If thought leadership is a part of your overall communications policy, then it’s quite possible you are generating a lot of content on a regular basis. It can be challenging to keep up and then there’s always the fear of getting stale.
Here are 6 ways to keep your thought leadership compelling and fresh as a daisy.
1. Recheck Content Pillars
Your thought leadership should align with strategic objectives. Take the time to re-examine your content pillars to make sure all subject areas are being covered in priority order.
2. Monitor Competitor Content the What are they talking about?
How can you differentiate yourself while staying on course? If a competitor focuses on leadership, is there a subset of that topic that you can own such as transformation, emotional intelligence or female leadership (if you’re a female leader)? To stand out from your competitors, be sure to insert your personality into the content so people get a real sense of who you are. Include things that you are challenged by and or wonder about, too. This is a key engagement tool.
3. Read Everything
I find that one of the best ways to keep ideas flowing is to read a lot. This includes reading business trade publications as well as consumer business news. Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review are just a few leading publications that often have the latest research and coverage about leadership. I keep a folder of relevant articles which I often use as inspiration when crafting my latest thought leadership pieces. Assign reading responsibilities to team members so they can regularly clip articles and share them, too.
4. Look Back at Old Thought Leadership Pieces
Every so often, I take a look back at some of my past content. With hindsight, I get a new perspective on what worked and what could be improved upon. It also helps me pick up on anything that I’ve missed or not given enough attention to. This exercise often uncovers new ideas about what I could be writing about in the present.
5. Follow Other Thought Leaders
I make it a point to follow other recognized business thought leaders, those in and outside of my specific industry, across digital platforms. Recently, I wrote about top thought leaders who talk about trust. Their content often clues me into current trends and sparks ideas of my own.
6. Ask The Team
Avoid working in a vacuum and ask close team members for input on the kind of thought leadership they’d like to see in the future. Some leaders find it helpful to hold a brainstorm meeting with their team to create an annual editorial calendar, generate ideas, and get valuable input. The editorial calendar should tie together content for all communications platforms.
What do you do to make sure your thought leadership stays current?
