IS YOUR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PROVOCATIVE?
Thought leaders. This buzzword is a term that’s loosely used and often not backed up. When organizations talk about their thought leaders, they mean the experts in their organization. They set the expectation of delivering insight that is distinctive and – dare we say – provocative.
CONTENT CONSISTENCY: THE NEW KING
Years ago the saying "content is king" was all the buzz. Today that phrase should be "content consistency is king." But the truth is consistency is still a huge challenge for marketers when it comes to delivering messaging across multiple channels, especially the plethora of social media channels. Industry experts estimate that almost 75% of blog posts, for example, don't reflect a corporate message.
Do you feel your customers’ pain? Can you put yourself in their shoes? Do you have a firm grasp on the thinking and discussions that take place during the decision-making process?
For messaging to connect with your target audience, it must speak to the audience from their point of view. A self-serving story about you and your products or services will only go so far.
Henry Ford. Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Steve Jobs. Each of these iconic leaders understood the importance of staying relevant as the key to engaging in meaningful conversations with customers.
The truth is, it really doesn’t matter how superior your product or service is, compared to the competition. What matters is communicating a message that is relevant and meaningful to your target audience.
PUT MESSAGING DIFFERENCES ASIDE.
Sales: “I couldn’t use the PowerPoint deck that marketing gave me. It just wasn’t relevant to the conversation I wanted to have with my customer, so I just created my own.”
Marketing: “How can we deliver a clear, compelling and consistent message when sales professionals and executives just change the story for every customer conversation?”
Does this sound familiar? It should. It happens in some shape or form … every day.
