When you’re trying to become a thought leader in your industry, you simply can’t afford to have subpar writing. You need to be able to expertly convey your thoughts, ideas, and advice to your audience.
This is true whether you’re writing a blog post, a social media update, or a thought-leadership piece. But since thought-leadership pieces are often longer and cover more complex topics than a standard blog post, they can be harder to write.
If you’re struggling to write thought-leadership pieces that accurately represent you as a leader in your industry, don’t worry. Here are 12 tips that can help you improve your writing and build your thought leadership.
1. Know your audience
It’s the first rule of all content marketing: Know your audience. But in this case, it’s not just about knowing who your audience is. It’s also about knowing what they want to read.
If you’re writing for a publication, get to know the publication’s audience. If you’re writing for your company’s blog, get to know your company’s audience. If you’re writing for a specific section of a publication or a specific blog, get to know that audience.
For example, if you’re writing a thought-leadership piece for a publication’s technology section, you’ll want to write for an audience that is tech-savvy. If you’re writing for a publication’s business section, you’ll want to write for an audience that is business-savvy. Similarly, if you’re preparing for a presentation, taking public speaking classes can help you tailor your message to the specific audience you’ll be addressing, ensuring your delivery resonates with them.
2. Write a compelling headline
The headline is the first thing people see when your article is shared or found through a search. So you need to make it count.
A good headline should be short and snappy, and it should tell the reader what to expect from the article. You should also try to include a keyword or two in the headline, as this will help your article to rank in search engine results.
If you’re struggling to come up with a headline, try using a headline generator tool like the one on the CoSchedule website. This tool will help you to come up with a range of different headline ideas based on the topic of your article.
3. Don’t be promotional
This is a big no-no in the world of thought leadership. If your article reads like a sales pitch, it’s not going to be received well.
Sure, you can mention your company and what you do, but it should be done in a way that’s relevant to the topic and adds value to the reader. Don’t just throw in a bunch of links to your website and call it a day.
4. Provide unique insights
One of the main goals of thought leadership is to share new, unique insights. So, when you sit down to write your article, make sure you’re not just regurgitating information you’ve read elsewhere.
Instead, try to come up with new ways to look at old problems. Or, share your perspective on current events. You could even conduct your own research and share your findings.
If you’re struggling to come up with unique insights, try to think about what’s missing from the conversation. What do you wish people were talking about? What questions do you have? What do you think other people are getting wrong?
It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. Thought leadership is about asking questions, too.
5. Keep it relevant
Make sure your opinion piece is timely and relevant to the current news cycle. If you’re writing about a topic that’s been done to death, take a look at it from a different angle or find a new topic.
For example, if you’re writing about the impact of remote work on employee mental health, don’t just regurgitate the same old information. Instead, consider the following:
• How has the pandemic impacted remote work and employee mental health?
• What are some lesser-known strategies for managing remote work and employee mental health?
• What are the long-term implications of remote work on employee mental health?
6. Use data to back up your points
No matter how experienced you are in your field, it’s important to use data to back up your points. This not only adds credibility to your piece, but it also helps to support your arguments.
Incorporate data from credible sources to back up your claims. You can also include data from your own research or surveys if you have it. However, it’s important to make sure that the data you use is relevant to your topic and that it supports your points. For instance, if you are writing a piece related to content creation and marketing, it would be good to cite some popular content marketing statistics that can serve as strong reference material.
7. Keep it simple
The world of business and finance is often criticized for using overly complex language. But, in reality, the best communicators are able to explain complex ideas in simple terms.
In fact, the ability to take a complex idea and explain it in a way that anyone can understand is a sign of true expertise.
So, when writing a thought-leadership piece, don’t be afraid to keep it simple. Try to explain your ideas as clearly and concisely as possible.
This doesn’t mean dumbing down your content. It means taking the time to distil your ideas and arguments into their most basic form, so that they can be easily understood by your audience.
8. Write a strong conclusion
In your conclusion, you should restate the main point of your article and offer a final thought or piece of advice. You can also use this section to make a call to action, such as inviting readers to share their own thoughts in the comments or learn more about your company.
Be sure to wrap up your article in a way that feels satisfying to the reader. Don’t leave them hanging or wondering what they should do next.
9. Make it easy to read
The average person will spend just 37 seconds reading your blog post, so you need to make it easy for them to find the information they need.
Use subheadings to break up your content and make it easy to scan. Use bullet points and numbered lists to break up long paragraphs. And use bold and italics to highlight important points.
You should also make sure your writing is clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or complex language, and use short sentences and paragraphs to keep your readers engaged.
10. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion
This is one of the biggest things that sets thought-leadership articles apart from other forms of content.
Most content is written to be as inoffensive as possible, but thought-leadership articles are the opposite.
They are written by experts who are not afraid to take a stand on a particular topic.
Whether you’re a marketing expert who is tired of the same old marketing advice or a business owner who is tired of the status quo, don’t be afraid to take a stand and share your opinion in your thought-leadership articles.
11. Use a call to action
Yes, thought leadership is about sharing knowledge, but it’s also about using that knowledge to position yourself as an expert and to bring in new business. Don’t be afraid to use a call to action in your thought-leadership pieces.
Whether you’re asking people to sign up for your newsletter, download a piece of content, or book a call with you, it’s important to give your readers a way to take the next step.
12. Be authentic
One of the most important things to do when writing thought leadership pieces is to be authentic. Your audience can tell if you’re not being sincere, and it will turn them off.
To be authentic, write about topics that you’re passionate about and have real expertise in. Don’t try to write about something just because you think it will get a lot of clicks. Instead, write about what you know and care about, and your passion will come through in your writing.
Conclusion
Thought leadership is a great way to get your brand out there. By writing informative, valuable pieces, you can position your company as an expert in your field and attract more customers.
