Thought Leadership Strategy: 14 Steps to Balancing Authority and Authenticity (+ Examples)

By Intelligent Relations Team

September 26, 2023

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Do you want to share valuable insights and drive innovation in your industry? 

You want to be a thought leader! 

Who doesn’t, right? Afterall, it’s a noble aspiration — authority earned through expertise and authenticity. But thought leadership requires a lot more than just parceling out a few new tidbits of info or sharing a slightly different opinion on status quo subject matters.

No, to truly wield the belief-bending, conviction-commanding, idea-influencing wisdom attributed to thought leadership, you first need strategy and a lot of street cred. 

I mean, just consider the term itself — thought leader. The leader of thought. That’s a lot of responsibility, and a title not easily won. 

In this article, we’ll get into thought leadership and why you need to incorporate it into your PR and marketing strategies. 

• Step 1: Understanding Thought Leadership and Thought Leadership Strategy
• Step 2: Understanding the Importance of Thought Leadership
• Step 3: What Type of Thought Leader Do You Want to Be? 
• Step 4: Identifying Thought Leaders  
• 10 Key Steps to Developing an Effective Thought Leadership Strategy

Step 1: Understanding Thought Leadership and Thought Leadership Strategy

Before diving into a thought leadership strategy, you first need to understand what thought leadership is and what you’re trying to accomplish with it.  

What is thought leadership?

Thought leadership is letting sales take a backseat to expertise. This will be reflected in your thought leadership content. Rather than simply self-promoting, you’re promoting ideas, driving, innovation, and generating conversations that challenge industry standards. 

You want to be heard. And you want your words to carry weight. The rewards of thought leadership are secondary to the effective demonstration of authority and authenticity. 

Balancing the scales between the two is how you establish yourself as a thought leader and secure expert status in your industry.

Once you understand thought leadership and what it means to be a thought leader, you can begin to formulate a thought leadership strategy and create thought leadership content. 

What is Thought Leadership Strategy?

Thought leadership strategy is a marketing strategy that allows you to stand out in your field and guide your audiences with an authoritative voice. You can achieve this through original, thought-provoking, and educational content. 

Thought leadership is a beacon of light to which audiences sail for answers. By setting clear objectives, prioritizing your efforts, and consistently creating high-quality content, your thought leadership strategy will place you in that lighthouse — and help your audience avoid the rocks.

What is Thought Leadership Content?

You want your thought leadership content to shake things up, but it also needs to be backed by research. It needs to teach something and add value that your industry was not only lacking, but didn’t realize it lacked. Give them what they didn’t know they needed. 

And how do you package it? 

Here are some different types of thought leadership content: 

• Original Research or Data
• Podcast Interviews
• Bylines or Articles on News and Trends
• Keynote Speeches / Public Speaking
• Participation in Panel Discussions
• Educational Videos
• Webinars

The sky’s the limit in terms of what kind of content you can create. It’s the quality of the content that counts.

Step 2: Understanding the Importance of Thought Leadership

Is thought leadership all that important? Is a thought leadership strategy necessary? I mean, shifting your priority from sales to achieving some sort of wizard status seems risky, right? 

Yes and yes. 

But knowledge-hungry aspirants will come to you for sage wisdom, and as you dole out magical insights, you will manifest momentous marketing rewards like: 

• Credibility and Trust: Thought leaders are perceived as experts in their field. By consistently offering valuable information and insights, they build trust with their audience, which can translate into loyal followers and customers.

• Competitive Advantage: In crowded markets, thought leadership sets you apart. It positions you as a go-to resource, making it easier to attract clients, partners, and opportunities.

• Innovation and Growth: Thought leaders are often at the forefront of industry developments. Their innovative ideas can lead to new opportunities, partnerships, and revenue streams.

• Networking and Collaboration: An important part of your thought leadership strategy is networking. Thought leadership can open doors to collaborations with other experts, organizations, and influencers in your industry, fostering valuable relationships.

• Brand Authority: A thought leader’s expertise bolsters an organization’s brand authority, making it a trusted source of information and solutions.

Take the micro-investment application Acorn for example. They were able to parlay their established trust with small investors into a collaboration with the well-known CNBC to form Grow — a comprehensive financial wellness blog. 

Through a strategic partnership, and interviews with top investors and financial experts, Grow 

has positioned itself as a leading financial and investment advice authority.

Want to know how to write a press release for new partnerships? Check out our dedicated article: How to Write a Press Release for New Partnerships

What are the Benefits of Thought Leadership?

