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SUITEDREAMS
ARE MADE
OF THIS
WHAT FTSE 350 C-SUITE REALLY THINK
ABOUT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
VALUE OF B2B THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SURVEY
02Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com 02Grist / Content with purpose gristonline.com
Headline
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Entur.
CONTENTS
1.0 Executive Summary	 03
2.0 	Key findings	
2.1 	How thought leadership provides value	 04
2.2 	Why thought leadership fails	 06
2.3 	What the C-suite want	 07
2.4 	How and when to reach the C-suite	 10
2.5 	The impact of thought leadership	 14
2.6 	Future content	 17
2.7 	Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics	 18
3.0 Conclusion	 20
4.0 About Grist 	 21
About the research
Independent market research agency, Coleman Parkes, undertook the research on behalf of
Grist, conducting over 200 interviews with senior executives at a range of organisations in the
FTSE 350. Interviewees were segmented by role as follows: CEO, senior legal, finance, risk,
marketing and sales, human resources and technology. The interviews were carried out in July
and August 2016.
03Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Executive Summary1.0
High quality thought leadership can cement an
organisation’s reputation as a trusted partner.
It can underscore perceptions of expertise.
It can even help to close the deal. However,
in an era of seemingly endless content, one
organisation’s words of wisdom must compete
for attention like never before. Much content
fails to hit the mark, often navel gazing, generic
and conceptual. It is also often supplier-centric
when it should be client-centric.
It is in this context that Grist wanted to find
out what the client thought – what exactly
the C-suite at FTSE 350 firms expected from
thought leadership, how and when it was
consumed and what would make it better.
The results of the first Value of B2B thought
leadership survey shed light on this and more.
Key findings are summarised right.
1.	Be useful. Senior executives
seek out thought leadership
that helps them stay ahead
of emerging trends (66%) and
helps them make better, more
informed decisions (60%). See
section 2.1>.
2. Failure comes in threes.
Thought leadership fails when
it proves too generic (63%),
lacks original insight or ideas
(58%) or promotes the advisor
rather than addressing client
need (53%). See section 2.2>.
3.	Let the client see their
clients. The thoughts of clients
(57%) matter more than
any other voices or sources.
Readers want to know what
those they serve – or whose
business they want to win –
are thinking and doing. See
section 2.3>.
4.	Keep it short and punchy.
Two formats – 800-word
articles (63%) and 300–500-
word blog posts (57%) – are
preferred more than any other.
See section 2.3>.
5. It’s complicated. Senior
executives rely on multiple
sources, online and offline, to
get their thought leadership fix.
Asked to identify from where
they are most likely to seek out
thought leadership material,
respondents most commonly
identified professional services/
advisory firms (44%), industry
events (43%) and online search
(40%). See section 2.4>.
6.	Facebook, the professional
network? Facebook – more
commonly associated with
friendship and familial
connections – was cited as
the social network senior
executives were likely to engage
with thought leadership on.
Facebook was referenced by
79% of respondents, compared
with Twitter (73%) and LinkedIn
(68%). See section 2.4>.
7.	Monday lunchtimes matter.
Two thirds of senior executives
seek out thought leadership
on a Monday while the two
hour slot between 12 noon and
2pm is the single most popular
time. See section 2.4>.
8.	The C-suite ignore most
of what you write. Senior
executives read on average 31%
of all the thought leadership
that comes across their desks.
To get noticed – and read – copy
needs to be truly compelling.
See section 2.5>.
9.	Readers want to be
creators too. Asked to look
forward and imagine content
that would be most useful
in the future, four in five
respondents said that they
wanted content that they – and
their peers – were involved in
developing. See section 2.6>.
Separately, the research
pointed to different attitudes
and approach to thought
leadership depending on the
senior executive’s role and
function. Grist has developed
a series of personas – from
the visionary CEO to the
sceptical marketer – to help
understand these differences.
See section 2.7>.
04Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
How thought leadership provides value2.1
Q: Why do you read thought leadership?
Grist
To help answer
my most pressing
problems
To help me evaluate
the expertise and
insight of the
advisor
To help me
understand best
practice
To give me the edge
over competitors
To keep me informed
of emerging trends
To enable me
to make better
decisions
39%
36%
52%
48%
66%
60%
Before asking how, ask why
Senior executives use thought
leadership to stay ahead of emerging
trends (66%) and to help them make
better, more informed decisions
(60%). Those two responses proved
by far the most popular when
respondents were asked why they
read such content and reflect the
fundamental objective of successful
content marketing – to be of use.
Notably, only one third (36%) of
respondents read thought leadership
to help them evaluate the expertise
and insight of the advisor. If such
evaluation happens, it is often tacit
and a result of the provision of useful
information. In other words, naked
demonstrations of salesmanship
appear less effective than evidence
of clear-sighted understanding of a
client’s needs.
05Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Q: What qualities do you find most valuable in thought leadership?
£
$
¥
Fresh thinking: Exploring issues or challenges from new and different perspectives
Forward-thinking: Analysing important or emerging trends
Evidence-led: Containing robust data
Action-oriented: Recommendations that help you make more informed decisions
Authentic: The originating firm has existing expertise; they practice what they preach
Collaborative: The research is done in conjunction with clients like you
Opinionated: Genuine insight  informed opinion
Engaging: Good storytelling
Hard hitting: Clear  simple facts well presented
Professional: Attractive presentation
Commercially led: Identifying new opportunities
Convenient: Available where, when, how you want
46%
32%
29%
26%
26%
23%
21%
21%
21%
20%
18%
16%
How thought leadership provides value continued2.1
And in terms of those needs, senior
executives are looking for fresh,
forward-thinking content above all
else. Respondents want content
that explores issues or challenges
from new and different perspectives
(46%) and analysis of important or
emerging trends (32%). Evidence-
based (29%), action-oriented (26%)
and authentic (26%) content was
also cited as valuable by a significant
number of senior executives.
06Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Why thought leadership fails2.2
Thought leadership succeeds when
it proves useful, demonstrates an
understanding of the target audience
and provides fresh thinking. It fails,
therefore, when it proves too generic
(63%), lacks original insight or ideas
(58%) or promotes the advisor,
rather than addressing the reader’s
needs (53%). The last of these
reasons underscores the point
made in the section above while the
first demands of the advisor that it
really understands its clients and
their needs.
Q: What turns you off thought leadership?
47%
40% 38%
63% 58% 53%
Too generic
- not directly
relevant to me
Lack of
original insight
or ideas
Promoting the
advisor, rather
than addressing
my problems
Unsubstantiated
opinions
Difficult/boring
to read
Too conceptual
- without
recommendations
07Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
What the C-suite want2.3
Reaching the client’s client
The thoughts of clients (57%) matter
more to senior executives than any
other group, according to the survey.
Readers want to know what those
they serve – or wish to serve – are
thinking and doing. Reflecting those
views makes thought leadership
more valuable. Other voices that
matter include industry experts
(53%), professional services firms
(44%), the public (42%), peers (36%)
and inspirational individuals outside
the industry (36%).
Q: Whose views do you most want to hear?
57%
53%
44%
42%
36%
36%
32%
Clients
Industry experts
Professional services firms
The public
Peers
Inspirational individuals
outside the industry
The government/
regulatory bodies
08Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Short and punchy
Asked how senior executives prefer
to receive thought leadership, two
formats stood out – short articles of
800 words (63%) and blog posts of
300–500 words (57%). A significant
minority are prepared to read longer
pieces – feature articles of 1,200+
words (45%) and white papers and
research reports of up to 4,000
words (28%). Taken together, the
written word would appear to be the
preferred format when compared to
video (26%), audio podcasts (25%)
and infographics (20%). In-person
briefings (33%) and in-person slide
presentations (31%) matter but,
again, do not rate as highly as key
text-based content types.
What the C-suite want continued2.3
Q: Which of the following formats do you prefer?
White papers/research reports (3–4,000 words)
Short articles of 800 words
Blog posts of 300–500 words
Feature articles of 1,200+ words
In-person briefings
In-person slide presentations
Online slide presentations
Webinars
e-books
Video – talking heads
Video summaries/explainers
Print magazines
Podcasts
Microsites
Online magazines
Apps
Infographics
63%
57%
45%
33%
31%
31%
29%
28%
28%
26%
26%
26%
25%
24%
24%
21%
20%
09Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
What the C-suite want continued2.3
Q: Where does thought leadership provide most value in the decision-making process?
$
Turning
ideas into
gold
To research
an issue
To discover
a solution
To confirm you
have made the
right decision
To compare 
a provider
43%
39%
9%
8%
It is likely that some format types
work better at specific stages of
the sales cycle – white papers at
the research stage and in-person
briefings nearer the decision-
making stage, for example. Asked
separately to identify at what stage
thought leadership provides most
value in decision making, 43% of
respondents indicated that it was
when researching an issue, while
39% said it was when looking for
a solution.
10Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
How and when to reach the C-suite2.4
A series of questions sought to shed
light on the successful execution of
thought leadership – to understand
when best to deliver content and
through which means.
Multiple sources, virtual
and physical
Asked to identify from where they
are most likely to seek out thought
leadership material, respondents
most commonly identified
professional services/advisory
firms (44%), industry events (43%)
and online search (40%). Industry
media (36%) and social media (28%)
appeared slightly further down
the list, perhaps indicating the
declining impact of traditional B2B
publications as media transitions
from print to digital and the
likelihood that users don’t seek out
information from social media in
the traditional sense – rather it is
‘pushed’ in their direction.
