INSIGHTS
Listen up! We have all kinds of opinions about how to do this stuff right. No ranting — we promise.
Where will your next generation of thought leaders come from?
Who are your current thought leaders? How old are they? And who’ll be authoring the bulk of your company’s thought leadership in 10 years’ time?
When I rule the world (of strategic content)
Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?
Content marketers: still having Groundhog Day moments?
It’s Groundhog Day! Remember the movie of the same name, where Bill Murray, as an arrogant weatherman, is forced to live the same day over and over again? Seems to me that’s often how many marketers experience the development of thought leadership content.
The Art of Story Telling
Ever sit in on a presentation as you strain to read the small font delivered in a Tolstoyan-length PowerPoint, where each chart is packed with information? And then somewhere in the middle … you start thinking about lunch. You’re done!
Using the Minto pyramid to start a white paper? Stop right now.
Not long ago, a new client asked if we were familiar with the Minto Pyramid Principle and could we use it to help with the white paper he was planning. Yes, of course, we said. (We’re helpful like that.) But, we added politely, that’s not the right way to start a paper or article.
What should customers do with your thought leadership, anyway?
So you and your subject-matter authors have labored long and hard to produce a brilliant thought leadership paper. It’s got a bold, well-differentiated argument. There’s a clear “why now.” It’s jam-packed with lively examples and proprietary data.
Does your thought leadership make readers take action?
It would be great if more strategic content was written to prompt “action this day” — or any day, for that matter.
Three reasons why AI is not the only writing help you need
Try to remember the last time you read a truly compelling piece of strategic content—something that spoke to the world as it is now while recognizing possibilities spinning into existence. That particular piece—a white paper, perhaps, or a research report, or a point-of-view article—began with an...
Why Thought Leaders Should Never be Writers
Imagine this: a senior partner has a great idea for an article. She jots down a few thoughts during a break in her client meeting. She writes up that idea on the plane ride back from the client. Done! Published. Posted. Right? Not right.