- 28 Nov 2024
The battle for thought leadership
In this article, our content strategist Matthijs shares his vision on thought leadership – a theme that is becoming increasingly important in B2B marketing. According to this Dentsu research, thought leadership ranks third on B2B marketers’ priority list this year. That is a rise of 17 places compared to last year. Therefore, more and more organisations want to be seen as thought leaders in their relevant field. We have noticed this at FD Mediagroep as well. We frequently receive requests to help companies build thought leadership. The trend is shifting from lead generation to brand focus at the top of the funnel.
Why thought leadership matters in decision-making
The same Dentsu research also shows that the most important factor for business buyers is to feel secure when making a purchase. They want absolute certainty that it is the right choice, which makes sense. After all, we know that in an organisation that is about to make a strategic investment, on average 9(!) senior executives are involved in the decision-making process. As the person responsible, you will want to present a partner who is reliable and has a strong market reputation. This makes it much easier to convince your C-level colleagues and protects you from a gaffe. In such a case, a thought leader is more likely to be considered than his competitors who have not achieved this status.
Thought leadership is therefore crucial to retain potential customers now and in the future. But becoming a thought leader is easier said than done.
A thought leader should be different
So how does one become a knowledge leader? Although many organisations aspire to knowledge leadership, only 26 percent of B2B brands are actually rated highly in this area by buyers. That’s a decrease compared to 2022. Which means something isn’t working here. The desire exists, but the execution falls short.
In my view, it stems from the perception that thought leadership is mainly revolves around sharing knowledge and expertise. In essence, that is a content marketing objective. Thought leadership goes beyond that.
"Thought leadership is not just about crafting a nice story for the outside world, but a strategy that can be felt in the capillaries of an organisation. True thought leaders have developed an innovative perspective on important societal issues. They show leadership by translating this thinking into concrete behaviour."
Uncovering your company's knowledge leadership potential
The word “innovative” is essential here. Companies following mainstream thinking will find it difficult to become thought leaders. How do you discover this innovative thinking? I believe every company has it, but sometimes it needs to be uncovered from deep within the organisation. It might be something your organisation did in the past to solve a difficult problem. Or something the organisation has learned that few others have discovered. And in some cases, the CEO embodies this innovative thinking, as was the case with Apple or Tesla.
Role of the marketing professional
This is where the marketing professional’s role lies. He or she manages the power of language, storytelling and imagery. And thus knows which stories and insights are unique and capture the target audience’s imagination. At FD Mediagroep, we’re happy to help you communicate these stories. Through our brands FD and BNR, we know and reach business decision-makers like no other. And we offer a brand-safe and premium platform that enhances the perceived reliability of your message.
Benefits of thought leadership
In conclusion, we observe that thought leadership is not only crucial for the differentiation of B2B organisations, but also essential for gaining trust amongst decision-makers. By focusing on authentic knowledge leadership, an organisation enhances its position as an expert, resulting in stronger media representation in news outlets and improved access to business decision-makers.