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Leading with Thought Leadership
Bob Buday, Bloom Group Jason Mlicki, Rattleback 12/14/2018
© Copyright 2018. Bloom Group, LLC and Rattleback, Inc.
• Research Background • State of Thought Leadership Marketing • High-Level Characteristics of Leaders • 7 Capabilities of Exceptional Thought Leadership
Marketers
Webinar Agenda
Research Sponsor
Produced By
Who we surveyed, when and how
Research Background
• Research objectives: - Document the state of the profession - Determine the characteristics of top performers
• Surveyed 312 B2B companies in North America during Spring / Summer 2018 • Recruited online via email, social media and
panel recruitment by Phronesis Partners • 35 questions exploring budgets, mindsets,
processes, behaviors, characteristics of firms and teams
About the Research
Research Sponsor
Produced By
3%2%
3%
9%
83%Marketing / EditorialCEO / COO / PartnerSalesPractice / Service Line ManagementOther
Respondents were primarily marketers and editorial leaders…
…With responsibility for setting the thought leadership agenda…
Define and oversee the thought leadership strategy
Manage thought leadership projects
Responsible for specific parts of thought leadership projects 23%
25%
52%
Other
Accounting
Legal
Architecture, Engineering,Construction
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals IT ServicesSoftware, Hardware
Financial Services
Management Consulting…Predominantly from one of eight key sectors…
20%
14%
12%12%
10%
7%
11%
7%
6%
23%
19%
34%
14%
10%
Small Business (<$10M)Lower Middle Market ($10M - $100M)Core Middle Market ($100M - $500M)Upper Middle Market ($500M - $1B)Enterprise ($1B+)
…In companies of all sizes…
Less than 1 year
1-3 years
4-5 years
6-10 years
Over 10 years
Don't Know 1%
26%
28%
24%
15%
6%
…Who are just getting started with thought leadership or have been at it for quite some time.
Who’s investing? Why? Is it working for them?
The State of Thought Leadership
Management Consulting
Financial Services
IT Services
Software, Computer Hardware, Electronics
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals
A/E/C
Legal
Accounting 6.29%2.7%
3.63%6.07%
5.62%6.25%6.22%
5.15%
5.4%All Sectors
At 5.4% across the board, spending as a percent of revenue is as high as we’ve ever seen it.
Why firms are investing in thought leadership marketing:
Our sales force is asking for it
The investment community expects it
Customers are asking for it to validate our expertise
We've had past success with it
Competitors in our industry are doing it
Competitors outside our industry are threatening our business 3.4
3.71
3.87
3.92
3.23
3.76
Firms are investing first and foremost to meet customer expectations.
Scale: 1 = not at all important 5 = extremely important
Extremely positive
Positive
None
Negative
Extremely negative 1%
1%
13%
70%
15%
While the majority believe their investments have had a positive impact on revenue…
Small Business (<$10M)
Lower Middle Market ($10M - $100M)
Core Middle Market ($100M - $500M)
Upper Middle Market ($500M - $1B)
Enterprise ($1B+) 76%
64%
70%
62%
61%
66%All Respondents
And, most company leaders are placing value on thought leadership…
% of respondents stating their efforts were very or extremely effective at generating awareness & leads.
Extremely effective
Very effective
Somewhat effective
Not so effective
Not at all effective 3%
13%
37%
35%
12%
A large portion of marketers see their programs as not potent.
Until now, what’s remained unclear — What does it take to be exceptional at this?
How we found them, where you’ll find them, and what they gain from their position as experts.
The High-Level Characteristics of Leaders
• Identified attitudinally - Leaders stated their thought leadership marketing was
“extremely effective at generating strong market awareness and business leads” = 12% of sample.
- Followers stated their thought leadership marketing was “not at all effective” or “not so effective” = 16% of sample.
• Same metric we used in 2015 and 2016 consulting firm studies.
How we separated the best from the rest.
Leaders invest nearly 2x as much on thought leadership marketing as followers (7% vs. 3% of revenue on average).
Leaders are more likely to be upper middle market or large corporations.
Leaders are more likely to be software or financial services companies.
Most importantly, leaders command a price premium.
The mindsets, behaviors, characteristics and processes of the best in the business.
