How can you write an engaging thought leadership piece?

Many execs I've worked with wanted to be thought leaders, and I've ghostwritten for many of them. I always advise, “you need to have a thought first.” For it to be good enough to pitch as an op-ed, it needs to answer: - Does your audience care about it? How will it help them? - Why should it come from you? - Why now? - Is anyone else saying the same thing? Once you’re confident in those answers, the writing happens. It needs to be specific: well-researched data points, vivid storytelling. Also, how you write inside a company differs from writing for external audiences. So strike out the jargon and platitudes you use and find creative ways of saying it. Once you’re done, cut it down by a third. Brevity begets clarity!

Focus on your audience’s pain points or aspirations. Whether it’s a B2B client, prosumer or consumer, offer value in relation to what you have to offer and have expertise in, not in service of what you’re selling.

Start with your audience first. What issues / opportunities are on their mind? What insight can you bring to the topic? Is it distinctive? Is it original? Is it informed by evidence or purely your opinion? Both are valid but depending on your eminence your opinion may not be persuasive without some solid data points.

Like any good journalist, start the thought leadership article off with a - News hook - Compelling statistic - Personalized story - Simplified explanation or scenario in order to immediately capture the reader's interest. Your article might cover a unique perspective or include complex, high-level ideas. But if you can't bring the reader in at the beginning, they'll never have a chance to learn from you or be blown away by your brilliance.

When developing a thought leadership article, whether on behalf of your clients or your department, it’s important to consider a few fundamental principles to ensure your piece has a lasting impact: 1. Choose a relevant and timely topic: Choose a topic that matches your industry or expertise. 2. Understand your audience: Delve into your target audience’s needs, interests and pain points. 3. Develop a unique approach: Identify what sets your approach apart from others in your industry. 4. Do extensive research: Support your arguments with reliable data, statistics, and solid examples. 5. Share your insights: Incorporate illustrations from your own experiences, inspirational stories, or case studies in the story.

One of the earliest lessons I learned from a former state senator and cabinet secretary is to “know and understand your audience.” Who are they? What do they need? How can your expertise benefit them? It’s not about how much you know, it’s about sharing valuable insights and experiences to benefit your audience. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and talk about your mistakes as well as your victories. True thought leaders are transparent, authentic and approachable.

Define your target audience. Know your ideal persona, research it. You can create a persona by answering questions such as: What is their name, age, gender, location, occupation, education, income, etc.? What are their goals, motivations, pain points, frustrations, etc.?

"Know Your Audience"—but what does it really mean? It's like creating a character for a story - but your audience is the protagonist. To know them, truly, try stepping into their shoes: Understand their age, interests, needs, and what keeps them up at night. Know your audience like you know the protagonist of your favorite story.

Think about what they already know and what they just may not know yet. Delight them with a new perspective and additional, actionable information in an easy to follow format.

What's the level of knowledge and expertise of the audience/readers you're targeting? Are they at the start of their career? Knowledgeable in the sector? Are they looking for solutions? Are they on the platform to educate or entertain themselves? Understanding not just your audience's profile but their pain points and why they're in the platform you're using is always a great place to start.

Credibility is gained through experience — and experience is often hard-won. Instead of listing your credentials or overselling yourself, tell the story of how you gained your experience. Where did you start on this journey? What did you have to overcome? Where did you fail and pick yourself back up again? What would you do differently? Remember that anyone reading your thought leadership is likely looking to gain insight from you — tell the story of how you got from where they are to where you are now, being vulnerable and transparent. That's not only valuable, it's authentic — and it's a much better way of cultivating connection and showing your value.

Show, don't tell. The value of your work will be apparent if you establish foundations of credibility through thorough research and understanding of your topic. Be a perpetual student, use your thought leadership to make meaningful contributions to a conversation, and always look for ways to deepen your knowledge in service of your subject. Use all of this with the goal of helping your audience learn, feel, or do something new, and your value will prove itself.

Use data and your actions (and stories) to focus on the outcome or impact of your topic - in terms that are relevant to your audience.

I am impressed by thought leaders who anchor their wisdom on a given topic in a personal anecdote or a professional journey. Sharing your path, and how you arrived at your knowledge base and expertise (twists, turns, and all!) makes your story more human and your insights more authentic. It can also inspire your audience to reflect on their path and become more intentional about the next stage of their career journey.

Totalmente de acordo! É como equilibrar-se numa corda bamba: você precisa mostrar sua expertise sem parecer que está distribuindo panfletos de autopromoção. Apresentar evidências sólidas, contar histórias envolventes e ser transparente sobre as nuances do seu campo não só valida suas ideias, mas também constrói uma ponte de confiança com seus leitores. Afinal, o objetivo é ser uma fonte confiável de insights, não um vendedor insistente.

There is a tendency for us to default to the "professional" voice when writing a thought leadership piece. But does it have to be this way? Just like how we can recognise our close contacts just by their voice, we need to have the courage to write like how we speak. Add a little bit of wit and humour. Use stronger words (without being rude). And, for once, stop using typical corporate language. Such language masks your true brilliance. It’s about crafting an identity that’s unmistakably you – resonating, authentic, and impactful. Embracing these principles ensures your brand voice remains impactful and unmistakably authentic.

The voice is the area where you can differentiate yourself the most from other experts in your field who may have similar experiences and insights. Think of it this way, there is nothing more boring than listening to 10 experts on an AI panel that say the same thing. You will listen to the 11th one who shares a unique angle, expands your knowledge, or makes it easier to understand the topic. This is the same for thought-leadership blogs, readers have the choice to follow a number of topic experts. Your voice helps you stand out in a large group of industry experts and become the go-to expert. Bring your personality and unique expertise out in your thought-leadership articles.

