April 22, 2024
Transforming thought leadership into tangible leads and, ultimately, loyal customers requires more than just expertise—it demands a strategic finesse that navigates even the shadowy realms of dark social.
We've discussed this extensively in our webinars and podcasts, and the bottom line is, it's not just great thought leadership that brings in customers. It's the effort you put in around those thought leadership pieces that really turns your audience into customers.
In fact, two-thirds of marketers¹ (66%) consider thought leadership a "top priority" for their marketing strategy. However, only 26% of marketers consider their current thought leadership program "very successful".
Let's take a closer look at what it takes to make thought leadership successful behind the scenes.
1. Identify Your Audience
Understanding your target audience is crucial, even in dark social channels where traditional metrics may be harder to measure. By gaining insights into their pain points, interests, and challenges, you can tailor your thought leadership content to resonate with them, regardless of the platform.
2. Create Valuable Content
Produce high-quality content that provides genuine value to your audience, whether it's shared publicly or through private channels. Why is this important? Well, actually, 54% of decision-makers² and 48% of C-suite executives spend more than 1 hour per week reading and reviewing thought leadership content.
Thought leadership content such as insightful articles, informative videos, or expert webinars can establish your authority and attract potential customers.
3. Distribute Across Channels
While dark social channels may not provide the same visibility as public platforms, they offer an opportunity to reach highly engaged audiences through targeted sharing. Nearly 90% of C-level decision-makers³ believe thought leadership influences their opinions of a company.
Distribute your thought leadership content across relevant channels where your audience is active, including private messaging groups, email newsletters, and one-on-one conversations.
4. Engage with Your Audience
Actively engage with your audience by participating in discussions, addressing questions, and providing valuable insights.
By building relationships and establishing trust, you can encourage organic sharing and word-of-mouth referrals, leading to potential customer conversions.
5. Leverage Social Proof
Use testimonials, case studies, and success stories to showcase the impact of your thought leadership. Social proof can help build credibility and trust with potential customers, even in private conversations where visibility is limited. In fact, 65% of buyers say thought leadership⁴ significantly changed their perception of a company for the better, highlighting the impact of effective communication.
6. Nurture Leads
Once you've captured leads, nurture them through targeted email campaigns, personalised content, and ongoing engagement. Provide value at each stage of the buyer's journey to guide them towards conversion, leveraging the insights gained from your thought leadership efforts.
7. Track and Analyse Performance
Use analytics tools to monitor key metrics such as engagement levels, lead conversions, and customer acquisition costs.
- Engagement Levels: Track metrics like views, likes, shares, and comments to gauge audience interest and interaction with your content.
- Lead Conversions: Measure how many leads are generated as a result of your thought leadership efforts, whether through sign-ups, enquiries, or other conversion actions.
- Customer Acquisition Costs: Analyse the costs associated with acquiring each customer through your thought leadership initiatives, including content creation, distribution, and lead nurturing.
By tracking the effectiveness of your thought leadership efforts, you can refine your strategy and optimise your approach over time.
8. Tactics for Generating MQLs and SQLs
Thought leadership content sparks engagement in the awareness stage by providing valuable insights and addressing industry pain points. Through educational articles, webinars, and podcasts, it captivates audiences and initiates interest in your brand.
The B2B buying process is becoming longer and more complex, as the majority of buyers (82%)⁵ are using more sources to research and evaluate products and services, and they are spending more time in the research phase itself.
To capture lower funnel leads in the consideration and buying intent stages, different tactics are essential. Here are some tactics to help create demand.
If creating demand looks like capturing leads, then progressing marketing qualified leads (MQLs) into sales qualified leads (SQLs), and onward through the sales funnel is crucial to customer acquisition.
Here are some ways to create and capture demand:
1. Utilising Inbound Forms on the Website: Offer valuable gated assets like guides or reports to capture contact info.
2. Webinar Registrations: Host insightful webinars, requiring registration for access.
3. Email Newsletter Subscriptions: Invite visitors to subscribe for exclusive content and insights.
4. Interactive Content: Engage with quizzes or assessments, collecting contact details for results.
5. Free Trials or Demos: Provide trials or demos, requiring registration for access.
6. Consultation or Strategy Sessions: Offer personalised sessions, identifying immediate needs.
7. Targeted Retargeting Campaigns: Re-engage interested visitors with tailored messaging.
8.Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Initiatives: Personalise outreach to high-value accounts for deeper engagement.
Without implementing tactics like these, thought leadership efforts may generate clicks but fail to convert them into customers. By strategically aligning tactics with the various stages of the buyer's journey, you can ensure that engagement leads to tangible results, driving customer acquisition and business growth.
What Does Thought Leadership Look Like Throughout the Buyer’s Journey?
Thought leadership plays a pivotal role throughout the buyer's journey, guiding potential customers from initial awareness to eventual conversion.
62% of B2B buyers⁶ say that a web search was one of the first three resources they use to learn about a solution, and 94% of buyers reported using online research at some point in the purchasing process.
Here's how it influences each stage:
1. Awareness Stage:
At the beginning of the journey, potential customers are aware of their challenges and are seeking information. Thought leadership content helps in this stage by providing valuable insights, industry trends, and educational resources.
2. Consideration Stage:
As prospects delve deeper into their research, they start evaluating different solutions and providers. Thought leadership continues to be influential here, offering in-depth analyses, case studies, and expert opinions.
3. Decision Stage:
In the final stage, prospects are ready to make a decision and choose a solution that best meets their needs. Thought leadership content in this stage focuses on providing practical insights, testimonials, and success stories.
Throughout the buyer's journey, thought leadership establishes credibility, builds trust, and nurtures relationships with potential customers. By delivering valuable content tailored to each stage, you can effectively guide prospects towards conversion and foster long-term loyalty.
By understanding your audience, crafting valuable content, and engaging authentically, you can leverage these channels to attract leads and drive business growth through meaningful interactions.
Reference:
¹https://nytlicensing.com/latest/trends/thought-leadership-stats
²https://nytlicensing.com/latest/trends/thought-leadership-stats/
³https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/08/29/content-marketing-vs-thought-leadership-seven-things-you-need-to-know/?sh=58d160852a58
⁴https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2021-09/2021_EdelmanLinkedIn_B2B_ThoughtLeadershipImpact.pdf
⁵https://www.fronetics.com/10-stats-know-b2b-buyers-journey/
⁶https://www.fronetics.com/10-stats-know-b2b-buyers-journey/
