Thought Leadership Marketing: From Hidden Talent to Visible Expert - Presented at the Iowa AMA Business-to-business (B2B) marketers are being asked to position their firms as thought leaders in the industries they serve, but many marketers are still murky on just what thought leadership is and even more unsure of how to activate their experts for thought leadership. Marketers need more than just a body of content and social media to become thought leaders on the issues that are most relevant to their customers. This event is designed for marketers who seek to use thought leadership as a means to market their brand and want to know the best way to establish thought leadership within their industry. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of what thought leadership is, and what it is not, how to build the discipline of thought leadership in an organization and how to take the first steps away from ‘hidden talent’ toward the ideal of ‘visible expert’. Attendees will leave armed with a series of tools to help them determine and test their platform, establish the right thought leadership channels and build the case for thought leadership marketing in their organization.

1. Thought
Leadership
Marke2ng
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

2. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

3. What
is
Thought
Leadership?
“Thought
leadership
centers
on
earning
trust
and
credibility.
Thought
leaders
get
no4ced
by
offering
something
different—informa6on,
insights,
and
ideas
–
for
instance.
Thought
leadership
posi4ons
you
and
your
company
as
an
industry
authority
and
resource
and
trusted
advisor
by
establishing
your
reputa4on
as
a
generous
contributor
to
your
industry.”
RainToday.com
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

4. Thought
Leadership
is
a
Way
of
Being
“It’s
not
about
trying
to
pon4ficate
on
how
great
you
are,
or
just
trying
to
edify
yourself.
In
a
lot
of
ways,
it’s
truly
a
way
of
being.
It’s
something
you
can’t
say
about
yourself…
it’s
really
what
others
say
about
you.”
Brian
Carroll
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

5. Thought
Leadership
Is:
• Not
just
being
heard
in
important
debates
but
being
able
to
lead
and
shape
conversa2ons
• Not
just
appearing
in
leading
publica(ons
online
and
off,
but
being
seen
as
the
go-­‐to
source
of
opinion
• Not
just
thinking
and
expressing
but
integra2ng
the
thought
leadership
into
new
products
• Not
just
marke(ng
but
entering
adjacent
markets
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Source:
hQp://ngethinktank.com/2011/07/09/the-­‐growth-­‐of-­‐thought-­‐leadership-­‐as-­‐a-­‐marke(ng-­‐strategy/
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

6. However,
Thought
Leadership
is
Not…
PR
Evangelism
Haydn
Shaughnessy
Thought
leadership
has
to
have
one
essen4al
component.
Thought
leadership
must
contain
ideas
that
are
in
some
sense
leading
a
conversa6on,
a
market
segment,
a
professional
group.
Task
number
one
in
designing
a
thought
leadership
program
is
to
decide
what
conversa4on
or
market
or
group
you
want
to
lead
and
can
lead.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

7. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

8. The
Thought
Leadership
Equa2on
Competence,
purpose
and
core
market
understanding
inform
the
point
of
view
&
thought
leadership
plaDorm.
Thought
leaders
outshine
their
compe6tors
who
compete
on
price
and
adver6sing.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Strategic
use
of
TLM
tools
and
channels
with
media
collabora4on
garner
your
share
voice
in
the
industry
and
spark
the
industry
dialogue
around
your
ideas.
As
buyers
seek
out
more
real
market
dialogue,
SOV
is
an
increasingly
important
factor
contribu6ng
to
marketplace
success.
Thought
leaders
and
trusted
advisors
occupy
the
greatest
share
of
mind
among
business
buyers.
Share
of
mind
predicts
share
of
market.
Thought
Leadership
Marke6ng
steadily
increases
your
SOM
with
buyers,
growing
your
share
of
market.
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

