Do you know the difference between content marketing and thought leadership content? Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they are actually two distinct types of content that serve different purposes in a marketing strategy. Content marketing is focused on creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that promotes a brand’s products or services, while thought leadership content is focused on providing unique insights, perspectives, and ideas on a particular topic or industry to establish the author or brand as an authority in the field.
In this blog post, we will dive deeper into the key differences between content marketing and thought leadership content and explore how you can use each type of content to achieve your marketing goals.
Differences Between Thought Leadership vs. Content Marketing
Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action. You can use content marketing as a strategy to provide helpful and informative content that engages and educates the audience, builds trust, and ultimately leads to a sale or conversion.
Thought leadership content, on the other hand, is focused on establishing an individual or organization as an expert in a particular industry or field. Thought leadership content aims to position the author or organization as a trusted authority on a topic, providing insights, opinions, and perspectives that are not readily available elsewhere. Thought leadership content is typically educational and informative, but it also challenges conventional thinking and provides unique perspectives on industry trends and issues.
Here are five major ways that content marketing is different from thought leadership content:
- Focus. The primary focus of content marketing is to promote a brand’s products or services, whereas the primary focus of thought leadership content is to establish the author or brand as an authority in the industry.
- Depth. Content marketing content is typically more surface-level and designed to be easily digestible, while thought leadership content is typically more in-depth and focused on providing unique insights and perspectives on a particular topic or industry.
- Audience. Content marketing content is typically aimed at a broader audience and may be designed to attract new customers or increase brand awareness, while thought leadership content is typically aimed at a more specialized audience, such as industry professionals or experts.
- Format. Content marketing content can take many forms, such as blog posts, social media posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more, while thought leadership content is often more research-based and may take the form of whitepapers, case studies, research reports, and other longer-form content.
- Goals. The goals of content marketing and thought leadership content can be different. The goal of content marketing is often to drive conversions, such as sales or sign-ups, while the goal of thought leadership content is often to build credibility and establish a brand or individual as an authority in the industry.
While content marketing and thought leadership content share some similarities, such as the need for high-quality and engaging content, the main difference is the intent behind the content. Content marketing is designed to drive profitable customer action, while thought leadership content is focused on building credibility and authority within a specific industry or field.
Which Comes First, Content Marketing or Thought Leadership?
If you’re in the earliest stages of ramping up your marketing, you should first focus on creating content marketing content to help the business grow. Content marketing is an effective way to create awareness and interest in a brand’s products or services, especially in the early stages when the brand is still building its reputation and credibility.
Content marketing content can take many forms, such as blog posts, social media posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more. By creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience, you can attract more visitors to your website, build your email list, and create a loyal following of fans and advocates.
Once you have established a solid foundation of content marketing content and built an audience, you can then begin to invest in thought leadership content to help establish your brand as a leader in the industry. Thought leadership content is typically more in-depth, research-based, and focused on providing unique insights and perspectives on a particular topic or industry.
By investing in content marketing content first and then gradually expanding into thought leadership content, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that addresses both the practical needs of your target audience and the long-term credibility and reputation of your brand.
How Thought Leadership and Content Marketing Map to the Funnel Stages
At the top of the marketing funnel, where potential customers are becoming aware of a brand and its offerings, content marketing can be used to attract and engage this audience. Content marketing can take the form of blog posts, social media content, infographics, and videos that provide useful information about the brand’s products or services. The goal is to create content that will capture the attention of potential customers and keep them engaged.
As potential customers move further down the funnel and begin considering their options, thought leadership content can be used to establish the brand as a credible and authoritative source of information. This type of content can take the form of whitepapers, research studies, case studies, and industry reports that provide in-depth analysis and insights on relevant topics. The goal is to build trust and credibility with potential customers, positioning the brand as a leader in its industry.
Finally, at the bottom of the funnel, where potential customers are making purchasing decisions, content marketing can be used to provide persuasive content that helps close the deal. This can include product demos, customer testimonials, and other content that showcases the brand’s products or services and highlights their value proposition.
In summary, marketers should think about content marketing as a way to attract and engage potential customers at the top of the funnel, thought leadership content as a way to establish credibility and authority in the middle of the funnel, and persuasive content as a way to close the deal at the bottom of the funnel. By using a mix of these types of content, marketers can create a comprehensive content strategy that addresses the needs of potential customers at each stage of the marketing funnel.
creating Thought Leadership Content: The Who and the Why
Thought leadership content should really only be created by individuals or organizations that have a deep understanding of a particular industry or topic, and have a unique perspective or insight to share. This can include industry experts, executives, researchers, and other professionals who have a deep knowledge of a particular field.
The individuals or organizations creating thought leadership content should have a strong reputation and be recognized as experts within their industry. They should have a track record of providing valuable insights, opinions, and perspectives that challenge conventional thinking and provide new perspectives on industry trends and issues.
In addition to having subject matter expertise, individuals or organizations creating thought leadership content should have excellent communication skills and the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear and compelling way. They should also have a strong understanding of their target audience and be able to create content that resonates with their needs and interests.
Overall, creating thought leadership content requires a combination of subject matter expertise, communication skills, and a deep understanding of the target audience. It’s important to choose the right individuals or organizations to create thought leadership content, as this can have a significant impact on the credibility and effectiveness of the content.
Commissioning Thought Leadership Content
Thinking about hiring a thought leader to create content on behalf of your brand? This can sometimes be a good strategy, as it allows the brand to leverage the thought leader’s expertise and credibility to create high-quality content that resonates with the target audience. However, it’s important to note that not all thought leaders may be a good fit for every brand or marketing campaign. It’s important to carefully evaluate the thought leader’s reputation, expertise, and communication skills to ensure they are a good fit for the brand and the target audience.
If a brand decides to hire a thought leader to create content on their behalf, it’s important to establish clear expectations and guidelines for the content creation process. This can include defining the target audience, the key messages to be conveyed, the tone and style of the content, and the distribution channels to be used.
It’s also important to ensure that the content created by the thought leader aligns with the brand’s values and messaging, and that it complies with any relevant laws or regulations. Ultimately, the goal should be to create content that provides value to the target audience while also strengthening the brand’s reputation and credibility in the industry.
In addition to merely creating thought leadership content, there are several other ways that a brand can leverage a thought leader to establish thought leadership with their marketing. Here are a few examples:
- Speaking Engagements. Thought leaders can be invited to speak at industry events, webinars, or other public forums. This can help establish the brand as a leader in the industry and provide valuable exposure to the target audience.
- Industry Panels. Brands can organize industry panels or roundtable discussions featuring thought leaders and other experts in the field. This can provide a platform for the brand to showcase its expertise and thought leadership, while also facilitating valuable discussions and knowledge-sharing within the industry.
- Social Media Engagement. Brands can leverage thought leaders to engage with their social media audience by participating in live chats, Q&A sessions, or other social media events. This can help the brand to establish a stronger connection with its audience, while also benefiting from the thought leader’s expertise and credibility.
- Research and Analysis. Brands can partner with thought leaders to conduct research studies or analyze industry trends and data. This can help the brand to generate valuable insights and thought leadership content, while also establishing the brand as a credible source of industry knowledge.
Overall, there are many ways that brands can leverage thought leaders to establish thought leadership with their marketing. By partnering with thought leaders and tapping into their expertise, brands can create valuable content, facilitate meaningful discussions, and establish themselves as leaders in their industry.