Thought Leadership Content Development

What Is Thought Leadership Content?

Thought leadership content leverages the voices of leaders in a given industry who are able to provide unique insights and expertise on a subject matter. By licensing thought leadership, your organization has an opportunity to build authority for your brand and attract and retain new and old audiences alike. Thought Leadership content should be specific to your brand. Once you have honed in on where your company fits in, you can begin understanding what kind of content you will need. But what is the point of thought leadership content anyway?
 

What Is the Purpose of Thought Leadership Content?

For many brands, thought leadership content fulfills many different roles and functions in a marketing strategy. These can include:

  • Creating brand awareness
  • Building credibility
  • Generating leads
  • Increasing engagement with customers and prospects
  • Improving customer retention rates
  • SEO visibility and high-ranking opportunities
     

What Is the Importance of Thought Leadership Content?

Take a look at recent thought leadership statistics and you’ll quickly discover the benefits it can offer your organization.  Approximately 54% of decision-makers are spending at least one hour a week consuming thought leadership materials. About 53% of organizations have expanded the amount of work done with an organization after engaging with their thought leadership, and 54% of decision-makers purchased from a company that they hadn’t previously considered. When done right, thought leadership offers brands the ability to make their brand voice louder, build trust with audiences and enhance their content marketing strategy. 
 

How Do You Create Thought Leadership Content?

Before creating thought leadership content, it’s important to understand your target audience and their challenges. Before creating new assets, your team should identify where there may be current gaps in your editorial calendar and what pieces of content have been successful. Additionally, identifying your competitors will help you understand where you stand.

 

Now, to get yourself recognized in an oversaturated market you will have to create content that delivers value. Thought leadership content will need to be created by an industry expert. This can include product managers, speakers, and writers. Industry experts may not be the content writers producing the articles for your team’s blog or white papers. These thought leaders are usually people who have a specific forte or understanding of a particular niche or business problem. Through copyright licensing, brands can access industry leaders across a wide range of expertise, including health and wellness, finance, entertainment, travel, and more.

 

Thought leadership content will need to be created by an industry expert. This can include product managers, speakers, and writers. The kind of content you actually create depends on 100% on you. The types of content available to choose from range from articles, case studies, interviews and storytelling. Identify which format your particular audience will enjoy more and carry on. The hard part is already done for you.
 

Thought Leadership Content: 4 Types to License

There are several ways you can demonstrate thought leadership and showcase your expertise. Here are some examples of thought leadership content that have proven to be powerful. 

Where Can I Find Thought Leadership Content?
Thought leadership content can be created by internal SMEs, customers, or industry experts. Alternatively, your organization can license content from world-renowned publications and writers. By leveraging a copyright license, your team can produce high quality content at consistent intervals.
Types of Thought Leadership Content

News Content

News content provides readers with accurate and timely coverage of current events from renowned and trusted journalists. With multiple languages available from The New York Times News Service, news articles can also aid in language learning.

Industry Insights & Expertise

Utilize the voices of industry experts in their given field. Licensing both business news and financial news enables organizations to better inform audiences with in-depth commentary, original reporting and unique insights that are sure to inspire.

Opinion Articles

Knowledgeable experts and contributors provide audiences with new perspectives and opinions on a number of topics. Leverage the expertise of thought leaders in your specific industry with licensed opinion articles to build the credibility of your brand and supplement your editorial calendar.

Videos

Entertaining and educational, videos can deliver expert insights on a variety of topics that raise brand awareness and, ultimately, drive more sales for your brand. Learn more about video licensing options from HealthDay.
Brands Included in the License
Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review

Scholastic

Scholastic

The New York Times

The New York Times

The Economist

The Economist

Authors Included in the License
Richard Branson

Richard Branson

Jeff Jacoby

Jeff Jacoby

Jorge Ramos

Jorge Ramos

Discover more industry leaders we work with here.
Case Studies
Estadão Brazil Summit

Estadão Brazil Summit

New Philosopher

New Philosopher

Contact Sales
Contact a representative to enhance your content strategy by licensing thought leadership content from The New York Times.