9. Marke2ng
is
Converging
on
Thought
Leadership
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

10. Growing
Chorus
of
TLM
Advocates
•
•
•
•
The
Gartner
Group
cites
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng
(TLM)
as
a
major
business
trend
that
was
incubated
in
high
technology
and
consul(ng
circles
but
is
now
rapidly
becoming
an
established
field
in
marke(ng
and
a
basis
of
compe((ve
differen(a(on.
The
Economist
Intelligence
unit
iden(fied
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng
as
a
top
“Megatrend”
in
B2B
marke(ng.
B2B
marketers
view
“posi(oning
the
business
as
a
thought
leader
in
the
industry”
and
“standing
out
from
the
compe((on”
as
top
challenges.
A
recent
analysis
by
the
Corporate
Execu2ve
Board
shows
that
high
value
customers
like
business
clients,
wealthy
individuals
or
chief
financial
officers
are
increasingly
demand
educa(on
and
advice
as
part
of
the
sales
experience.
Forrester
Research
also
has
ongoing
thought
leadership
research
projects.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

11. Thought
Leadership
Gets
APen2on
• 9
of
the
top
11
effec(ve
ways
of
geng
a
business
buyer’s
aQen(on
involve
Thought
Leadership
Marke2ng
How would you rate the effectiveness of the following marketing vehicles in getting your attention?
Mean Rating (N~344)
Speech or presentation at a conference or trade show
Case studies describing successful customer solution implementations
Article in the business or trade press
Invitation to a Webinar, seminar, or workshop
Analyst firm recommendation (such as Gartner/IDC/Forrester)
Search engine hits when doing research or surfing the Web
White paper offered on the Internet
Electronic newsletter from the service firm
Conference sponsorship
Direct mail brochure
Email from a sales representative from the service firm
Phone call from a sales representative from the service firm
TV or print advertisement
Vendor's blog
Online advertisement
Sporting or cultural event sponsorship
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Source: ITSMA, How Customers Choose Study, North America
3.7 þ
3.7 þ
3.4 þ
3.4 þ
3.3
þ
3.2
þ
3.1
þ
2.9
þ
2.8
2.5
2.3
2.3
2.3
þ
2.3
2.2
2.0
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

12. Thought
Leadership
Wins
the
Sale
“Tradi4onal
approaches
to
B2B
marke4ng
are
losing
their
impact.
Today,
B2B
marketers
are
turning
to
thought
leadership
marke4ng
as
a
way
to
differen4ate
their
organiza4on,
products
and
services
in
an
increasingly
compe44ve
market.”
“Thought
leadership
marke4ng
helps
to
posi6on
you
as
trusted
advisor
in
your
industry.”
Economist Intelligence Unit
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
A
Cahners
Research
study
of
business-­‐to-­‐business
buyers
shows
that
selling
professionals
who
become
trusted
advisors
and
understand
the
needs
of
economic
buyers
are
69%
more
likely
to
come
away
with
a
sale.
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

13. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

14. Thought
Leadership
is
APained,
Not
Claimed
Resonance
Industry
Recogni2on
Thought
Leadership
Execu2on
Intellectual
Capital
&
Content
Followership
of
Ideas
Thought
Leadership
Movement
of
Ideas
in
the
Marketplace
“Thought
leadership
is
the
recogni4on
from
the
outside
world
that
the
company
deeply
understands
its
business,
the
needs
of
its
customers
and
the
broader
marketplace
in
which
it
operates.”
Elise
Bauer
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

15. Develop
a
Thought
Leader’s
Mindset
Love
what
they
do
Have
the
drive
to
teach
Reach
out
&
communicate
Take
risks
with
messaging
Balance
confidence
&
curiosity
Put
in
the
2me
today
Persistent
presence
Everyone
is
in
Marke2ng
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

16. Recognize
a
Thought
Leadership
Opportunity
in
Your
Industry
Gap
in
the
Conversa2on
• Customers
• First-­‐mover
• Economic
Significant
Industry
Shi[
•
•
•
•
Trends
Compe(tors
Technology
Counter-­‐cycle
Thought
Leadership
Opportunity
Window
of
Opportunity
• Legisla(on
• First-­‐mover
• Economic
Predic2on
Opportunity
• Where
is
the
market
going?
• What
weaknesses
exist?
• Shape
and
shi`
the
dialogue
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

