Nearly 90% of C-suite execs say that thought leadership influences their opinions of an organization, but only 17% believe the content they consume is “very good” or “good.” It is important to know how these two concepts are different but also how they interrelate:
- Content marketing solves problems and clarifies solutions, while thought leadership sparks conversations (that potentially lead to solutions).
- Thought leadership content focuses on quality, not quantity (e.g., one good blog versus 5-10 posts or sound bites).
- Content marketing focuses on selling, while thought leadership doesn’t push products or services. Thought leadership rarely even mentions your company’s offerings. Instead, it boosts the brand’s interest, intrigue, and authority.
- Thought leadership requires research to identify topics and upcoming trends.
- Content marketing solves current problems, while thought leadership focuses on tomorrow’s issues.
- Thought leadership lets you influence the industry narrative, while content marketing is more reactive to what people are talking about now.
- Content marketing spotlights product/service authority, while thought leadership boosts organizational recognition.
