flickr: Jacob Bøtter
What is thought leadership?
Lets be honest now here. It’s gobbledygook. Thought leadership has become just another Internet hype word, that people are told they should strive for.
The basic idea is that if you blog, tweet, and post thoughtful content online you can become a thought leader and the leads will come flying in. Is this true? Sure as hell is. Why isn’t everyone doing this then? It’s just not that easy.
Not everyone can be a thought leader.
Should you try to become a though leader? Probably not, but you should still be posting thought proving content.
Why blog if it’s not to be a Though Leader??
The main reason is so that you can post keyword rich content for the purpose of Search Engine Optimization. This post isn’t about SEO, but I will go over the reasons quickly why Goolge loves blogs.
- Google likes fresh content
- Every page can target new specific keywords
- If you are writing good content, it will be a link building magnet
If you are lucky enough to become a thought leader you will be really successful. If you can’t do that, having a good blog producing SEO results will still drive leads into your website if done right.
So should I have a blog for my business?
Becoming a thought leader is great for you and great for your business, but don’t take it too seriously. You might not be getting hundreds of re-tweets or comments but as long as your blog is generating leads and links for your site, it is worth your time.
Whether you want to keep trying to be a thought leader or not, you need to have a blog for your business. If you don’t have one, don’t make excuses, there is no better time than now.
I am an online marketer in Hartford, CT. 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Brian,
I’m intrigued by your comment on thought leadership being little more than gobbledygook. I’ve actually found it to be a rather solid marketing and go-to-market strategy over the past several years. Sure, the term is used incorrectly (like using social marketing – which is technically a non-profit marketing term in place of social media marketing) but that’s where the gobbledygook ends. Thought leadership marketing, in and of itself, can stand quite well on it’s own and has its own constructs, processes and fundamentals.
I’ve been blogging since 2003, and hell, I even won an award for it. Yes, it builds business, yes it positions you as thought leader…but only if you execute your strategy day in and day out.
Dana, Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that Thought Leadership is a viable marketing strategy, but not for everyone and I think you hit the nail on the head when you said “but only if you execute your strategy day in and day out.”
This is the biggest problem with most peoples blogs and the reason I don’t think everyone should spend their time worrying about if they are a thought leader or not. It is more worth the time for a smaller business to be looking at measurable results that their posts make on their business.
Blogging is hard and most people don’t get a lot of recognition for what they are doing. If you spend your time worrying about re-tweets and comments instead of your business goals, you will be less likely to keep up your blog.