Crafting a compelling thought leadership piece involves a mix of understanding your audience and engaging with them on a personal level. Speaking their language is key—if you don't, your piece might end up being just fluff. Sharing personal stories adds that extra touch, strengthening the connection because, let's face it, we all crave that human connection.

Thought leader, by definition, is a leader ( by virtue and experience) who voices their thoughts (again by virtue and experience). Everything matters, what you say, how you say it, the desired outcome. However something that I often find missing in most TL pieces is empathy. Like any piece of communication, if you do not connect with the audience, you lose them. Without empathy, you cannot inspire, which is and should be the primary outcome of a thought leadership article.

Knowing - and effectively using - your voice helps thought leadership pieces feel more credible, authentic, and valuable to your readers. Knowing your voice includes knowing your "why" and knowing how this piece fits into the larger story you're trying to tell. Ideally, thought leadership fits into a larger strategic communications plan.

Recognizing the weight of choosing the right format for your thought leadership, it's clear that the platform, channel, and medium wield significant influence. Whether it's a blog post, white paper, podcast, video, or presentation, each format has its unique advantages and pitfalls. The key lies in aligning your choice with your purpose, audience, value, and voice. Following the guidelines and utilizing the tools and features of each format becomes pivotal for effective and efficient message delivery. In essence, knowing and utilizing the right format is not just about aesthetics; it's a strategic decision that can profoundly impact how your message resonates and engages with your audience.

Indubitavelmente! Escolher o formato certo é como escolher a roupa certa para a ocasião. Leve em consideração o propósito da sua peça, quem são seus leitores e qual formato se alinha melhor com sua voz e mensagem. Cada plataforma tem suas próprias regras e padrões, então, conhecer e respeitar essas diretrizes é como seguir um código de vestimenta para causar a melhor impressão. Use as ferramentas e técnicas específicas de cada formato para otimizar a entrega da sua mensagem. Assim, você não apenas se adapta ao ambiente, mas também se destaca de maneira eficaz.

Figuring out how you want to communicate your message is a critical factor in determining your format. For example, if you want to share your thought leadership in an interview, it might be more engaging to distribute it via video or podcast. If you want to produce a research-focused, thorough examination of your topic, a white paper might be more appropriate. You can also distribute your thought leadership in multiple formats and package various elements using different channels. For instance, you can write a blog post or white paper, then discuss and promote that piece through a podcast interview, and share additional thoughts and research in a video.

Know you format, for sure. But also don't try and master them all. Perhaps decide on a few and concentrate on those. Getting from a to b, some of us fly, some cycle, some walk, some run, some drive. Similarly there are different formats, platforms, voices and we do not all have to have mastered, use or like all of them!

Once you set your purpose right (Refer to Alberto Canal's contribution above) and clear the fog around your marketing compulsions, the structure of the write up becomes key. It always helps engage the reader if you start with a relatable business situation (a scenario, an anecdote, a conversation, a dilemma etc.), and build your narrative based on the consequence or possible outcomes of that situation. Then segue to widen the context, with the help of data and bring on the inferences and broader implications to illuminate your central idea/proposition of the thought leadership piece. Examine briefly pre-existing knowledge/scholarship around the topic and let your key argument stand out for what it uniquely offers.

Feedback is a crucial component of effective communication, yet much feared. It's essential to seek input from reliable sources to ensure our thought leadership articles resonate with the audience. Engaging a trusted colleague or peer to review our work before publication helps identify errors and maintain clarity in our message. After publishing, feedback becomes vital in assessing the article's impact, gauged through engagement and comments. This process not only validates the article's coherence but also helps develop future content, ensuring that thought leadership remains outward-looking and aligned with global and local developments in the field.

After drafting an article, the question I always pose is, "So what?" If your thought leadership piece doesn't answer this question, you haven't solidified a unique point of view. Think about what advice or insights only you can provide to your audience and lean into those to upgrade a mediocre article to a provocative one.

Para aprimorar seu artigo de liderança de pensamento, é essencial: Solicite opiniões de colegas, mentores e especialistas em sua área para obter perspectivas variadas. Busque feedback de quem faz parte do seu público-alvo, clientes, parceiros comerciais ou outras partes interessadas para entender como sua peça ressoa. Faça uso de ferramentas e métricas de feedback, além de análises, para avaliar o desempenho do seu artigo e identificar áreas de melhoria. Ao incorporar feedback construtivo, você não apenas aprimora o artigo atual, mas também adquire insights valiosos para aprimorar suas habilidades como líder de pensamento.

If you are short of data but have a thought you truly believe in, focus on questions and using the piece to generate answers. You may well end up with the data you seek.

To be a thought leader, you must have a thought -- an original point of view that will be of interest to your audience and can be repurposed on your company's website and in your marketing and public relations campaigns.

Always consider the relevancy of your article. Why is it important at this moment in time to share your opinion and expertise? How can your voice help move forward a problem or challenge the industry or society is facing? By being able to apply relevance in your thought leadership and demonstrate a tangible connection to the news agenda, you'll drive higher engagement with your audience.

Try to make your subject matter relatable, whether it's through storytelling, humor, or metaphors. This is particularly helpful when you're discussing dense or complex topics. Making your subject approachable to a broad audience will help folks engage with it more readily.

Avoid outsourcing the writing aspect to ghostwriter/s. The end output, even though excellent, does not showcase "your" thought leadership, no matter how much of a detailed brief was shared with ghostwriter/s. You can engage an editor / proofreader surely, that's a different workflow altogether.