thought leadership: the content marketing that your audience actually caresocial media london deck...
TRANSCRIPT
#SMLONDON
THOUGHT LEADERSHIPTHE CONTENT MARKETING
YOUR AUDIENCE ACTUALLY BUYS
@JonLombardo
Content Marketing Lead, EMEA
#SMLONDON
WE HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN READ PILLS AND BLUE PILLS
But, as an industry, we’re taking too many of the wrong pills
#SMLONDON
WHICH IS ODD…
Because the blue pills are largely commoditized
And the red pills are what our audience actually ‘buys’
#SMLONDON
WHY DON’T MORE BRANDS TAKE RED PILLS?
They play the short-game, because that’s how they’re rewarded
They talk about themselves, because that’s what they know best
They are not organized to produce original ideas, because they value hierarchy over originality
#SMLONDON
THE REALITY: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
IS REALLY HARD
In fact, it’s so hard that most people can’t even define what it actually is
A thought leader is someone who looks at the present and sets a better course for the future that compels others to follow.
- Shel Israel
But, like most things, it’s easier to understand and practice when you break it down into chunks
#SMLONDON
WHO’S DOING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
WELL?
Industry leadership: Andreesen Horowitz helps followers ‘eat the world’ of technology trends
Product leadership: Hubspot inspires marketers how to deliver a more delightful inbound client experience
Organizational leadership: Netflix re-invented culture to attract people to re-invent an industry
#SMLONDON
HOW WE CAN TAKE MORE RED PILLS
Produce one content ‘red pill’ per quarter
Leverage content marketing best practices (read: slice, dice, make turkey curry out of the leftovers)
Map to the different stages of the buying cycle
Top types of information sought in each stage of the IT decision-making process
Engage Nurture Acquire
Best practices, how-tos, checklists
IT industry news / strategy info
Diagnostics or assessment tools
Product / solution demo / software trial
Distribute to the audience you are trying to impress
#SMLONDON
TRACKING RED PILLS
Qualitative: Track relationships developed and reputation cultivated
Quantitative: Track leads generated, sales delivered, and lifetime value created
#SMLONDON
IN CONCLUSION…
#SMLONDON
THANK YOU.
Think we should work together? Connect with me.