Recovering from Information Bankruptcy
High-quality thought leadership from businesses can help play a role in recovering from what has been called “information bankruptcy.” Traits such as trustworthiness, truthfulness, lack of bias, and reliability can help us get back to spending our audiences’ attention wisely rather than destroying trust with superficial tactics. Imagine an entire mindset of marketing and communication focused on creating a virtuous cycle between trust. Imagine that it becomes the expected norm for how institutions communicate with stakeholders.
“Declaring Information Bankruptcy”
The latest Edelman Trust Barometer makes strong claims about the erosion of trust in each category of societal institution (business, government, NGOs, and media). Their conclusion for 2021: “declaring information bankruptcy.” But recovery is possible.
Avoiding Common Thought Leadership Mistakes
While most of my client conversations focus on positive steps to establish and maintain thought leadership positioning, I also occasionally hear questions or have discussions about what not to do.
Here are some of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them. Always remember, the goal of thought leadership is to stand out and shine rather than blending into mediocrity and chatter.
Finding and Lifting Rising Stars
Mid- to large-size organizations often struggle to cultivate a pipeline of next-generation thought leaders. They seek ways to promote high-potential people, but when it comes to thought leadership, however, they typically don’t engage in a similar process of succession planning. To avoid losing thought leadership traction, companies can follow a simple three-step approach.
Using Thought Leadership to Sustain the Conversation
High-quality thought leadership allows companies to stand out from competitors with differentiated insights that communicate unique value. While its primary purpose is differentiation and adding value, thought leadership also provides an enormous benefit for sales pipelines and client relationship management. The reason why? Thought leadership sustains conversations. A few scenarios help illustrate this point.
Impact and Aftershocks: What Matters
As shaken as I felt during the awful events at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021, they also reaffirmed one of my most core beliefs. They tell us a lot about what matters. Communication is not just about the words we use or the messages we deliver. Communication is about responsibility.
21 Ways to Make 2021 A Better Year
The challenges and complexities of 2020 have been a good reminder that future outlooks can change dramatically with unforeseen situations. The same is true for many of our annual goals, the things we plan to do more or less of, and the outcomes we want to achieve.
We can, however, control our aspirations and commitments. If unexpected circumstances arise, we can still stay true to those commitments, even as we make necessary adjustments to the way we work. We can still find ways to better the world in line with our belief systems and values.
As a thought leadership strategist for financial services and fintech clients, here’s my list of things I want to commit to making and doing better.
Making The Best Use of Voice Guidelines
Many companies, by default, come to believe that their communications should use an official corporate voice. This voice may not be well suited to effective and authentic thought leadership. While corporate voice has its place, excessive enforcement of corporate voice can cause thought leadership to ring false. It’s better to thought leaders the right combination of guidance and latitude, coupled with the right combination of support and review, as a way to help them communicate authentically while adding depth and nuance to your campaign.
Patient Capital and Content Marketing
Adopting a “patient capital” mindset in marketing means slowly building up an audience by delivering the highest value thinking in the highest quality manner possible. People may not buy today. It means planning at longer timescales — quarters and years rather than days and weeks. You deliberately and intentionally build your reputation by developing your ongoing credibility. In the same way that a patient capitalist defers expectations of return, you defer your expectations of immediate buying decisions by focusing on the long haul.
Decency: A New Meaning for an Old Word
Decency? Yes. When applied to marketing and communications, the concept of decency means treating people with a deep conviction that their time and their attention have value. It means showing a courteous restraint. It means respecting that time and attention are not just finite but irreplaceable resources. It means working within a dynamic of gaining permission, building trust, offering value.