The 7 Capabilities of Exceptional Thought Leadership Marketers
1. Patient Champions 2. Disciplined Navigators 3. Truth Seekers 4. Argument Shapers 5. Audience Builders 6. Digital Enlighteners 7. Sales Accelerators
The 7 Capabilities of Exceptional Thought Leadership Marketers
#1 - Patient Champions. Leaders are willing to make the strategic investments in people, technologies and programs necessary to develop
big ideas and shape the market.
Leaders Followers
2.98
4.61
Leaders have earned big commitment from the top of their organizations.
How much value organizational leaders are perceived to place on thought leadership.
Scale: 5 = Extremely high value 1 = No value
To earn that commitment leaders leverage data, involve executives personally and find ways for them to hear from others.
Percentage of respondents stating each factor was “extremely important” (5) or “very important” (4).
51%
51%
55%
82%
84%
97%
LeadersFollowers
Seeing data on how thought leadership marketing has generated leads for our firm
Their personal involvement in thought leadership
Hearing their peers outside marketing explain its importance
Importantly, leaders recognize it takes patience to be exceptional.
How long firms have been investing in thought leadership marketing.
#2 - Disciplined Navigators. Leaders know where they’re trying to go, what topics
they want to own, what quality looks like, and have the necessary policies and processes in place to produce it.
16%
29%
43%
87%
92%
97%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders set clear business goals and routinely knock them down.
We set annual goals for our thought leadership marketing activities
Our goals include both activities and outcomes
We consistently achieve those goals
Percentage of respondents that agree with these statements.
35%
14%
33%
97%
84%
92%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders get agreement on topics and enforce rigorous quality standards.
Have firm-wide agreement on topics
Have explicit, documented and shared content quality standards
Regularly enforce those standards
Percentage of respondents that agree with these statements.
45%
87%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders have the desire, tools and ability to prove ROI from their investments.
We can prove ROI from our investments
Percent of respondents who “strongly agree” (5) or “agree” (4) with this statement.
#3 - Truth Seekers. Leaders fall in love with the problem. They regularly
invest in original primary research to shed new light on how they can solve it better than anyone else.
25%
53%
6%
6%
21%
26%
21%
29%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders rely on primary research to shed new light on critical business problems. A survey
Interviews with companies (clients or non-clients)
Our subject matter experts
Q: What was the most important source of content for your most successful thought leadership marketing campaign between 2015 and 2017?
Secondary research
51%
63%
53%
45%
37%
76%
95%
87%
87%
87%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders bring more rigor to the research process itself.
Writing the questionnaire
Gathering secondary research
Determining what to present
Q: How important are the following factors in conducting thought leadership studies? Percent of respondents stating each factor is “extremely important” (5) or “very important” (4).
Involving subject matter experts in data analysis
Securing case study interviews
#4 - Argument Shapers. Leaders invest in content developers who bring a unique ability in helping to shape the fundamental arguments of
their subject matter experts.
88%
84%
80%
55%
55%
92%
97%
92%
92%
92%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders value subject knowledge and interpersonal skills more than their peers
Subject knowledge
Interpersonal skills
Ability to structure compelling arguments
Q: How important are the following skills in producing compelling content? Percent of respondents answering “extremely high importance” (5) or “high importance” (4)
Accuracy
Writing ability
53%
59%
39%
49%
55%
92%
92%
82%
95%
100%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders are more likely to have those unique and rare skills within their teams
Subject knowledge
Interpersonal skills
Ability to structure compelling arguments
Q: Please rate the degree to which your firm currently possesses these capabilities? Percent of respondents answering “extremely high degree” (5) or “high degree” (4)
Accuracy
Writing ability
#5 - Audience Builders. Leaders know how to cut through the noise of the new media landscape to meet clients where, when and how
they learn.
The thought leadership marketing content continuum
33%
16%
55%
34%
LeadersFollowers
On the earned media front, leaders place more emphasis on arbiters of quality than their peers
A book
An article in a prestigious external publication
Q: Which of the following assets were part of your most successful thought leadership campaign between 2015-2017?
49%
55%
29%
39%
55%
45%
LeadersFollowers
On the owned media front, leaders are ramping up investments in digital, lean-back content
Web videos
Blogs
Q: In your most successful thought leadership campaign between 2015-2017, which of the following did you use to promote your content?