The benefits of thought leadership and an effective thought leadership strategy extend beyond personal or organizational recognition.

Here are some key advantages of thought leadership:

• Enhanced Reputation: Thought leaders are seen as experts, which enhances their personal or brand reputation. Subway needed to rebound big time after Jared, so they went with sandwich enthusiast and basketball great Steph Curry. Now, they’re back in the game! 

• Increased Visibility: Thought leaders attract more attention, leading to a broader audience reach. When an influential outlet or personality references your brand — directly or indirectly — people are going to notice. 

• Trust and Credibility: Thought leadership builds trust with followers, making it easier to win their loyalty. This is why authenticity is crucial. Audiences can spot fakes, so this benefit requires genuine thought leadership expertise. 

• Innovation: Thought leaders drive innovation, inspiring new ideas and solutions. General Electric’s blog Txchnologist showcases GE’s industry-transcending tech innovations and they are being used by companies in other markets. 

• Networking: Thought leaders can connect with industry peers and influencers for collaboration. Find relevant voices both internally and externally to work with on thought leadership pieces. Causeit, Inc. takes thought leadership collabs to a new level with their thought partnership concept.   

• Positive Impact: Thought leaders can affect positive change in their industries or communities. If you are an industry expert on agrivoltaics, raise funding for solar-integrated community gardens. Then start an afterschool or summer program to educate kids on the benefits of blending renewable energy with sustainable farming.

Pro Tip: You can measure the benefits of your thought leadership strategy by selecting relevant metrics, setting benchmarks, and comparing results after the distribution of thought leadership content. These metrics can also give you insight into what is working and what isn’t.

If you’d like to learn more about key metrics to measure for success and how to turn data into actionable insights, read our articles: 10 Key PR Metrics You Must Measure to Gauge Success and 7 Step Guide to PR Analytics: Unveiling Insights for Strategy Enhancement

Step 3: What Type of Thought Leader Do You Want to Be?

Demonstrating thought leadership and employing a thought leadership strategy isn’t solely about affecting change. You want to guide your audience to a destination — sometimes it’s a place they didn’t know they needed to be. 

Here are three primary types of thought leaders who get them there:

Educational Thought Leader

This type of thought leader focuses on providing valuable insights and knowledge to educate an audience. They create in-depth guides, tutorials, webinars, and workshops to help others acquire skills or knowledge in a particular domain. 

Educational thought leaders are passionate about sharing information and expertise to empower others.

Branding thought leader Donald Miller is an excellent example of this. 

His content company StoryBrand helps business owners and entrepreneurs achieve a clear brand message through free videos, books, and downloadable branding content. 

By positioning himself as an expert on branding, and creating educational materials to share his wealth of knowledge on the subject, Donald Miller and StoryBrand are helping companies reach new heights.  

Innovative Thought Leader

Innovative thought leaders are disruptors and visionaries. 

They are known for challenging conventional wisdom and pushing boundaries. They introduce groundbreaking ideas, technologies, or solutions through compelling thought leadership strategy content that reshape industries. Innovators inspire change and progress by envisioning a future that is different from the present.

In a world where the loudest voices are typically the only ones heard, New York Times bestselling author Susa Cain shook things up with her innovative books Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking. 

By speaking up for introverts in an extrovert-dominated society, she has mobilized a sub-culture club of the reticent and reserved, ironically becoming an award-winning public speaker in the process. 

Inspirational and Motivational Thought Leader

This type of thought leader is all about motivating and elevating others. 

Inspirational and motivational thought leaders share personal stories, experiences, and life lessons that inform their thought leadership strategy and inspire positive change. They often use storytelling, motivational speaking, and personal anecdotes to connect with their audience on an emotional level.

Entrepreneurial thought leader, Michael Michalowicz, exemplifies inspirational and motivational thought leadership by drawing from his own experiences in business and imparting valuable knowledge and advice through books, public speaking, and podcasts.

“Third time’s the charm” rings true when he shares personal examples of success, loss, and rebuilding. His story is one of persistence and fortitude, and when it comes to business growth and development, he’s the go-to guy.

Pro Tip: Once you’ve defined a clear thought leadership strategy, optimize it! Incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) best practices into your thought leadership content — blog posts, how-to guides, infographic roadmaps, and as much helpful content as you can muster.

For more on integrating SEO best practices into your PR marketing, check out article: PR SEO: Synergy for Success [Tips, Tactics, and Best Practices]

Step 4: Identifying Thought Leaders

Thought leaders are individuals who have established themselves as authorities in their respective fields or industries. They possess deep knowledge, experience, and a unique perspective that resonates with their target audience. 