17. Shape
the
Four
A’s
of
Thought
Leadership
Marke2ng
Assets
–
A]tude
–
Acceptance
–
Alignment
Read
the
en(re
ar(cle:
hQp://www.marke(ngsavant.com/ar(cles/four-­‐as-­‐thought-­‐leadership-­‐marke(ng/
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

18. Create
Your
Thought
Leading
Assets
You
must
have
a
sufficient
base
of
assets
or
be
able
to
develop
these
assets
in
order
to
be
a
thought
leader.
• Do
you
have
the
required
assets
to
leverage
as
a
thought
leader?
• Intellectual
capital
• Innova(on
&
intellectual
property
crea(on
• Unique
insight
and
exper(se
• Cases
&
results
on
your
products
&
services
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

19. Cul2vate
a
Thought
Leading
A]tude
One
important
aspect
that
we
find
in
the
making
of
a
successful
thought
leader
is
their
atude.
Thought
leaders
have
a
value-­‐first
mentality
and
a
proclivity
for
educa2ng
your
market
and
customers.
• Desire
to
educate
clients;
the
market
• Willingness
to
share
real
value
(this
makes
it
easier
to
use
social
media
as
well)
• Ability
to
control
your
“urge
to
sell”
• Long-­‐term
mindset
on
contribu(ng
to
the
industry
dialogue
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

20. Secure
Market
and
Peer
Acceptance
Studies
by
ITSMA
and
The
Economist
Intelligence
Unit
have
pointed
to
the
efficacy
of
thought
leadership
content
in
gaining
the
aQen(on
of
and
persuading
buyers,
but
that
content
is
of
liPle
value
of
the
market
won’t
accept
you
as
a
thought
leader.
• How
will
our
thought
leadership
be
accepted?
• Are
clients
persuaded
by
thought
leadership?
• Is
the
industry
in
need
of
fresh
perspec(ve?
• Are
we
credible,
or
at
least
neutral
in
our
industry?
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

21. Gain
Alignment
Within
the
Organiza2on
Alignment
could
very
well
be
the
glue
that
holds
this
all
together.
If
your
CEO
is
not
on
board
(nothing
is
worse
than
coming
up
with
a
great
marke(ng
strategy
only
to
have
your
CEO
on
a
different
planet)
or
if
your
front
line
teams
are
not
on
board,
thought
leadership
marke(ng
is
not
a
viable
strategy.
Being
a
thought
leader
takes
an
en2re
company’s
support
to
succeed.
What
does
the
thought
leadership
aligned
organiza(on
look
like?
• Clients
embrace
ideas
&
engage
in
dialogue
• Front-­‐line
teams
embrace
and
leverage
thought
leadership
• Thought
leadership
is
aligned
with
industry
challenges
&
conversa(ons
• The
point
of
view,
channels
and
tools
work
together
to
deliver
results
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

22. Your
Thought
Leadership
Must
Have
a
Unique
POV
Clarity
Language
that
resonates
with
the
target
Rigor
Deliver
your
TL
with
(ght,
consistent
logic
Focus
Develop
a
single,
fundamental
message
Point
of
View
Prac2cality
Demonstrate
implement-­‐
a(on
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Novelty
Develop
a
unique
problem
diagnosis
Relevance
Meet
a
specific
market
need
Validity
Provide
a
solu(on
that
is
proven
effec(ve
Source:
The
Bloom
Group’s
2006
survey,
AOaining
Thought
Leadership
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