Q: From which of these sources are you most likely to seek out thought
leadership material?
Professional
services/
advisory
firms
Industry
events
Online search
Websites
Direct from a
named/known
supplier
Industry
media
Private
networks
Social
media
44%
43%
40%
38%
37%
36%
34%
28%
11Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Q: Which of the following are most likely to prompt your engagement with
thought leadership information?
Recommendation from a peer/colleague
Online browsing
Online discussion groups
Email updates/e-newsletters
Recommendation from staff
Direct mail
Print media subscriptions
Social media posts
Magazines
39%
37%
36%
35%
35%
33%
32%
29%
24%
How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4
Overall, the results suggest that
senior executives use a combination
of physical and virtual sources,
relying on multiple means and
happily marrying face-to-face
contact with internet-derived
sources.
This point was reflected in
responses to the next question. It
asked which means was most likely
to prompt engagement with thought
leadership information. Again, a
range of responses were given
similar weight. Recommendation
from a peer/colleague (39%) was
the most popular answer followed
by online browsing (37%) and online
discussion groups (36%).
12Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Facebook, the professional
network?
Notably, Facebook – more
commonly associated with
friendship and familial connections
– was cited as the social network
senior executives were most likely to
engage with for thought leadership.
Facebook was referenced by 79% of
respondents, compared with Twitter
(73%) and LinkedIn (68%). Given
LinkedIn’s role as the self-described
world’s number one professional
social network, these results might
surprise. On the other hand, given
that Facebook is used by 1.7 billion
people every month – and over a
billion every day – it is perhaps
less surprising to see its influence
spill into the world of professional
thought leadership.
Q: On which network are you likely to engagewith thought leadership?
2%
None
79%
73%
68%47%
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Private
network
How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4
13Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Tell me why I should
like Mondays
Two thirds of senior executives seek
out thought leadership information
on a Monday, making it the most
popular day to engage with content
by a large margin. Notably Friday
(52%) is the second most popular
day, countering a common view that
the end of the week is the graveyard
slot for content marketing. While
Saturday (22%) and Sunday (20%) are
the least popular days, the fact that
one in five respondents are prepared
to engage with thought leadership at
the weekend is likely to be a product
of easy access to information via
digital media and smart devices.
If Monday is the most popular day
to seek out thought leadership
information, lunchtime is the most
popular time to view the content.
According to the survey results, 34%
of senior executives selected the 12
noon to 2pm time slot. The working
morning, between 9am and 12 noon,
was the second most popular (26%),
while as many said they viewed
thought leadership content between
6pm and midnight (14%) as they did
between 2pm and 6pm.
Q: On which days of the week do you typically seek out thought leadership?
66%
MONDAY
52%
FRIDAY
48%
WEDNESDAY
42%
THURSDAY
22% 20%
SATURDAY SUNDAY
41%
TUESDAY
Q: What time of day are you most likely to view thought leadership?
Before 09.00 18.00 – Midnight9.00 – 12.00 14.00 – 18.0012.00 – 14.00
13%
14%
26%
13%
34%
How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4
14Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
The Grist survey sought to
understand how much thought
leadership content readers saw,
what influence it had and what
responses it typically elicited.
Asked first to assess the impact
of the thought leadership that
comes across their desks, senior
executives said that 31% gets
read and 28% has an impact on
decision making.
Q: How much of the thought leadership that you comeacross do you actually read?
Q: How much of the thought leadership that you come across has an impact
on your decision making?
The impact of thought leadership2.5
28%
31%
THIS WAY
THAT WAY
15Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
When asked to rate thought leadership
they read, senior executives are
positive about its effect. More than
four out of five (84%) believe it plays
an important part in adding value
to their role, while just below that
number indicate its importance in
staying up to speed on key business
issues (79%), decision making
(76%) and taking a view on the
future (76%).
Q: How would you rate thought leadership in terms of the value it provides to you?
The impact of thought leadership continued2.5
84%*
79%
76%
76%
Value to you
in your role
Ability to stay
up to speed on
all key business
issues
Impact on your
decision making
Impact on your
view of the
future
*Percentage rating important/very important
16Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
When thought leadership matches
the reader’s needs, a number of
actions typically follow – 72% of
readers are motivated to research
the topic in more depth, 67%
discuss it with peers or colleagues
while 63% implement the
suggestions.
Q: What action would you typically take when thought leadership hits the mark?
