Before you invest your time, energy and resources into building and executing on your Thought Leadership Marketing Strategy, it’s important to make sure you and your company are ready.
After building and executing Thought Leadership Marketing Strategies for hundreds of founders since 2014, we’ve learned a lot about what needs to be in place to increase your chances of success. Here are the top five.
#1: You have the money to invest and commit to long-term strategies.
Becoming a thought leader in the minds of your customers is not something that just happens overnight. If you have limited capital and need to see an immediate ROI, do not bother with thought leadership. Focus on other tactics that generate immediate ROI and come back to thought leadership marketing when you have enough runway to invest in thought leadership without being too stressed about money.
#2: You really need trust and credibility to reach your next goal.
Trust is important to every business, but the importance of trust and credibility varies depending on the product. B2B buyers considering a product that requires them to change a longstanding habit or belief, take a risk, or try something new require a deep level of trust that the company can deliver what it says and will help them succeed. On the other hand, consumers buying a new zero-waste plastic toothbrush don’t need to trust that the founder can lead them into the future because the stakes of the purchase not working are low overall. The general rule we use here is that the more expensive your product is, the more trust you need.
#3: You have passion, original ideas, and a willingness to learn.
Becoming a thought leader requires you to have genuine passion for what you are doing, because you will need to commit a significant amount of time to learning, reflecting, and educating your target customers. Becoming a thought leader is never finished. You must consistently dedicate yourself to the process of learning, thinking, then teaching. You are taking on the responsibility to help your customers survive and thrive in the future.
#4: You have a big vision for the future.
Not every company needs a big, bold vision for the future to be successful. A founder looking to build a unicorn tech company needs to have an exciting and bold vision to lead the world into. A lifestyle entrepreneur running a small web design company doesn’t.
#5: You are very close to product market fit.
Until you have some certainty about what exactly your product will do and who it will serve, don’t burn time and money on thought leadership marketing. You typically want to wait until you are planning your go-to-market strategy. This way, you can ensure your thought leadership strategy supports your go-to-market initiatives and objectives
Getting the Timing Right So You Can Get the Most Benefits Possible
Thought leadership Marketing is an incredible tactic but it’s only effective when you are truly ready.
By checking these five boxes before you ever begin, you can increase your chances of realizing the incredible benefits that Thought Leadership Marketing can bring to a founder’s objectives.
