Opinion forming, visioning and crystal ball gazing is nothing new in the world of technology. Almost half a decade on, marketers are still waxing lyrical about tech mystic Steve Jobs and how he saw the role of computers in modern society.
It could be said that he has set the benchmark for many of today’s luminaries without the availability of social media, mobile technology or mainstream video. This begs the question, in today’s digital world are the visionaries of the 21st century actually that pioneering, or do they just have access to a bigger mouthpiece?
The dissemination of ideas
With the number of digital channels increasing exponentially, industry ambassadors have an embarrassment of riches when syndicating their opinions. If the quest is to elevate their personal brand, then measures of success are likely to include follower growth, engagement metrics, social shares and speaker opportunities. However, if their objectives are more aligned to business generation, how do you effectively attribute thought leadership notions with revenue? Do these ideas really resonate with potential buyers? Do they align with the company vision? Are these views likely to drive action?
Looking through this lens some of the vanity metrics mentioned earlier may seem a bit flaky. Can an idea that’s ‘gone viral’ really influence the sale of a six-figure purchase?
This really is the crux of the question, are the opportunities to see the content/notion diluting the actual value of the content itself?
It’s an interesting thought, are we subliminally being spoon fed these concepts that, if challenged, are reconstituted from someone else or are flimsy at best?
Beware of false idols
Today, the number of people with role adjectives such as luminary, visionary, pioneer or champion in their social profiles are commonplace. With so much digital noise out there, how do we sift through the real thought leaders from the pretenders to the throne?
Below are some telltale signs of what to look for.
- Expertise and knowledge: Search for individuals who have deep expertise in their field that have been recognised by their peers and are frequent sharers of valuable and unique content.
- Authenticity: Genuine thought leaders are transparent and unique, many replicate but true thought leaders share personal content, including failures, that make it feel real and relatable. Comfort with the good, bad and ugly shows humanity and real depth.
- Strong points of view: The usual background check of credentials, past work and endorsements from peers can help validate industry luminaries – but how they project insightful, visionary and sometimes unconventional thinking is they key ask
- Engagement: I’m not just talking about likes and shares, real thought leaders engage with their networks about their views and visions.
- Consistency: Thought leadership isn’t just a hit and run exercise, being able to consistently produce high-quality content that provides value and is one step ahead.
The last point on this list is very important – consistent, sustained content is vital to establishing your business or personal brand and to make sure your content is taken seriously. But it’s also worth noting that using the plethora digital channels available to you also creates its own challenges. Lazy copy and paste posturing can create white noise, with followers becoming turned off by a cookie cutter approach. Different channels are frequented by different audiences so treat them as such. This continued requirement of content can be an overwhelming task for many business leaders, but The Rubicon Agency can help.
We craft thought leadership content that commands an audience, drives engagement and opens doors. With over 25 years of B2B agency experience working within the tech sector we know what it takes to articulate a vision, a view or a notion that people will want to follow.
