Authority Marketing is based upon content created and presented by authors with in-depth knowledge, real passion, and compelling persuasiveness.
Effective Authority Marketing lubricates the value chain of positioning, publishing, speaking and connecting with followers, influencers, committees, and associations.
The magic triad
The triad of publishing, speaking, and connecting will facilitate leadership – by capturing and directing debates, attracting followers for projects and initiatives, or by commanding influence in general.
There are high demands on the thought leader’s content and concept.
Two key requirements are to be fulfilled:
- Originality is a must: By communicating new insight and defining and occupying a niche you will be seen and heard by your followers.
- Substance matters: Storytelling is not enough. To be noticed, acknowledged, and recommended as an authority, you need to score high with superior, surpassing knowledge embedded in its context and research.
Prerequisites of thought leadership
Once you fulfil these requirements your have a real chance to attain thought leadership. This communication discipline has taught us for quite some time: You need sound, useful, and inspiring content that solves real-life issues, opens up new vistas, and has not yet been manifested endless times by others.
Two types of content qualify in particular, as they will most likely gain attention in key media:
- Opinion pieces and assessments displaying aspects in a courageous and knowledgeable way and allowing for things to be seen and explored from a different angle;
- Surveys and studies providing evidence and new insight.
Communicators as facilitators
As concepts and content are closely linked to the person and mission, conventional communications and marketing services are limited. Communication experts cannot simply dictate content. Only the ideas deriving from the thought leader’s considerations and convictions are to be communicated. However, communication experts and consultants can provide the perfect framing and positioning for these ideas.
As messages need to find their audience and ecosystem, the connecting and networking component will be scrutinized in part five of our introduction series.