They actively share their insights and expertise, aiming to influence and inspire others. 

These individuals often have a strong online presence through blogs, social media, speaking engagements, and publications.

How do you identify these individuals?

The FAIR Rule for Thought Leadership

Thought leaders possess similar characteristics and skill sets. First, we’ll take a look at commonly shared attributes that make thought leaders easy to identify.

Above all, thought leaders are FAIR — Focused, Authentic, Insightful, and Relevant. 

• Focused: Thought leaders zero in on a niche and focus on expertise in that area. They don’t attempt to overextend their authority. 

• Authentic: Thought leaders possess an authenticity that stems from unique experiences in their niche. 

• Insightful: Thought leaders insights are based on a deep understanding of topics and issues in their industry. 

• Relevant: Thought leaders consistently create content that is current and connected to the industry they seek to influence. They aren’t only the leading voice in ongoing conversations, they are the generators of new ones. 

These are the qualities you want driving your thought leadership strategy and content creation. 

Now that we understand their defining characteristics, let’s explore some skills they share. 

Identifying Thought Leaders Based on Talent

Being FAIR is fine and dandy, but what talents do these individuals demonstrate that identify them as thought leaders? 

Well, it’s simple. They can DUNK — Deliver Unique Niche Knowledge. 

You may have a wealth of thought leadership talent within your own workforce. A great thought leadership strategy begins with identifying these individuals and building a team of subject matter experts (SMEs). 

• Tap the C-suite for their executive expertise and experience.

• Explore employees at all levels who possess extensive, valuable and specific industry knowledge.

• Determine their willingness to actually become thought leaders or contribute to thought leadership strategy content. 

• Remember that not every potential thought leader has the time, confidence, or motivation to jump into the role. 

• Always seek out new thought leadership talent. Keeping a constant eye out for key characteristics and skills should help weed out these free-thinking individuals. 

Just make sure they can DUNK. 

And if you Supplement Leadership with Actionable Metrics — well, then you got a SLAM DUNK. 

Pro Tip: Newsjacking provides an excellent opening for injecting expert commentary. If you have an in-house thought leadership strategy and team in place, they can immediately supply journalists with insights and statements on breaking news related to their field of expertise.

Examples of Thought Leaders

Let’s take a look at some well-known thought leaders. 

Neil Patel 

Neil Patel is an educational thought leader in the field of digital marketing. Through his blog, webinars, and online courses, he educates marketers and entrepreneurs on effective digital marketing strategies and tactics.

Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer (COO) of Facebook (now Meta) and a thought leader advocating for gender equality in the workplace. Her book Lean In and her advocacy efforts have sparked important discussions and initiatives.

Simon Sinek 

Simon Sinek is an inspirational thought leader known for his “Start with Why” concept. He has delivered compelling TED Talks and written books that inspire individuals and organizations to find their purpose and drive.

10 Key Steps to Developing an Effective Thought Leadership Strategy

Once you have a clear thought leadership framework in place — understanding of your goals, who your thought leaders are, and the kind of thought leadership content you need to create — it’s time to get started on the meat of your thought leadership strategy.

Creating a thought leadership strategy requires careful planning and execution. To effectively assert yourself or organization as an industry expert, you need to follow some crucial thought leadership strategy steps:

1. Identify Your Niche

Determine your specific area of expertise and the audience you want to target. 

Then define your niche to focus your efforts effectively. Find areas that are lacking discourse in your industry, think about what you want to say, and formulate an authentic way to communicate your message. 

If George Washington Carver was still kicking, he would no doubt be the bad boy of agricultural affairs related to soil depletion, and the authoritative voice guiding farmers and gardeners alike who are experiencing dirt difficulties.

2. Content Creation

Produce high-quality content that showcases your expertise.

This can include:

• Blog Posts
• Earned Media
• Videos 
• Podcasts 
• Webinars
• Whitepapers 
• Reports
• Infographics
• Social Media Posts

Ensure your content is valuable, informative, and addresses the needs of your audience.
The Deloitte Insights blog produces topnotch content vital to helping the future-focused see what’s around the corner. Through extensive research and surveys, they deliver vital insights on current business challenges, trends, and predictions.

3. Consistency

Another crucial element of any thought leadership strategy is consistency. Maintain a consistent presence by regularly sharing your insights and content. 

Consistency builds trust and keeps your audience engaged. Blogs and social media updates are great ways to maintain a consistent flow of content. 