Research the topic in more depth
Discuss it with peers/colleagues
Try to implement the suggestions
Share it with peers/colleagues
Speak to the firm that produced it
72%
67%
63%
57%
40%
The impact of thought leadership continued2.5
17Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Readers want to be creators too
Asked to look forward and imagine
content that would prove most
useful, four in five senior executives
said that they wanted to read, watch
and listen to material that they –
and their peers – were involved in
developing. For those devising and
managing content, this presents
an interesting opportunity: the very
people they want to reach through
thought leadership appear willing to
be interviewed and become active
participants in the process.
Q: What would you most like to see in the future?
80%
55%
50%
50%
48%
46%
Future content2.6
Content that is
more interactive,
such as video,
webcasts and
other digital
formats
Content that is
more accessible,
such as shorter
bite-sized articles
and infographics
Content that
provides a single
source answer
to a problem -
drawing in the
opinion of all
stakeholders
Content that
incorporates
dialogue with
your peers
Content that is
personalised for
your organisation
Content that you
and your peers
are involved in
developing
18Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
While most of the senior executives
interviewed shared homogenous
views on thought leadership,
there were a number of notable
differences across job titles.
The research pointed to the
following personas:
Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics2.7
CEOs (aka the visionaries)
•	 Wants to be challenged by innovative thinking
and emerging trends
•	 Dismissive of the generic and conceptual
•	 Leaves action-oriented best practice to those
lower down the organisational food chain
Finance (aka the open network)
•	 Eschews the generic and conceptual
•	 Seeks commercially led ideas
•	 Values opinion of industry experts and peers
•	 Active at the beginning of the week
Technology (aka the closed network)
•	 Values emerging trends
•	 Watches thought leadership videos and
longer forms of content
•	 Seeks peer recommendations
•	 Fan of Twitter
•	 Happy to engage on a Friday
19Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics continued2.7
Legal (aka the researchers)
•	 Uses thought leadership to evaluate the
expertise and insight of advisors
•	 Shuns advances from professional services
and advisory firms
•	 Prefers short 800-word articles
•	 Engages with thought leadership via Twitter
•	 Values clear and simple facts
Marketing and sales (aka the sceptics)
•	 Sceptical about most thought leadership
•	 Seeks out content that will improve decision making
•	 Less likely to trust social media
•	 Values opinions of industry experts
•	 Likely to engage at lunchtime
Human Resources (aka the solution seekers)
•	 Seeks out thought leadership to answer questions, seek solutions
•	 Happy to browse online and receive direct mail
•	 Wants to be better informed to make better decisions
•	 Turned off by lack of insight
Risk (aka the information junkies)
•	 Needs to evaluate the expertise and insight of an advisor or supplier
•	 Keen to hear from industry experts
•	 Values industry media
•	 Likely to turn to social media
?
20Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
Conclusion3.0
The research is great news if you
are in charge of your B2B firm’s
marketing and communications
programmes. Thought leadership
is clearly valued by the C-suite and
they are happy to receive it from
their advisers.
However, thought leadership must
provide a return on investment: both
for the firms that invest the money to
produce it and the senior executives
that invest the time to view it. To take
advantage of this opportunity and build
long-term relationships, you need to
respect your readers.
The C-suite are a sophisticated and
demanding audience, and will not respond
to rehashed marketing material. But
you have a real opportunity to break
the mould: to get under readers’ skins,
address their most pressing concerns
and help them make better decisions by
exploring the future. Once you’ve done that
successfully, you can begin to reinforce
your position as a trusted partner.
And as the research makes clear, a
trusted partner needs to produce content
that is insightful not undiscerning, specific
not generic, useful not self-serving.
Perhaps, most importantly, it needs to
include the views of clients and other
industry experts. In short: show, don’t tell.
Findings ranged from the expected to
the consensus-challenging. Monday
lunchtimes prove a popular time to
receive thought leadership material
but so, too, do Fridays, while one in five
will happily seek out thought leadership
at weekends. Build these insights into
your planning.
Consider, too, that Facebook matters
in the world of B2B. Marketing teams,
content teams and agencies need to
work through the consequences of this
and come up with a compelling editorial
plan for this and other social networks.
There is no silver bullet. Only a third of
the thought leadership that is produced
gets noticed. Distribution needs to be
widespread and take in a whole array
of influencers. The only certainty is this
– you must truly know your audience if
you are to have a chance of success.
Return on investment will not be
immediate. Thought leadership works
well at the beginning of the sales
funnel, not at the end. You need to be in
it for the long haul, providing genuinely
helpful content – being there when the
client needs help, not just when they
want to purchase services.
21Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com
About Grist4.0
At Grist, we create content with purpose. We are a
strategic B2B content marketing agency with the
editorial heritage of The Economist and Financial Times
in our DNA and a clear vision of the digital future.
