A Thought Leadership Piece is a great way to establish yourself and your brand as a market leader and expert in your field. It’s also an easy way to get publicity if well positioned and written.
But publications won’t just publish anyone. They’re looking for something with substance. Here are four tips for writing compelling Thought Leadership Pieces that will get you published:
1. Establish credibility
A very necessary first step, both for your reader’s benefit as well as to convince an editor that you are print worthy. Include a short bio or paragraph mentioning past achievements, credentials and expertise on the subject matter.
2. Have something to contribute
You must be a valuable source of information to win your reader’s attention and confidence. Don’t just echo popular sentiment; find something fresh to bring to the conversation.
3. Take a stand
Thought Leadership must be opinionated. You need to bring something to the discussion that a traditional news story can’t. You and your organisation must take a stand on a topic and leverage a unique point of view.
4. Add value
This is not about self-promotion. You must provide valuable opinions and ideas. For young companies with small footprints, or established organisations wanting to align with certain topics, Thought Leadership raises awareness, builds your brand, and cements the idea that you’re passionate about an industry, topic, or cause.