INSIGHTS
Listen up! We have all kinds of opinions about how to do this stuff right. No ranting — we promise.
Where Thought Leadership Ideas Should Come From
There should be broad agreement about what thought leadership is and how it’s created (and, by the way, how it’s used).
Deciding Who Makes Thought Leadership Happen
Take a lesson from Abbott & Costello: When you’re creating thought leadership content, it does matter who’s on first, second, and third.
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.
Sorry, But That Really Is One Ugly Baby
When — and how — to tell a client that their “content baby” needs a makeover.
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.
Q: If you’re blogging, are you a thought leader? (A: maybe not)
These days, it seems like more and more professional services firms are turning to blogs as their preferred expression of thought leadership. That’s a mistake.
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.
Thought leadership content: why hire a writer when you need a story doctor?
Is there a (story) doctor in the house? If not, there should be. In our trade – the thought-leadership trade – those who want to publish their big ideas typically call on the services of a “writer.”