As B2B specialists, we not only understand your
needs but those of your clients. We understand how
to produce and promote engaging content across all
channels – content that helps your clients do their
jobs; content that underscores your value to them; and
content that influences the decision-making process.
It’s what we call the content marketing sweet spot.
We are also a results-driven business partner.
That means we’ll work with you to track return on
investment, always aiming to exceed your marketing
goals through the delivery of quality content.
To find out how Grist can help you, contact
andrewrogerson@gristonline.com
Contact
Andrew Rogerson
andrewrogerson@gristonline.com
M: 020 7434 1445
www.gristonline.com

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The Value of B2B Thought Leadership Survey

  • 1. SUITEDREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS WHAT FTSE 350 C-SUITE REALLY THINK ABOUT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP VALUE OF B2B THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SURVEY
  • 2. 02Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com 02Grist / Content with purpose gristonline.com Headline Standfirst… landaes audae consequat eaturehendi dolorrum eoste lanim faciduc itatet quostor epelita tectur aut labo. Ciendi consedit in preheniscid ea nonserum lab idis am nobis pa accusda de mo in rehendi cum ea eos magnis aut optatque volorem se voluptat quibusdae. Entur. CONTENTS 1.0 Executive Summary 03 2.0 Key findings 2.1 How thought leadership provides value 04 2.2 Why thought leadership fails 06 2.3 What the C-suite want 07 2.4 How and when to reach the C-suite 10 2.5 The impact of thought leadership 14 2.6 Future content 17 2.7 Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics 18 3.0 Conclusion 20 4.0 About Grist 21 About the research Independent market research agency, Coleman Parkes, undertook the research on behalf of Grist, conducting over 200 interviews with senior executives at a range of organisations in the FTSE 350. Interviewees were segmented by role as follows: CEO, senior legal, finance, risk, marketing and sales, human resources and technology. The interviews were carried out in July and August 2016.
  • 3. 03Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Executive Summary1.0 High quality thought leadership can cement an organisation’s reputation as a trusted partner. It can underscore perceptions of expertise. It can even help to close the deal. However, in an era of seemingly endless content, one organisation’s words of wisdom must compete for attention like never before. Much content fails to hit the mark, often navel gazing, generic and conceptual. It is also often supplier-centric when it should be client-centric. It is in this context that Grist wanted to find out what the client thought – what exactly the C-suite at FTSE 350 firms expected from thought leadership, how and when it was consumed and what would make it better. The results of the first Value of B2B thought leadership survey shed light on this and more. Key findings are summarised right. 1. Be useful. Senior executives seek out thought leadership that helps them stay ahead of emerging trends (66%) and helps them make better, more informed decisions (60%). See section 2.1>. 2. Failure comes in threes. Thought leadership fails when it proves too generic (63%), lacks original insight or ideas (58%) or promotes the advisor rather than addressing client need (53%). See section 2.2>. 3. Let the client see their clients. The thoughts of clients (57%) matter more than any other voices or sources. Readers want to know what those they serve – or whose business they want to win – are thinking and doing. See section 2.3>. 4. Keep it short and punchy. Two formats – 800-word articles (63%) and 300–500- word blog posts (57%) – are preferred more than any other. See section 2.3>. 5. It’s complicated. Senior executives rely on multiple sources, online and offline, to get their thought leadership fix. Asked to identify from where they are most likely to seek out thought leadership material, respondents most commonly identified professional services/ advisory firms (44%), industry events (43%) and online search (40%). See section 2.4>. 6. Facebook, the professional network? Facebook – more commonly associated with friendship and familial connections – was cited as the social network senior executives were likely to engage with thought leadership on. Facebook was referenced by 79% of respondents, compared with Twitter (73%) and LinkedIn (68%). See section 2.4>. 7. Monday lunchtimes matter. Two thirds of senior executives seek out thought leadership on a Monday while the two hour slot between 12 noon and 2pm is the single most popular time. See section 2.4>. 8. The C-suite ignore most of what you write. Senior executives read on average 31% of all the thought leadership that comes across their desks. To get noticed – and read – copy needs to be truly compelling. See section 2.5>. 9. Readers want to be creators too. Asked to look forward and imagine content that would be most useful in the future, four in five respondents said that they wanted content that they – and their peers – were involved in developing. See section 2.6>. Separately, the research pointed to different attitudes and approach to thought leadership depending on the senior executive’s role and function. Grist has developed a series of personas – from the visionary CEO to the sceptical marketer – to help understand these differences. See section 2.7>.
