Allison Kaplan, ClearEdge Marketing Senior Public Relations Specialist joins Account Manager Emily Tatum to discuss what is means to be an effective thought leader in your space. They start their conversation by defining thought leadership and sharing how its value goes far beyond its reputation as a buzzword. Allison explains that it’s all about positioning an executive or company as an expert or a leader in a certain area or industry, and to do so requires authority, influence and knowledge in the marketplace.
Allison and Emily then discuss the role thought leadership should play in your overall marketing strategy and how its versatility gives it value across many segments, including public relations, content marketing, social media, email promotion and more. Deciding what tools you should use for thought leadership depends a lot on where your audience is. Diving deeper, Allison shares how ClearEdge uses thought leadership strategy to position its CEO, Leslie Vickrey as a thought leader in recruitment, marketing and women in business topics.
Another important element of a thought leadership strategy is determining success metrics, and these can vary depending on your company’s goals. For some, it may be lead generation and website clicks, while for others it may be straight up brand awareness and social shares. As you figure out the type of thought leader you want to be, you can see what resonates and what doesn’t, and be sure to always keep an eye on the feedback, engagement and any possible quantitative ROI you can show.
Allison closes the discussion by sharing advice on how companies and/or executives can figure out where they want to be a thought leader, and how regardless of the area or focus you choose, authenticity is key.
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