Thought leaders are top authorities in their field. The go-to experts for insight on breaking news, new developments and industry trends, thought leaders are valued for their independence, experience and opinion. By providing advice and helpful tips, they are able to motivate, move the needle and influence others.
For those who work in the B2B technology space, thought leadership is highly desirable, and it provides three key benefits that should make it a top priority in any public relations strategy.
Brand Awareness
It’s all about getting your name out there. Why? When you’re seen as a subject matter expert (SME) in your field, more reporters and industry influencers will want to get in touch with you, seeking your advice and insight. This can lead to more media coverage and speaking opportunities, especially when you’re featured in major publications. Press and analyst coverage go an extremely long way to get you noticed by peers and prospects, especially when you’re on a tight budget.
Even better – when potential clients and customers know who you are, trust what you provide and value what you can do for them, they’re more likely to bet on you financially. Now more than ever, customers are very diligent about where they choose to invest their money wisely and media coverage is an important indicator of credibility.
Further, 60% of decisionmakers said thought leadership convinced them to buy a product or service they weren’t previously considering. By taking actions such as publishing blogs, participating in media interviews and even contributing to panel discussions at industry conferences, your business will begin to build stellar brand awareness that will help it grow exponentially over time.
Credibility and Trust
Of course, everyone knows that customers admire a brand they can trust. By providing people with valuable, accurate information on a consistent basis, your business is building up a powerhouse of credibility and rapport.
Your clients or customers want to know that they’re working with true experts with a lot of experience in their respective fields – and they want their stakeholders and competitors to know this as well. Being able to convey that message in your tech marketing and PR efforts is key for long-term growth and overall success.
What thought leadership activities can your business take part in to specifically build credibility? Try checking out some award programs! By submitting nominations for industry awards – whether it be for a new, innovative product, a unique leadership approach to high growth or making a positive impact on your community – winning an industry award proves that your business is a real competitor in the market.
As an added bonus, award recipients also typically receive physical awards that can be showcased in and around your office for when potential customers drop by! Another perk of thought leadership.
New Business Opportunities
Last but not least, with a strong thought leadership program comes additional business opportunities. As your business becomes more well known, more opportunities for growth and success will come knocking at your door.
For example, a member of your C-suite may be asked to give a presentation or speech at a prominent industry event. Increased publicity and industry recognition can help you to break into a new division of your market or pioneer an all-new niche. Or perhaps your newfound brand awareness has caused a surge of traffic to your website, resulting in an enormous boost in sales! However you picture the future success of your company, a strategic thought leadership plan can help double your efforts, while helping you stand out from the crowd.
It’s important to note that thought leadership is not a measure of popularity and achieving it doesn’t happen overnight – thought leaders are admired, trusted and respected by their peers through their continuous sharing of practical knowledge, advice and helpful tips. It takes time to build thought leadership and it requires a significant time commitment to do all the things that a thought leader does.
Where to start? One way to achieve thought leadership is by working with an integrated tech PR and tech marketing agency to develop a strategic growth plan that can launch your company’s market awareness. An effective strategy can rapidly grow sales through the execution of highly effective marketing, public relations, branding and thought leadership programs.
And with the right tech PR agency partner, all of your thought leadership activities can be enhanced and supplemented with press releases, media alerts and social media posts to enrich your publicity efforts even more.
Interested in learning how your high-growth tech company can develop a thought leadership program? Get in touch with us today!