  • 4. 04Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com How thought leadership provides value2.1 Q: Why do you read thought leadership? Grist To help answer my most pressing problems To help me evaluate the expertise and insight of the advisor To help me understand best practice To give me the edge over competitors To keep me informed of emerging trends To enable me to make better decisions 39% 36% 52% 48% 66% 60% Before asking how, ask why Senior executives use thought leadership to stay ahead of emerging trends (66%) and to help them make better, more informed decisions (60%). Those two responses proved by far the most popular when respondents were asked why they read such content and reflect the fundamental objective of successful content marketing – to be of use. Notably, only one third (36%) of respondents read thought leadership to help them evaluate the expertise and insight of the advisor. If such evaluation happens, it is often tacit and a result of the provision of useful information. In other words, naked demonstrations of salesmanship appear less effective than evidence of clear-sighted understanding of a client’s needs.
  • 5. 05Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Q: What qualities do you find most valuable in thought leadership? £ $ ¥ Fresh thinking: Exploring issues or challenges from new and different perspectives Forward-thinking: Analysing important or emerging trends Evidence-led: Containing robust data Action-oriented: Recommendations that help you make more informed decisions Authentic: The originating firm has existing expertise; they practice what they preach Collaborative: The research is done in conjunction with clients like you Opinionated: Genuine insight informed opinion Engaging: Good storytelling Hard hitting: Clear simple facts well presented Professional: Attractive presentation Commercially led: Identifying new opportunities Convenient: Available where, when, how you want 46% 32% 29% 26% 26% 23% 21% 21% 21% 20% 18% 16% How thought leadership provides value continued2.1 And in terms of those needs, senior executives are looking for fresh, forward-thinking content above all else. Respondents want content that explores issues or challenges from new and different perspectives (46%) and analysis of important or emerging trends (32%). Evidence- based (29%), action-oriented (26%) and authentic (26%) content was also cited as valuable by a significant number of senior executives.
  • 6. 06Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Why thought leadership fails2.2 Thought leadership succeeds when it proves useful, demonstrates an understanding of the target audience and provides fresh thinking. It fails, therefore, when it proves too generic (63%), lacks original insight or ideas (58%) or promotes the advisor, rather than addressing the reader’s needs (53%). The last of these reasons underscores the point made in the section above while the first demands of the advisor that it really understands its clients and their needs. Q: What turns you off thought leadership? 47% 40% 38% 63% 58% 53% Too generic - not directly relevant to me Lack of original insight or ideas Promoting the advisor, rather than addressing my problems Unsubstantiated opinions Difficult/boring to read Too conceptual - without recommendations
  • 7. 07Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com What the C-suite want2.3 Reaching the client’s client The thoughts of clients (57%) matter more to senior executives than any other group, according to the survey. Readers want to know what those they serve – or wish to serve – are thinking and doing. Reflecting those views makes thought leadership more valuable. Other voices that matter include industry experts (53%), professional services firms (44%), the public (42%), peers (36%) and inspirational individuals outside the industry (36%). Q: Whose views do you most want to hear? 57% 53% 44% 42% 36% 36% 32% Clients Industry experts Professional services firms The public Peers Inspirational individuals outside the industry The government/ regulatory bodies
  • 8. 08Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Short and punchy Asked how senior executives prefer to receive thought leadership, two formats stood out – short articles of 800 words (63%) and blog posts of 300–500 words (57%). A significant minority are prepared to read longer pieces – feature articles of 1,200+ words (45%) and white papers and research reports of up to 4,000 words (28%). Taken together, the written word would appear to be the preferred format when compared to video (26%), audio podcasts (25%) and infographics (20%). In-person briefings (33%) and in-person slide presentations (31%) matter but, again, do not rate as highly as key text-based content types. What the C-suite want continued2.3 Q: Which of the following formats do you prefer? White papers/research reports (3–4,000 words) Short articles of 800 words Blog posts of 300–500 words Feature articles of 1,200+ words In-person briefings In-person slide presentations Online slide presentations Webinars e-books Video – talking heads Video summaries/explainers Print magazines Podcasts Microsites Online magazines Apps Infographics 63% 57% 45% 33% 31% 31% 29% 28% 28% 26% 26% 26% 25% 24% 24% 21% 20%
  • 9. 09Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com What the C-suite want continued2.3 Q: Where does thought leadership provide most value in the decision-making process? $ Turning ideas into gold To research an issue To discover a solution To confirm you have made the right decision To compare a provider 43% 39% 9% 8% It is likely that some format types work better at specific stages of the sales cycle – white papers at the research stage and in-person briefings nearer the decision- making stage, for example. Asked separately to identify at what stage thought leadership provides most value in decision making, 43% of respondents indicated that it was when researching an issue, while 39% said it was when looking for a solution.
