INSIGHTS
Listen up! We have all kinds of opinions about how to do this stuff right. No ranting — we promise.
When I rule the world (of strategic content)
Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?
4 things that just aren’t thought leadership
Every well-meaning marketer wants a piece of “thought leadership.” But apparently not everyone knows what it is. Here are four things I often see posing as thought leadership.
Want great thought leadership content for the long haul? Don’t just flag down the next solo freelancer.
Too often, content marketers think of freelance writers as taxicabs, circling the block, constantly looking for a fare.
You really shouldn’t try to fake expertise
Far too often, we find ourselves reading a piece of thought leadership that, had we been locked in a quiet room with access to the Internet and a large bowl of M&Ms, we could probably have written ourselves.
Ghostwriters for thought leadership? Nothing scary about that!
Done right, using a ghostwriter for thought leadership actually mitigates risk for the companies that create it.
Why “me too” thought leadership may not be “meh”
This must sound weird coming from someone whose definition of thought leadership content hinges on “communicating insightful and persuasive ideas” but…sometimes piggybacking on someone else’s ideas is OK too.
Compelling Content Requires Pressure Testing Your Ideas
Hurry-hurry! You know the situation: the big industry conference is looming and your authors are getting their ideas together …
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.
Why Great Thought Leadership Isn’t About The Clever Words
I want to kill off the myth that all it takes is a great writer to create killer strategic content for businesses. The truth is, you could hire the world’s best writer from any era and they would probably fail in our line of work.