By Lee Odden

B2B executives aren’t asking for more content, they’re asking for more original thinking

At the iResearch Services Thought Leadership for Tomorrow event that I attended in New York recently, one of the messages that stood out to me was that business leaders don’t want more content, they want more clarity.

I know we are years beyond Mark Schaefer’s “Content Shock” but the importance of relevance and quality over quantity bears repeating, especially as we experience this seemingly endless sequence of disruption from the rapid evolution of AI, to economic uncertainty, to global instability.

Understandably, buyers of business solutions are overwhelmed. They’re looking for strategic guidance and sources of truth. They’re looking for brands they can trust. And most importantly, they’re looking for the best answers to ensure confidence and consensus amongst stakeholders and decision makers.

Reflecting on the insights and experiences shared by a really impressive program of panels at the TLFT event, I wanted to dig in to how original research, paired with industry expert insight, experiential content and a strategic approach to thought leadership, is becoming one of the most powerful ways B2B brands can earn credibility and build meaningful trust with their audiences during a time when trust is pretty hard to come by.

1. From mechanical to meaningful: when data informs, thought leadership performs

Building trust in a time when attention is fleeting and it’s becoming harder to know what’s real, is not about using AI-powered workflows to create more content. It’s about publishing meaningful insight that helps your audience to trust, understand and take action. But where do you get the most valuable data for those trust-building insights? How can you best understand the questions your buyers are asking?

Karen Feldman, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at Iron Mountain shared something I hadn’t heard before:

“87% of enterprise data is dark. The companies that help unlock those insights, and do it with a clear point of view, are the ones that will build trust and momentum.”

Sonja Jacob, Thought Leadership & Content Strategy Leader at Cisco added:

“Thought leadership doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. But when it’s bold, timely, and grounded in real insight, it drives measurable business outcomes.”

The Bright Trends, Bold Strategy panel at the TLFT event offered even more takeaways to help inform the importance of a data informed approach that is more meaningful than mechanical:

• Stop blending in. Thought leadership isn’t a blog schedule. It’s an opportunity to take a stand on what matters.
• Help buyers think differently. As Craig O’Boyle, Global Director – Strategic Insights, Thought Leadership & Executive Experiences at Google shared, “success comes from offering unique perspectives that help people make smarter decisions.”
• Be bold with purpose. Anna Bernasek, Managing Director, Global Head of Insights at State Street put it clearly: “Boldness is not about being loud. It’s about being early and clear with ideas others haven’t said yet.”

Original research gives you the foundation for that boldness. Analysis and insights from the data …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog

Author: Aaron