  • 10. 10Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com How and when to reach the C-suite2.4 A series of questions sought to shed light on the successful execution of thought leadership – to understand when best to deliver content and through which means. Multiple sources, virtual and physical Asked to identify from where they are most likely to seek out thought leadership material, respondents most commonly identified professional services/advisory firms (44%), industry events (43%) and online search (40%). Industry media (36%) and social media (28%) appeared slightly further down the list, perhaps indicating the declining impact of traditional B2B publications as media transitions from print to digital and the likelihood that users don’t seek out information from social media in the traditional sense – rather it is ‘pushed’ in their direction. Q: From which of these sources are you most likely to seek out thought leadership material? Professional services/ advisory firms Industry events Online search Websites Direct from a named/known supplier Industry media Private networks Social media 44% 43% 40% 38% 37% 36% 34% 28%
  • 11. 11Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Q: Which of the following are most likely to prompt your engagement with thought leadership information? Recommendation from a peer/colleague Online browsing Online discussion groups Email updates/e-newsletters Recommendation from staff Direct mail Print media subscriptions Social media posts Magazines 39% 37% 36% 35% 35% 33% 32% 29% 24% How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4 Overall, the results suggest that senior executives use a combination of physical and virtual sources, relying on multiple means and happily marrying face-to-face contact with internet-derived sources. This point was reflected in responses to the next question. It asked which means was most likely to prompt engagement with thought leadership information. Again, a range of responses were given similar weight. Recommendation from a peer/colleague (39%) was the most popular answer followed by online browsing (37%) and online discussion groups (36%).
  • 12. 12Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Facebook, the professional network? Notably, Facebook – more commonly associated with friendship and familial connections – was cited as the social network senior executives were most likely to engage with for thought leadership. Facebook was referenced by 79% of respondents, compared with Twitter (73%) and LinkedIn (68%). Given LinkedIn’s role as the self-described world’s number one professional social network, these results might surprise. On the other hand, given that Facebook is used by 1.7 billion people every month – and over a billion every day – it is perhaps less surprising to see its influence spill into the world of professional thought leadership. Q: On which network are you likely to engagewith thought leadership? 2% None 79% 73% 68%47% Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Private network How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4
  • 13. 13Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Tell me why I should like Mondays Two thirds of senior executives seek out thought leadership information on a Monday, making it the most popular day to engage with content by a large margin. Notably Friday (52%) is the second most popular day, countering a common view that the end of the week is the graveyard slot for content marketing. While Saturday (22%) and Sunday (20%) are the least popular days, the fact that one in five respondents are prepared to engage with thought leadership at the weekend is likely to be a product of easy access to information via digital media and smart devices. If Monday is the most popular day to seek out thought leadership information, lunchtime is the most popular time to view the content. According to the survey results, 34% of senior executives selected the 12 noon to 2pm time slot. The working morning, between 9am and 12 noon, was the second most popular (26%), while as many said they viewed thought leadership content between 6pm and midnight (14%) as they did between 2pm and 6pm. Q: On which days of the week do you typically seek out thought leadership? 66% MONDAY 52% FRIDAY 48% WEDNESDAY 42% THURSDAY 22% 20% SATURDAY SUNDAY 41% TUESDAY Q: What time of day are you most likely to view thought leadership? Before 09.00 18.00 – Midnight9.00 – 12.00 14.00 – 18.0012.00 – 14.00 13% 14% 26% 13% 34% How and when to reach the C-suite continued2.4
  • 14. 14Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com The Grist survey sought to understand how much thought leadership content readers saw, what influence it had and what responses it typically elicited. Asked first to assess the impact of the thought leadership that comes across their desks, senior executives said that 31% gets read and 28% has an impact on decision making. Q: How much of the thought leadership that you comeacross do you actually read? Q: How much of the thought leadership that you come across has an impact on your decision making? The impact of thought leadership2.5 28% 31% THIS WAY THAT WAY
  • 15. 15Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com When asked to rate thought leadership they read, senior executives are positive about its effect. More than four out of five (84%) believe it plays an important part in adding value to their role, while just below that number indicate its importance in staying up to speed on key business issues (79%), decision making (76%) and taking a view on the future (76%). Q: How would you rate thought leadership in terms of the value it provides to you? The impact of thought leadership continued2.5 84%* 79% 76% 76% Value to you in your role Ability to stay up to speed on all key business issues Impact on your decision making Impact on your view of the future *Percentage rating important/very important
  • 16. 16Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com When thought leadership matches the reader’s needs, a number of actions typically follow – 72% of readers are motivated to research the topic in more depth, 67% discuss it with peers or colleagues while 63% implement the suggestions. Q: What action would you typically take when thought leadership hits the mark? Research the topic in more depth Discuss it with peers/colleagues Try to implement the suggestions Share it with peers/colleagues Speak to the firm that produced it 72% 67% 63% 57% 40% The impact of thought leadership continued2.5