23. Develop
a
Single
Focused
Message
• A
strong
point
of
view
must
have
a
single,
overriding
message
that
can
be
stated
in
one
or
two
sentences.
• All
explana(on
and
evidence
should
reinforce
the
main
message.
• The
message
should
be
clear,
specific,
and
intriguing,
because
of
its
relevancy
and
novelty.
• It
should
deliver
one
or
more
of
the
following:
– a
new
way
of
thinking
about
an
issue,
– a
new
solu(on
to
an
emerging
or
exis(ng
problem,
– a
new
insight
into
a
trend
or
phenomenon,
– a
new
set
of
experiences
that
reinforce
or
contradict
conven(onal
thinking
or
prac(ce.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

24. Express
a
Novel
Problem
Diagnosis
• A
point
of
view
must
be
unique
and
break
new
ground.
• To
ensure
that
their
ideas
are
novel,
a
firm
must
be
thoroughly
aware
of
other
points
of
view
on
the
topic,
both
those
in
business
and
academia.
• A
novel
point
of
view
can
address
a
topic
that
has
been
addressed
by
others
(e.g.,
Sarbanes-­‐Oxley,
organiza(onal
change
management,
labor
nego(a(ons)—but
only
if
it
sheds
new
light
on
the
nature
of
the
problem
and/or
the
solu(on.
• A
new
“label”
applied
to
a
previously
stated
problem
or
solu(on,
new
case
example
of
an
exis(ng
issue,
or
new
sta(s(cs
underscoring
an
o`-­‐discussed
challenge
do
not
make
a
point
of
view
novel.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

25. Your
Solu2on
Must
Resonate
with
Relevance
to
the
Target
Audience
• A
point
of
view
must
meet
a
cri(cal
and
specific
market
need.
• It
must
demonstrate
a
“case
for
ac(on.”
• The
target
client
must
believe
they
share
the
problem
and
that
they
have
to
take
ac(on
now.
• If
a
target
audience
is
unaware
of
a
problem
that
a
firm
discusses,
the
firm
must
provide
solid
evidence
that
the
problem
exists.
• This
requires
real-­‐life
examples,
sta(s(cs
that
point
to
an
inescapable
trend.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

26. Publish
Concepts
that
are
Proven
and
Valid
• A
firm’s
solu(on
must
be
supported
with
strong
evidence
of
how
the
solu(on
works
and
where
it
has
been
used.
• This
proof
must
take
the
form
of
case
studies
of
organiza(ons
that
are
willing
to
go
public
and
will
vouch
for
the
efficacy
of
the
solu(on.
• If
a
point
of
view’s
validity
cannot
be
proven
conclusively,
it
is
just
an
interes(ng
theory.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

27. Demonstrate
the
Prac2cality
of
Your
Ideas
• A
firm
must
demonstrate
that
its
solu(on
can
be
implemented.
• The
point
of
view
must
outline
and
detail
the
approach,
and
must
demonstrate
that
the
firm
knows
the
biggest
barriers
to
implemen(ng
its
approach
and
how
to
resolve
them.
A
firm
must
guard
against
communica(ng
blatantly
that
its
target
clients
need
outside
help
to
adopt
the
solu(on.
• The
difficulty
of
the
problem
and
the
solu(on—
and
the
insights
and
experience
the
firm
demonstrates
through
its
point
of
view—should
make
it
clear
to
the
target
audience
that
it
needs
assistance.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

28. Cra[
Your
Solu2on
with
Rigor
and
Logic
• A
point
of
view
must
have
(ght,
consistent
logic
throughout.
• Asser(ons
must
follow
from
previous
asser(ons,
and
must
be
grounded
in
fact
and
be
defendable.
• The
logic
of
the
argument
must
follow
the
form
of
problem/solu(on.
• Logic
“gaps”—
assump(ons
made
by
the
content
experts
that
may
not
be
held
by
the
target
audience—must
be
filled.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

