Using a Blog to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry, Part 1
Patrick McFadden • July 18, 2013
Thought leadership isn’t just for individuals. It’s for businesses too. The goal of becoming a thought leader is to shape people’s perception of your company and its products–the right way. Companies large and small want to be thought leaders.
This ability to shape people’s perception of your company and its products is critical to your success. “If you can’t fight for your prospect and customers mind, you are not going to go very far in the battle for their wallet.”
In this three-part series I share powerful steps, tips, and techniques for using a blog to become a thought leader in your industry.
Here’s how you can use a blog to become a thought leader in your industry :
- Content must have a job. Creating content alone is never enough. Your company must create content that works as marketing. Marketing is telling a story about the value you create for people. There’s no better way today—in a world were it’s more about being found and less about going out and hunting—to tell your story and deliver independent value than with content.
- Begin with the end in mind.
Create a blog with the goal of it being the premier source of information in your industry. A blog should be thought of in terms of a resource center and positioned as such. A business should add a blog to their site in order to help customers find answers to the problems they seek.
- Tribe blogging wins. Have some of the company’s employees (senior leaders, product managers, etc.) contribute to the blog. If you visit the Technorati Top 100 blogs in the world as ranked by Technorati Authority. (The Top 100 is updated once per day.) You’ll notice one thing about the top 10 ranking blogs in the world. Almost all of them are written by groups or teams of people. (Note: For single-person bloggers like myself I substitute this by offering “guest posting.”)
- Write for the readers not the calendar. Set the editorial calendar and assign writers but not topics, for the blog. Encourage company employees to write about something they’re personally interested in. If you’re an independent professional I recommend setting monthly themes to write about.
- The real act of discovery is not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes. Work with company employees to brainstorm ideas, ask them about things they’re working on. Sometimes it’s from seeing with new eyes that they find compelling and remarkable content. Again if you’re an independent professional talk with your customers and seek information from other industries.
- Have daily motivation baths. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.” Keep blog contributors motivated. Keep that project top-of-mind by sending out a motivational or inspiring email to blog contributors each week that contains a nugget of information about blogging.
Given our information crowded and cluttered world, providing true thought leadership can be as valuable to a brand as the products or services it sells.
Question: What do you think? Have you used a blog to build the perception of your company as a thought leader in your industry?
Understanding platform intent, sales cycles, and what actually works in high-ticket home services
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
Most marketing firms talk about tactics. We help our clients see the bigger picture.