  • 17. 17Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Readers want to be creators too Asked to look forward and imagine content that would prove most useful, four in five senior executives said that they wanted to read, watch and listen to material that they – and their peers – were involved in developing. For those devising and managing content, this presents an interesting opportunity: the very people they want to reach through thought leadership appear willing to be interviewed and become active participants in the process. Q: What would you most like to see in the future? 80% 55% 50% 50% 48% 46% Future content2.6 Content that is more interactive, such as video, webcasts and other digital formats Content that is more accessible, such as shorter bite-sized articles and infographics Content that provides a single source answer to a problem - drawing in the opinion of all stakeholders Content that incorporates dialogue with your peers Content that is personalised for your organisation Content that you and your peers are involved in developing
  • 18. 18Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com While most of the senior executives interviewed shared homogenous views on thought leadership, there were a number of notable differences across job titles. The research pointed to the following personas: Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics2.7 CEOs (aka the visionaries) • Wants to be challenged by innovative thinking and emerging trends • Dismissive of the generic and conceptual • Leaves action-oriented best practice to those lower down the organisational food chain Finance (aka the open network) • Eschews the generic and conceptual • Seeks commercially led ideas • Values opinion of industry experts and peers • Active at the beginning of the week Technology (aka the closed network) • Values emerging trends • Watches thought leadership videos and longer forms of content • Seeks peer recommendations • Fan of Twitter • Happy to engage on a Friday
  • 19. 19Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Executive personas: from visionaries to sceptics continued2.7 Legal (aka the researchers) • Uses thought leadership to evaluate the expertise and insight of advisors • Shuns advances from professional services and advisory firms • Prefers short 800-word articles • Engages with thought leadership via Twitter • Values clear and simple facts Marketing and sales (aka the sceptics) • Sceptical about most thought leadership • Seeks out content that will improve decision making • Less likely to trust social media • Values opinions of industry experts • Likely to engage at lunchtime Human Resources (aka the solution seekers) • Seeks out thought leadership to answer questions, seek solutions • Happy to browse online and receive direct mail • Wants to be better informed to make better decisions • Turned off by lack of insight Risk (aka the information junkies) • Needs to evaluate the expertise and insight of an advisor or supplier • Keen to hear from industry experts • Values industry media • Likely to turn to social media ?
  • 20. 20Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com Conclusion3.0 The research is great news if you are in charge of your B2B firm’s marketing and communications programmes. Thought leadership is clearly valued by the C-suite and they are happy to receive it from their advisers. However, thought leadership must provide a return on investment: both for the firms that invest the money to produce it and the senior executives that invest the time to view it. To take advantage of this opportunity and build long-term relationships, you need to respect your readers. The C-suite are a sophisticated and demanding audience, and will not respond to rehashed marketing material. But you have a real opportunity to break the mould: to get under readers’ skins, address their most pressing concerns and help them make better decisions by exploring the future. Once you’ve done that successfully, you can begin to reinforce your position as a trusted partner. And as the research makes clear, a trusted partner needs to produce content that is insightful not undiscerning, specific not generic, useful not self-serving. Perhaps, most importantly, it needs to include the views of clients and other industry experts. In short: show, don’t tell. Findings ranged from the expected to the consensus-challenging. Monday lunchtimes prove a popular time to receive thought leadership material but so, too, do Fridays, while one in five will happily seek out thought leadership at weekends. Build these insights into your planning. Consider, too, that Facebook matters in the world of B2B. Marketing teams, content teams and agencies need to work through the consequences of this and come up with a compelling editorial plan for this and other social networks. There is no silver bullet. Only a third of the thought leadership that is produced gets noticed. Distribution needs to be widespread and take in a whole array of influencers. The only certainty is this – you must truly know your audience if you are to have a chance of success. Return on investment will not be immediate. Thought leadership works well at the beginning of the sales funnel, not at the end. You need to be in it for the long haul, providing genuinely helpful content – being there when the client needs help, not just when they want to purchase services.
  • 21. 21Grist / The value of B2B thought leadership survey gristonline.com About Grist4.0 At Grist, we create content with purpose. We are a strategic B2B content marketing agency with the editorial heritage of The Economist and Financial Times in our DNA and a clear vision of the digital future. As B2B specialists, we not only understand your needs but those of your clients. We understand how to produce and promote engaging content across all channels – content that helps your clients do their jobs; content that underscores your value to them; and content that influences the decision-making process. It’s what we call the content marketing sweet spot. We are also a results-driven business partner. That means we’ll work with you to track return on investment, always aiming to exceed your marketing goals through the delivery of quality content. To find out how Grist can help you, contact andrewrogerson@gristonline.com