Who knew thought leadership could be controversial. The controversy is the idea thought leadership is a fancy word for blogging. Regardless of opinions thought leadership content is good for business. But what is the difference between thought leadership content and blogging?
The difference between thought leadership content and blogging is where you’re getting information. In the case of thought leadership information comes from an experienced leader in an industry.
If you can use what you know to connect with your audience, clients are more likely to purchase from you. Therefore understanding both thought leadership and blogging can be beneficial for your business.
Let’s explore blogging and thought leadership so you can use either strategy to grow your business.
What is Thought Leadership?
Thought leadership is the expression of ideas from an expert with years of experience in a field. The content shared is educational information backed by data.
Thought leadership is defined by the idea of a thought leader. A thought leader is an expert in their industry based on personal experience. Thought leaders have influence because their knowledge is valuable for those who aspire to succeed in the same field.
Anyone can become an expert on a subject and create a blog. A thought leader is the subject. In business, thought leaders are the people and companies we learn from.
For example, the writer of your favorite finance blog can be an expert in finance through research without ever working in the industry. A thought leader in finance works or worked in the industry for years. They know the subject not only through research but from experience on the job.
Thought leadership ideas are personal experiences outlined with data and examples. The content is exclusive because it’s based on one leader’s unique experience
To position yourself or your business as a thought leader on a subject, you have to create thought leadership content.
What is Thought Leadership Content?
Thought leadership content consists of ideas that teach an audience about a brand’s area of expertise. The information comes from individuality and experience on the subject.
Thought leadership marketing is a content creation strategy. The content generates leads because it answers the industry’s most pressing questions. Personal experiences make the content relatable and unique.
Intentional thought leadership content follows a few rules:
- Focus on brand building (define your company’s personality)
- Content is consistent and focused on one subject
- Thought leaders continuously share their expertise
- The expertise is always backed with data
Remember that thought leadership has an objective. While with a blog you may focus on getting traffic to sell a product with thought leadership the goal is brand awareness.
What is Blogging?
Blogging is creating content regularly on a subject and updating it to a dynamic web page. Good blogging is creating content that is beneficial to the reader.
Blogging is great for business because it brings more customers to your website. Hubspot states, “Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don’t blog.”
A blog positions you as an expert on a subject so your customers are more likely to purchase from you. Promoting your blog brings in customers and saves you money on advertising.
What’s the Difference Between Thought Leadership Content and Blogging?
The difference between thought leadership content and blogging is the creator and the goal. Thought leadership is a personal experience from industry leaders and blogging is information researched and written by anyone.
Here are three differences between thought leadership content and blogging:
1. The goal of the content
-Blogs focus on traffic for potential customers
-Thought leadership focuses on brand building
2. The way the content is written
-Blogs are written in language anyone can understand
-Thought leadership is targeted to specific audiences (no need to avoid jargon or aim for a specific reading level)
3. The content creator
-A blogger shares opinions and data without necessarily working in the industry
-A thought leader shares their expert opinions based on data AND personal experience working in the industry
Both are useful, but “content overwhelm” makes us trust information from thought leaders’ unique points of view.
Is Thought Leadership a Fancy Word for Blogging?
Critics say thought leadership is a fancy word for blogging. Content experts believe a blog post shouldn’t be considered high value simply because it’s called thought leadership.
However, as a content writer, I understand why the distinction was made. Thought leadership is based on personal experience so creating content for thought leadership is not the same as researching and writing a blog post.
If you decide to outsource your content to an expert content writer the writer is not technically the thought leader. This is why thought leadership writing is a unique skill. Not everyone can do it.
If you do hire a content writer to create thought leadership pieces for you this person has to take on your brand identity. Thought leadership is more than writing and researching. It’s the difference between writing a biography on someone and ghostwriting a memoir.
In the end, you as the thought leader have to have your voice shine through in every piece of content. It takes time and a good writer to speak in your voice. When you hire a content writer you’ll know you found a good one when you don’t need several edits to get your message across.
Why You Should Become a Thought Leader
You should become a thought leader because you probably already are an expert. All it takes for an expert to become a thought leader is to share their expertise and help others grow using consistent content.
And it’s great for business!
According to a B2B thought leadership study by LinkedIn, 58% of thought leadership decision-makers said that thought leadership directly led them to award business to an organization.
How to Use Thought Leadership for Business
To use thought leadership for your business be sure to create a strategy that focuses on your brand identity. Then start creating content that positions you as the expert. Use your personal experience to create valuable content on multiple platforms.
- Create ebooks, white papers, and case studies
- Post on social media including live videos
- Make a video series
- Become a guest speaker or appear at conferences
- Host webinars
- Create educational content in the form of infographics and landing pages
We Need Thought Leaders Who Are Good Men
Now you see the difference between thought leadership content and blogging has a lot to do with who is creating the content, the way it’s written, and the goal of the content. Whether you blog or create thought leadership pieces it’s beneficial for your business.
You should consider positioning yourself as a thought leader with valuable educational content to build your business.
Thought leaders can have a lot of power, but it’s up to you whether or not you use that power for good. We need thought leaders who are good men because they teach us all how to become better people.
Still not seeing the difference? That’s okay I value your expert opinion.
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