press releases, presentations, etc Results in higher search engine rankings The brand and its people are viewed as authorities in their field Increases your brand's share of mind with your target audiences Acts as a good reputation shield in a crisis or when an issue flares Builds goodwill Further solidifies your 'social license' to operate Adds long-term sustainability to your brand's marketing campaigns whether it be advertising, PR, social media, etc Sales Helps you develop a greater understanding of your clients likes, needs, fears and wants Positions the business top of mind with prospects Differentiates your products and services from the competition Shortens the sales cycle because buyers have invested psychologically into your service/product before they buy Underpins and supports your sales process with your clients Creates less resistance to price Vindicates their purchasing decision Delivers a conversation platform for the sales team to use beyond the product or service you offer Helps initiate conversations with existing and potential clients/customers Underpins increased sales conversion Differentiates you from the competition Mobilises your clients to think and act Innovation Promotes innovation internally because of the insights thought leadership delivers Empowers people to think, examine the changes and how to stay ahead of the curve Imbues a culture of questioning and looking ahead at how best to address the clients' needs Creates an outward looking culture - focusing on client issues and trends rather than your own Promotes and rewards breakthrough thinking

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Article Tags: thought leadership benefits, thought leadership campaign



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