There are a lot of talks these days about thought leadership vs content marketing. But what's the difference? And which one is more effective?
Both of the terms, thought leadership and content marketing, are hot buzzwords making the rounds on the Internet — and both can help your business. But they're not the same, so how do you know which one to focus on?
Thought leadership and content marketing are two terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there is a big difference between the two, and it’s important to understand the difference before you decide which one is right for your business.
In this episode, we'll explore the differences between thought leadership and content marketing, and help you decide which approach is right for you.
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Atiba de Souza: Content marketing or thought leadership content? Which one should take the precedence in your marketing strategy? That's a question that I get an awful lot from people because we hear a ton about really both of them and which one should really be the focus? Well, stick around because I think my answer is going to surprise you.
Hey, everyone. Welcome to Thoughts On Thought Leadership with Atiba. I am your host. That's right, I am Atiba. And if you are a business owner and you're looking to build thought leadership content for your brand, then you are in the right place 'cause that's what we talk about here on Thoughts On Thought Leadership with Atiba. And this question today is probably one, that if you're thinking about thought leadership, you've probably already asked yourself, "Should I be focused on my content marketing strategy or my thought leadership content strategy. And honestly, what the heck is the difference?" Well, let me break it down for you. But before I do, do me a favor, go ahead and hit that like, and subscribe button so that you can get notified of my future content thought leadership content at that.
Alright, so, let's break this down. So, content marketing and the content that you create for your content marketing strategy is all about helping your potential buyer go through their journey and process to buying your product or service. So it's about mastering your buyer's journey. So, your content strategy helps your buyer make a decision after they've learned who you are and what you do. Your thought leadership strategy and your thought leadership content strategy, rather, on the other hand, is all about positioning you as someone who is trying to build trust. Through educating the public about your industry, not specifically about your product, but about your industry.
It's positioning you as an expert in your field. So which one's more important? The answer is yes. Yes. You need both because they compliment each other. They compliment each other. Number one, from your buyer's perspective, because as you develop thought leadership content, get some of these stats, get some of these stats, guys.
58% of business-to-business decision-makers according to LinkedIn, say that they choose a business based on thought leadership and 61% of those business owners say they're willing to pay even more money because of thought leadership and the vision of the company. So, your thought leadership is super important and your content marketing is super important because it helps take that business owner on the journey to buying from you.. So they work hand in hand, they are cohesive and you need both. You need to develop your thought leadership and you also need to develop your content marketing strategy. Because it's awesome to show up as a thought leader, right? As a matter of fact, there's a guy and I'm not going to name, name, his name, who is a thought leader in his industry.
And he did a presentation recently to a group of marketers and one of those marketers said, so what's the product that you're selling? And he didn't have an answer for them because he didn't even know how to articulate what it was he was trying to sell because he had never even thought about the journey that his customer who was sitting in that audience wanted to take to getting to buy his product.
But he is considered a thought leader in his industry. People respect his opinion. They just don't buy from him. However, there are tons of content marketers, and there's tons of people who create content to help you, help your customer take that journey and articulate clearly what it is that you do for them.
But then, the customer is left asking a question, "But who are you? Can I trust you?" And that's what your thought leadership content would have helped them do. So guys, they go hand in hand. You need to build both: a strong content marketing strategy and a strong thought leadership content strategy, compliment each other, and they go hand in hand.
Now, if you're sitting there saying, okay, "I'm not sure where I am on either one of them." and you're ready to figure out if it's time for you to become a thought leader or maybe you're ready to say, "Hey, I've been on this journey of being a thought leader, but I don't know if my content strategy is correct."
Do me a favor, drop me a link down below or drop me a line down below. Okay. Or send me an email, send an email at hello@clientattractionpros.com, because we would love to help you understand where you are right now and where you want to go and help you create the roadmap to get you there. Alright, everybody, I'll talk to you soon.
Bye-bye.
