10 Tips for Creating Thought Leadership Content

Unsure how to market your brand or business? Look to thought leadership, which has emerged as one of the most powerful ways to boost brand awareness and establish industry or field authority. As a thought leader, you are an authority with expertise and unique insight. Here are a few tips to make the best thought leadership content, ensuring that consumers will look to you as a source of trust and knowledge.

1. Be Different: Why copy the work of competitors when your brand or business is meant to stand out? Your unique insight is what will help you be at the forefront of your industry. Don’t be afraid to be different. 
2. Tell a Story: One great way to show that you’re an industry leader is to tell a narrative about how your knowledge or help directly helped consumers. Consider crafting and publishing case studies for your audience to learn from and enjoy.
3. Master the Title: When it comes to articles, videos, e-books, and more, the title is what will capture audience interest and compel them to consume your content. Keep titles relevant, accurate, and professional.
4. Think Shareability: Is your content worth sharing? If not, work on it some more before distributing.
5. Be Aware of News and Trends: Don’t be out of the loop. Demonstrate that you keep up with current events and incorporate this awareness into your work. 
6. Present Real Problems and Real Solutions: If you want to show that you deeply understand the plight of your target consumer, make sure the problems — and solutions — you talk about in your content are real!
7. Keep It In Your Industry: All of the content you create needs to indicate that you have solid knowledge relevant to your own industry. Stick to what you know! 
8. Keep It Simple: Don’t bore readers with complicated language. Be simple and concise and get your point across effectively and efficiently. There is a lot of content you must compete with — grab audience attention and maintain it!
9. Use Numbers Strategically: Numbers and statistics that you use should hold relevance to your audience. Don’t just use data for the sake of it. Craft a story around your numbers.
10. Don’t Give Too Much Away: Craft headlines or titles that let your audience know what kind of content they can expect from you, but don’t give everything away — you still want your audience to engage with and consume your content.