29. Deliver
Your
POV
with
Absolute
Clarity
• A
point
of
view
must
be
communicated
in
language
and
concepts
that
the
target
audience
understands—not
the
firm’s
language
and
vernacular.
• A
point
of
view
can
be
communicated
in
a
compelling
way
through
the
use
of
such
wri(ng
devices
as
analogies,
metaphors,
anecdotal
leads,
and
hypothe(cal
examples.
• The
structure
of
the
point
of
view
should
be:
–
–
–
–
–
–
statement
of
problem;
brief
statement
of
solu(on
and
benefits
of
solu(on;
elabora(on
of
problem;
elabora(on
of
solu(on
(with
examples);
challenges
to
implemen(ng
the
solu(on;
and
summary/case
for
taking
ac(on
now.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

30. Create
Thought
Leading
Content
•
•
•
Instruc2onal
-­‐
Instruc(onal
posts
tell
people
how
to
do
something.
I
find
that
Tips
posts
are
generally
the
ones
that
are
among
my
most
popular
both
in
the
short
term
Informa2onal
-­‐
This
is
one
of
the
more
common
blog
post
types
where
you
simply
give
informa(on
on
a
topic.
It
could
be
a
defini(on
post
or
a
longer
explana(on
of
some
aspect
of
the
niche
that
you’re
wri(ng
on.
This
is
the
crux
of
successful
sites
like
Wikipedia.
Reviews
-­‐
Another
highly
searched
for
term
on
the
web
is
‘review’
-­‐
I
know
every
(me
I’m
considering
buying
a
new
product
that
I
head
to
Google
and
search
for
a
review
on
it
first.
Reviews
come
in
all
shapes
and
sizes
and
on
virtually
every
product
or
service
you
can
think
of.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
•
•
•
Lists
-­‐
One
of
the
easiest
ways
to
write
a
post
is
to
make
a
list.
Posts
with
content
like
‘The
Top
Ten
ways
to….’,
‘7
Reasons
why….’
‘
5
Favorite
….’,
are
not
only
easy
to
write
but
are
usually
very
popular
with
readers
and
with
geng
links
from
other
bloggers.
Interviews
-­‐
Some(mes
when
you’ve
run
out
of
insighoul
things
to
say
it
might
be
a
good
idea
to
let
someone
else
do
the
talking
in
an
interview
(or
a
guest
post).
This
is
a
great
way
to
not
only
give
your
readers
a
relevant
expert’s
opinion
but
to
perhaps
even
learn
something
about
the
topic
you’re
wri(ng
yourself.
Case
Studies
-­‐
Profile
a
client,
a
peer,
an
organiza(on
or
person
that
you
admire
either
through
direct
contact
or
an
interview
with
them
or
by
doing
some
of
your
own
benchmarking
ac(vity.
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

31. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

32. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Miron
Construc2on
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

33. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Faith
Technologies
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

34. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Cisco
• En(re
senior
management
team
is
organized
around
the
goal
of
promo(ng
Cisco
as
a
thought
leader
in
the
technology
field
• Earning
credibility
by
crea(ng
informa(on
that
places
company
objec(ves
second
to
the
goal
of
educa(ng
prospects
• Every
Cisco
execu(ve
must
establish
and
nurture
his
or
her
own
reputa(on
for
thought
leadership,
through
blogging,
public
speaking,
and
wri(ng
ar(cles
“When
you
look
at
thought
leadership
you
can
break
it
out
into
a
number
of
different
areas.
It
must
be
visionary.
It
looks
at
the
future.
It
must
be
provoca4ve,
and
it
must
put
the
our
customer’s
needs
first.”
Mark
Peshoff,
Senior
Director
of
Cisco’s
Execu(ve
Thought
Leadership
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

35. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Cisco
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

36. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Cisco
“Once
thought
leadership
is
established,
the
rest
of
the
industry,
the
media,
academia,
government
policymakers
and
the
broader
business
community
turn
to
that
company
for
ideas
and
for
insights
into
where
things
are
going.”
“The
credibility
we
gain
through
thought
leadership
contributes
to
a
sustainable
market
leadership
posi4on.
“Cisco’s
status
in
the
technology
field,
and
the
business
world,
and
its
dedica4on
to
thought
leadership
are
inseparable.”
Mark
Peshoff,
Senior
Director
of
Cisco’s
Execu(ve
Thought
Leadership
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

37. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Pheedo
• Start
the
conversa(on
&
set
the
tone
for
a
new
industry
• First
to
market
with
data
&
expecta(ons
• Built
on
blogging
&
community
• Strong
media
&
speaking
presence
• Over
50%
of
growth
aQributed
to
TLM
ac(vi(es
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

38. Pheedo
Pheed
Read
Report
• Created
“industry
first”
data,
reports
and
research
• Generated
over
2000
media
men(ons,
20
analyst
calls,
70
speaking
engagements
and
over
$1M
in
new
business
• Thought
leadership
posi(on
is
s(ll
unmatched
by
compe(tors
today
• Secured
stories
in
WSJ,
NY
Times,
Ad
Week,
Ad
Age,
Business
2.0,
and
over
25
other
major
press
hits
in
just
2
mos.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

39. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
LifeMeetsWork.com
• Startup
company
successfully
launched
using
thought
leadership
principles
• Executed
full
12
month
social
media
&
thought
leadership
plan
• Chosen
by
DeloiQe
and
Sara
Lee
to
lead
a
Flex
Work
roundtable
session
&
research
project
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

40. Life
Meets
Work
Work/Life
Issues
Research
Report
• Take
a
thought
leadership
posi(on
during
Na4onal
Work
&
Family
Month
• Industry
wide
survey
that
reached
the
top
work-­‐life
Fortune
500
leaders
• Used
to
influence
pending
work/life
legisla(on
(gathered
support
from
direct
compe(tors)
• Garnered
over
100
media
men(ons
• Generated
over
140
new
leads
for
LMW
services
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Thought
Leadership
Toolkit
ü Research
survey
ü Whitepaper
ü Media
rela(ons
ü Blogger
rela(ons
ü Webinar
ü Lead
follow-­‐up
and
nurturing
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

41. Thought
Leadership
Marketer:
Indium
Corpora2on
“[Being
a
Thought
Leader]
is
being
considered
the
best,
most
authorita4ve,
trusted
source.
It
means
being
the
“go
to”
people.
It
means
being
given
the
first
look,
being
invited
into
a
development
project
and
asked
for
advice.
It
means
being
the
organiza4on
that
others
MUST
HAVE
involved
with
a
project.
And
it
all
leads
to
increased
sales,
profits,
and
image
or
it
simply
didn’t
maOer..”
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
Rick
Short,
Indium
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

42. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

43. Publish
Content
in
Many
Forms
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

44. Use
Your
Complete,
Correct
and
Ac2ve
LinkedIn
Profile
3
1
2
5
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
4
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

45. Connect
with
Thought
Followers
• Track
who
is
looking
at
your
profile,
then
research
those
people
and
their
companies
in
more
depth
• Follow-­‐up
with
a
connec(on
request,
phone
call,
e-­‐mail
or
InMail
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

46. Share
Ar2cles
from
Your
Blog
• Share
with
your
LinkedIn
connec(ons
• Email
to
your
prospects
and
clients
• Contribute
to
industry
forums
• Print
out
for
your
next
client
visit
• Comment
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

47. Curate
Insights
from
Industry
Sources
• Use
in
status
updates
to
LinkedIn
• Send
links
to
your
network
• Share
in
LinkedIn
Groups
• Share
on
other
social
media
profiles
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

48. Make
Thought
Leadership
a
Habit
• Share
insights
with
your
connec(ons
• Look
for
opportuni(es
to
add
perspec(ve
to
a
conversa(on
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

49. Presenta2on
Roadmap
What
is
Thought
Leadership
Marke(ng?
Why
become
a
thought
leader?
How
do
we
become
a
thought
leader?
How
have
others
used
thought
leadership?
What
can
I
do
to
leverage
thought
leadership
in
my
role?
• Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
•
•
•
•
•
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