To reuse the Deloitte Insights example, they regularly update their blog with insightful special editions to help business leaders timely navigate changes in the business world.

4. Engage with Your Audience

Interact with your audience through social media, comments, and forums. Respond to questions and feedback to foster a sense of community. Even small gestures like offering text updates on upcoming content keeps audiences engaged, interested, and included.

5. Networking

To form a more well-rounded thought leadership strategy, you need to connect with other thought leaders and influencers in your industry. Collaborate on projects, interviews, or co-authored content to expand your reach. 

Pitch relevant journalists and podcasts with an authoritative voice in your industry.

Or become a niche expert yourself, and go on popular, relevant podcasts to share your knowledge and opinions on niche topics. 

Also, consider partnering with a well-known brand or voice to boost recognition credibility with a whole new thing, like Acorn and CNBC did with Grow. 

Even if you’re the smaller half of a collab, you may already have a niche following (Acorn) that lends credibility to the larger partner (CNBC), while their recognition and broader audience will help bring you new prospects.

Want to know how to effectively pitch a podcast? Then check out our guide: How to Pitch a Podcast in 2024 [+ Real Examples]

6. Speaking Engagements

Seek opportunities to speak at conferences, webinars, and podcasts. Thought leadership events like public speaking engagements enhance your visibility and positions you as an authority.

To re-highlight the aforementioned Susan Cain — this introverted author became an award-winning public speaker on the power of introverts, because there was a need. 

She identified a gap, and communicated her message more effectively by incorporating speaking engagements into her thought leadership strategy as part of her content distribution.

Susan has been featured on TED Talks and for her efforts was touted as one of Bill Gates’ favorite keynote speakers!

7. Publishing

Consider writing books, ebooks, or academic papers to establish credibility and reach a broader audience. Distribution is king. Get your message out any way you can and every way you can.

Remember Michael Michalowicz? He wrote books and even created a brand, StoryBrand, about all things branding. Brand!

8. Content Promotion

This is an integral part of thought leadership PR. Once you have solid thought leadership content — and it’s being published — you need to get the word out. Incorporate PR efforts into your thought leadership strategy to ensure your audience is aware of your content. 

This comes in the form of press releases, social media engagement, and reaching out to relevant journalists with story ideas. Create a webinar, make podcast appearances, and share across multiple social channels. 

You may also want to consider a grassroots PR campaign to drive your thought leadership strategy and promote organic interest in your thought leadership content. 
What do effective PR campaigns look like? Check them out here: 4 Successful PR Campaign Examples and Why They Worked + Tactics

9. Measurement and Evaluation

Continuously track the impact of your thought leadership efforts. Analyze metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and audience growth to assess your strategy’s effectiveness.

Not sure how to pull valuable insights from your analytics? We’ve got you covered. Learn more here: 7 Step Guide to PR Analytics: Unveiling Insights for Strategy Enhancement

10. Adapt and Evolve

Stay current with industry trends and adapt your thought leadership strategy accordingly. The landscape is constantly changing, and thought leaders must evolve with it. 

If thought leaders keep saying the same things, people will tune them out, and they will lose authority. 

Keep in mind that controversial does not mean confrontational. Your opinions should go against the grain, but you want to avoid giving your audience a razor burn. 

And your opinions should be Darwinian. Evolve them.

Just make sure they’re the fittest!

Pro Tip: Use digital PR to bolster your influence. After forming a thought leadership strategy, let people know your content is in the digital ether via SEO-optimized press releases. 

But how do you write a good press release? We got you covered! Check out our guide: How to Write a Press Release for Great Results [Examples + Tips]

Pulling Your Thought Leadership Strategy All Together

Remember, a good thought leadership strategy is not just about what you know — it’s about how effectively you share that knowledge and inspire others to join you on the path of innovation, education, or inspiration.

And as the digital landscape goes through its never ending growing pains, the opportunities for thought leaders to make a difference are boundless, making thought leadership strategy essential for individuals and organizations alike.

This potent force elevates individuals and organizations to new heights of influence and success. It promotes sharing valuable insights, inspiring change, and making a positive impact in your industry or community.

A well-crafted thought leadership strategy is the foundation of this journey. You can position yourself as a trusted authority by: 

• Identifying Your Niche
• Engaging with Your Audience
• Collaborating with Peers
• Consistently Producing High-Quality Content 

And while this journey requires dedication, the rewards in terms of credibility, trust, and growth are well worth the effort.

Still not sure how to create a thought leadership strategy? Let us help! Simply book a free consultation with us to get expert insight into how to start or improve your approach to thought leadership.