White papers
65%
14%
4%
39%
21%
32%
LeadersFollowers
On the social media front, leaders use social as publishing platforms rather than marketing channels.
Podcasts
Presentations on Slideshare
Q: In your most successful thought leadership campaign between 2015-2017, which of the following did you use to promote your content?
Social media campaigns
14%
12%
10%
21%
26%
42%
LeadersFollowers
On the paid media front, leaders are more aggressive than their peers. Advertorials
Advertising(in general)
Q: In your most successful thought leadership campaign between 2015-2017, which of the following did you use to promote your content?
SEM
#6 - Digital Enlighteners. Leaders see digital technologies as the central medium that drives everything else. This digital-first mindset enables them to shape clients learning and buying
processes long before a conversation happens.
Our website is our most valuable marketing asset
Leaders Followers
39%
87%
Leaders see their website as their most valuable marketing asset. Period.
Percent of respondents who “strongly agree” (5) or “agree” (4) with this statement.
8%
12%
8%
87%
84%
82%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders use the web to provide compelling, interactive content experiences.
Videos and multimedia content
Interactive graphics
Percent of respondents who use these forms of interactive content in their thought leadership programs “always” (5) or “most of the time” (4).
Interactive tools
27%
37%
39%
89%
95%
95%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders guide the buying process digitally.
We’ve thoughtfully planned the website to guide the buying process.
We’ve placed a variety of calls-to-action to lead prospects through that process.
Percent of respondents who “strongly agree” (5) or “agree” (4) with these statements.
We use marketing automation to nurture them through that process.
45%
20%
89%
95%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders use digital technologies to take control of the buying process.
We use lead scoring to identify high potential prospects for proactive sales outreach.
Percent of respondents who “strongly agree” (5) or “agree” (4) with these statements.
Our sales team conducts proactive outreach to prospects who’ve demonstrated interest in our offerings.
12%
10%
6%
4%
10%
79%
87%
84%
84%
82%
LeadersFollowers
Leaders bring a “continuous improvement” mentality to their work
Email subject lines
Percent of respondents who “always” (5) or “most of the time” (4) A/B test these elements of their digital marketing efforts.
Article headlines
Website landing pages
Online ads
Web page graphics
#7 - Sales Accelerators. Thought leadership cannot exist within a bubble. Leaders
work diligently to engage the people in the firm that have the most ability to make or break the success of a
program — the sales team.
of Leaders
We conducted effective marketing programs
We conducted seminars and other marketing events
Our salespeople were well-versed in our content
8% 19%
Ranked Most Important
We had exceptional content
We presented related content on our website
21% 14%
32% 16%
10% 14%
29% 37%
Leaders recognize that success happens in the “last mile.”
Percent of respondents who ranked each factor as the #1 most important factor in the success of their most successful campaign between 2015-2017.
Leaders Followers
of Leaders
They’re told at a high level how to use it
They’re given the content
Salespeople aren’t informed about the
content
Salespeople are extensively trained on
how to use the content with prospects
Leaders do everything possible to enable their sales teams to sell from the thought leadership they develop.
4%
35%
33%
22%
45%
32%
10%
13%
LeadersFollowers
Percent of respondents who agreed with each statement.
Bringing it all together.
Closing Thoughts
• Unprecedented demand for this marketing discipline - Across all B2B sectors; for skills of many types
• More ways than ever to take big ideas to market • To be exceptional, you and your firm need to: - Bring patience and discipline. - Seek truth, shape arguments, and build audiences. - Are digital leaders who embolden sales teams.
• In depth study releases 1/2019.
It’s a great time to be in thought leadership marketing
Research Sponsor
Produced By
Bob Buday Co-FounderBloom Group Bob has helped clients across a range of B2B sectors publish their thinking in the right places (including numerous books, 20+ Harvard Business Review articles and opinion pieces in the Financial Times, BusinessWeek, Forbes, CIO magazine and other leading publications).
About the Authors
Jason MlickiPrincipalRattleback As Principal of Rattleback, Jason helps professional services firms from all over the world turn their thought leadership marketing efforts into demand generation programs.
Contact Bob:
bbuday@bloomgroup.com
(508) 497 3411
Contact Jason:
jmlicki@rattleback.com
(614) 486 5181 Research Sponsor
Produced By
© Copyright 2018. Bloom Group, LLC and Rattleback, Inc.
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