50. Thought
Leadership
self-­‐assessment
1. Do
people
use
the
term
“expert”
when
describing
you
or
your
firm?
2. Do
you
have
a
“conversa2onal
marke2ng”
a]tude
rather
than
a
“sales
first”
a]tude?
3. Do
your
marke2ng
materials
say
more
about
your
client’s
work
than
yours?
4. Do
you
strive
to
know
your
clients’
industries
as
well
as
they
do?
5. Are
you
publishing
or
perishing?
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
6. Are
you
are
considered
“honest,
trustworthy
and
selfless”?
7. Are
you
considered
one
of
the
top
3
picks
for
your
products/
services
by
your
target
audience?
8. Do
you
command
higher
prices
and
fees
for
your
products
or
work?
9. Do
you
impact
the
decision
even
if
you
don’t
get
the
business?
10. Does
your
compelling
point
of
view
create
coherency
out
of
marketplace
chaos?
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

51. "Our
brand
is
the
only
_____
that
______."
Onliness
Our
brand
is…
Harley
Davidson
is…
What:
How:
The
only
(category)
The
only
motorcycle
manufacturer
that
(differen(a(on
characteris(c)
that
makes
big,
loud
motorcycles
Who:
for
(customer)
for
macho
guys
(and
“macho
wannabes”)
Where:
Why:
When:
in
(market
geography)
mostly
in
the
US
who
(need
state)
who
want
to
join
a
gang
of
cowboys
during
(underlying
trend)
in
an
era
of
decreasing
personal
freedom.
The
Onliness
Statement
dis6nguishes
your
organiza6on
from
every
other
organiza6on.
It
is
a
posi6oning
statement
that
says
what
you
do
and
for
whom,
and
what
makes
it
unique.
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

52. Develop
Your
Onliness
Statement
What:
The
only
(category)
What:_________________
How:
that
(differen(a(on)
How:__________________
Who:
for
(customer)
Who:__________________
Where:
in
(market/
Where:________________
geography)
Why:
who
(need
state)
Why:__________________
When:
during
(underlying
trend)
When:_________________
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

53. QUESTIONS?
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771
dana@marke(ngsavant.com
Thanks
for
APending!
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

54. Thought
Leadership
Marke2ng
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The
Pyramid
Principle,
Barbara
Minto
Get
Slightly
Famous,
Steven
Van
Yoder
Sustainable
Thought
Leadership,
Sari
Aapola
Brand
Stand,
Craig
Badings
Thoughts
on
Thought
Leadership,
Robert
Buday
and
Bernie
Thiel
Value
Forward
Marke6ng,
Paul
R.
DiModica
The
Challenger
Sale,
CEB
The
Trusted
Advisor,
David
Maister
How
to
Become
a
Thought
Leader,
RainToday.com
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

55. Thought
Leadership
Marke2ng
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

56. APPENDIX
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

57. Thought
Leaders
Master
the
4
C’s
Competence
Define
your
core
competence
and
translate
it
into
marketable
intellectual
capital
with
a
differen(ated
point
of
view
Content
Crea2on
Create
problem
solving,
useful
and
influen(al
content
across
a
variety
of
media,
to
move
your
customer
from
“I
don’t
know
you”
to
“I
trust
you
to
solve
my
problem”
Channels
Use
those
thought
leadership
marke(ng
to
dialogue
with
and
learn
from
your
audience
while
sharing
your
thought
leadership
message
within
an
industry
Connec2on
In
order
to
be
a
successful
thought
leader,
an
organiza(on
should
have
a
well-­‐developed
and
ac(ve
online
and
offline
social
networking
strategy
in
place
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771

58. Thought
Leadership
Plan:
Pheedo
The
Marke(ngSavant
Group
www.marke(ngsavant.com
888.989.7771