INSIGHTS
Listen up! We have all kinds of opinions about how to do this stuff right. No ranting — we promise.
How to do great thought leadership when you’re short on great ideas
Admit it, marketers: sometimes your authors — your subject-matter experts — come up empty. If your thought leadership is flat-lining, it’s time to call in the story doctors.
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.
The single reason why some people can’t write
What is “the Curse of Knowledge?” And why is it responsible for so much bad prose?
Is your thought leadership structurally sound?
If you want your thought leadership to be read and remembered, getting the structure right is a great investment.
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.
“Can I have the meat, please?” (not if you want well-done thought leadership content)
Imagine going to an upscale steakhouse known for the finest cuts of prime beef and telling the waiter “I’ll have the meat, please.” In the world of thought leadership content, that’s a lot like saying “I want to write a 10-page white paper — and I want to start writing next week.”
How PowerPoint is wrecking your thought leadership
You’ve seen them: papers that start out with a tantalizing headline and opening text that really grabs you in anticipation of learning something great. And then you get to the first chart [sound of screeching tires].
Why Marketers Must Be Better Vetters
I’m sure I’m about to upset all sorts of smart, hard-working, well-meaning marketing folks, but I’m going to say it. Marketers must do a much better job of vetting the strategic content that their organizations put out.
No, Let’s Keep Saying “Thought Leadership”
A week or so ago, I reposted a pointed critique of the term “thought leadership.” Then I realized I’d become part of the howling mob.