Your professional services firm has no shortage of subject matter experts. Broadly speaking, anyone with 10 to 15 years’ experience in a specialist field could claim to be one. But what about thought leaders? How many thought leaders are within your firm?
Here’s the thing: All thought leaders are subject matter experts but not all subject matter experts are thought leaders.
Subject matter experts are relatively indistinguishable from their peers. Thought leaders are a level above. Thought leaders have distinct traits which set them apart. Most importantly, thought leaders are:
- Confident. Thought leaders are confident not just in their expertise but also in their up-to-the-minute knowledge of their topic.
- Courageous. Thought leaders are willing to express an opinion. In contrast, in a professional services firm, risk-averse subject matter experts tend to do little more than interpret, paraphrase, and summarise.
- Forward Thinking: Whereas subject matter experts are adept at reflecting on what was, and commenting on what is, they’re often unwilling to speculate. Thought leaders, on the other hand, display both historic knowledge and futuristic thinking. Subject matter experts use expressions like, “It will be interesting to see…” whereas thought leaders use expressions like, “I predict…”.
If your firm is really serious about achieving thought leader status, it must groom, support, and promote its thought leaders.
Commit
Thought leadership is a cumulative endeavour. It requires your firm to make a long-term commitment. Sporadic activity won’t suffice. The more often you present your thought leadership to your target audience, the sooner they will associate your firm as a trusted source of information.
Play to their strengths
There are a multitude of formats and channels available to demonstrate thought leadership. Which you favour will depend upon your thought leaders’ strengths and personal preferences.
If a thought leader enjoys the spontaneity that comes from interacting with an audience, talkback radio or panel appearances will suit them. If they get a rush from public speaking, consider external speaking engagements. If they like Q&A formats but desire a safety net, pursue guest appearances on established podcasts. If they prefer to put their thoughts on paper, pursue print options.
Amplify
In professional services marketing, thought leadership is the most valuable form of content. Thought leadership builds brand, reputation, credibility and trust. It provides a point of difference and can set your firm apart from your competitors. As your thought leaders achieve recognition, amplify the achievement. Repost, repurpose, link, share. Being recognised as a thought leader also reduces your business development costs by accelerating the path the purchase and increasing the likelihood you’ll convert prospects to clients.
Stay current
The most effective thought leadership is timely and current. Your firm’s thought leaders should monitor the news and current affairs. Doing so will enable them to address trending topics and real-world issues, and to keep abreast of what is weighing on the minds of their target audience.
Convince Google
Every professional services firm has a target audience. But when it comes to content marketing, arguably the most important audience member is Google. Your challenge is to convince Google that your firm is a trustworthy source of information. That way, when your prospective clients and other stakeholders are searching online they’ll be more likely to find you.
