As a B2B startup, one of the best things you can do to establish yourself as a thought leader is to create quality content that addresses the needs and pain points of your target audience. This could take the form of blog posts, whitepapers, e-books, infographics, webinars, or even just well-written articles. Beyond that, it's important to make sure that your content is shareable and promotes engagement; after all, what good is thought leadership content if no one ever sees it? And finally, don't forget to promote your content across social media and other online channels - getting your name and brand in front of as many people as possible is essential for success.
Putting out podcast episodes or participating in podcasts can be an effective way to show knowledge and expertise in your field. If you are able to speak for an hour or so about what you know in a way that can educate and add value to people and businesses, you should consider speaking on a podcast in order to be seen as a thought leader.
A great example of thought leadership content for any business, and particularly B2B startups, is the act of posting regularly and thoughtfully on LinkedIn. This is a great way to get going in thought leadership as it costs nothing, has the potential to deliver your content to millions of users, and is published on a platform where people are actively seeking insightful posts such as yours. Consider this: every time you post something that is in any way meaningful to someone else, folks are clicking on your profile, scrolling through your credentials, and learning more about your business—and all you have to do is post your thoughts, engage, and stay updated on relevant content, news, and trends. This is a great way to not only establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and beyond, but also to gain exposure for your business.
One great example of thought leadership content for B2B startups is a blog post on the top mistakes that startup founders make when pitching to investors. This kind of content is highly practical, as it provides insights that can help founders avoid making common mistakes. By sharing this kind of advice, startups can position themselves as thought leaders in the space, and help their readers learn and grow.
PR representatives from B2B startups can link up with reporters to get quoted in their articles. This is a great way for B2B startups to show their expertise in well-established publications. If a B2B's quote is found on a popular news site, this is a good sign that this organization's ideas are legitimate.
One great example of thought leadership content for B2B startups is doing a "questions you were afraid to ask," series. These posts would consist of complex or common topics broken down in easy-to-understand language and steps. Folks in industry environments are often hesitant to admit that they are unfamiliar with a concept out of fear of looking ignorant or inexperienced. By providing the information without the audience having to ask, you convey vital knowledge without making your readers vulnerable. Plus, you demonstrate your authority on the subject and position yourself as an expert.
It used to be you could created a white paper or e-book, stick it behind a landing page, and call it a day. Or develop a bunch of blog posts and credibly claim you had created B2B thought leadership content. But times have changed. B2B buyers are looking for in-depth sources of information to help them solve problems without handing over their personal information (a good reason to ungate everything) or wade through a slew of general blog posts that generally don't help. At the same time, they are turning toward other mediums such as podcasts and videos through which to consume information. My advice? Interview your subject matter experts on the problems buyers are facing, the impact of those challenges, the array of solutions available and how your company helps. Publish those interviews on your website, and distribute them widely across every owned, earned, and paid channel.
Agnostic of industry, positioning leaders as experts in their respective fields (marketing, sales, customer success, product) will always draw attention to burgeoning brands. To elevate marketing and to expand awareness for growing companies, thought leadership can be an effective way to not only share wisdom but also memorialize success while bringing new eyes to the business.
The HB Reavis Future of Work report, published during the pandemic, is one of the best examples I have seen of data driven, unique content that provides B2B audiences with a unique perspective to address their key pain points and uncertainties. https://hb.hbreavis.com/en/the-future-of-work
Blogging is an easy way to be seen as a thought leader for a B2B startup. For example, while my company creates business insurance plans for other companies using technology, we have blog posts on our website that discuss all kinds of workplace-related topics such as cybersecurity and remote work culture. Even though some of our blog topics may not relate specifically to what we do, they still relate in the sense of showing that we care not only about business insurance but about the wellbeing of companies and their employees in general. Blogging allows us to expand upon why we care about providing customized and affordable business insurance plans from a variety of different angles.
There are many great examples of thought leadership content for B2B startups, but one that stands out is Sales Hacker. Sales Hacker produces content that is designed to help sales professionals improve their skills and close more deals. Their content is always well researched and provides valuable insights into the world of sales.
B2B startups can offer webinars for those interested in becoming clients of their business. This is a great way to both warm up leads while also taking the time to showcase what you know about your product and your industry.