Finding good (let alone great) thought leadership content online is — cliched as it may sound — like finding a needle in a haystack. And because such content is so rare, the individuals (think Bill Gates’s blog writing project) and companies (think McKinsey) that do publish such content are held in high regard by everyone. Not only the mainstream audience but even business owners and leaders, the movers and shakers in various industries stop and listen (or read) when such sources publish something new. Many such leaders even base their major business decisions on the ideas and insights they gain from reading good thought leadership content.

That’s the power of authority, or more precisely, the ‘thought leader’ aura. And you can build that aura around your business by creating great thought leadership content yourself. You can leverage this power to get more quality B2B leads as well as attract potential investors and partners. But how do you create such content? What makes the aforementioned examples of thought leadership great and different from the majority of articles on the internet? The first answer that may pop up in your head will probably be ‘research’. While research may be necessary, it is not what sets great thought leadership content apart from average or outright terrible content. That’s because research is the least you can do while writing thought leadership content.

Deep Research is the Bare Minimum for Thought Leadership Content

It is undeniable that all great thought leadership content is well-researched. The ideas expressed in such articles and whitepapers are grounded in solid facts and empirical information. They draw their insights and conclusions from the most relevant studies and verified statistical data.

But then, if finding such data is all that it takes, then the internet would be abounding with brilliant blogs written by numerous thought leaders in different fields. The reality is on the contrary. Instead, the easy access to information online has spawned many blogs that are nothing but compilations of the same numbers and figures expressed in slightly different words (by changing just enough to escape plagiarism).

Thus, while research may be important, it’s not that important for great thought leadership content. Doing extensive research is more like a basic requirement for supporting the real source of value in your content. The real value of thought leadership content is derived not from the data, stats, or figures, but from the writer’s ability to make sense of such information and infuse it with their own insights and deliver something completely new.

The Secret Sauce of Great Thought Leadership Content is Authenticity

Authenticity is the main key!

(Image source:https://pixabay.com/photos/thought-idea-innovation-imagination-2123970/)

What makes the best thought leadership content is the originality of ideas expressed in the articles. That requires the writer to have not just specific knowledge about the subject matter being discussed (which can be gained through adequate research), but also to have knowledge in multiple other areas, related and otherwise. Thought leadership content is nothing but a writer’s attempt to connect the dots and make sense of the available evidence with respect to the knowledge they already possess. This enables the writer to come up with ideas that are truly unique and original. It helps in creating the kind of information that cannot be found anywhere else and gives the readers new perspectives and insights while maintaining consistency with facts.

To create good thought leadership content, the writer needs to have an innate sense of curiosity that drives them to ask more questions and even more importantly, ask the right questions. Asking the right questions leads to deeper and highly focused research, which leads to greater insights and more original ideas. Finally, the writer must be able to write well in the chosen language. They must be able to creatively articulate what they have learned and inferred, in a concise manner and in a tone that resonates with the target demographic.

Writers having a combination of such abilities (broad knowledge, an analytical mind, curiosity, and the ability to write impeccably) are quite hard to find, which explains the general lack of quality thought leadership content everywhere. Even business owners who possess these attributes often don’t have the time to write thought leadership content, especially on a consistent enough basis to build a reputation and a large following.

The simplest way for such business leaders is to hire an agency that provides content writing services. Doing so will ensure that your brand can establish trust among your target audience, which is the first step towards building authority. Once you have established trust, you can eventually go on to become a thought leader. You’ll become someone who doesn’t need to sell to customers or investors. In fact, if done right, thought leadership content can even make people call you up with opportunities!