Is thought leadership content still relevant?

Is thought leadership content still relevant, or has it become just another corporate buzzword? It’s a surprisingly complex question to answer, but in a world of ‘expert’ opinions and recycled insights, it’s one that’s fair to ask. 

As the content landscape grows ever more crowded, and its audience more demanding, the real value of thought leadership content is being put to the test. Does it still have the power to influence, or is it losing its impact? Let’s dive in and find out. 

Why is the relevance of thought leadership being questioned? 

Thought leadership content has become increasingly popular, particularly over the last decade. But that surge has led to a dilution of impact — there’s more thought leadership content than ever, and because that content is hard to do effectively, there’s also more bad thought leadership content than ever. 

Many users think that most thought leadership content is formulaic and inauthentic. It’s a small sample size, but this Reddit thread posits that most of it is bland and uninspired. It’s not just Reddit, though — there’s a general distaste for the current state of thought leadership content across the board, especially amongst senior leaders. 

Modern thought leadership is boring the pants off B2B and B2C demographics

This report from the Harris Poll found that 66% of B2C respondents and 72% of B2B respondents feel the market is “oversaturated with uninteresting thought leadership”. 

A study from LinkedIn produced similarly damning figures, which revealed that B2B respondents said “less than half of the thought leadership content they consume provides any sort of valuable insight.”

All that naff content must lead to some sort of dip in interest, though, right? Surprisingly, not really. But before we explore that, we’ll run a quick debrief on who’s making all this thought leadership content, and to what end…

Who’s making all this thought leadership content? 

Thought leadership content, on the whole, is made by professionals, for professionals. It’s usually industry-specific knowledge, written from a position of expertise, and that expertise is why people tune in — they want to be better at their job than they were yesterday. 

The aim of the content is to provide a new POV, and incite a conversation that takes on a life of its own. The larger goal is to build the reputation of the poster, and enhance the credibility of the organisation they represent, among other things. 

And more importantly, who is it for? 

Thought leadership content tends to target individuals with influence, or ‘decision-makers’, like C-suite executives. While they’re not the only ones that engage with it, thought leadership content tends to be most effective when targeting those senior leaders. 

And even though thought leadership content is (quite rightly) being criticised frequently, its importance to those decision-makers is clearer than ever. The data helps paint a picture: it’s less about appetite, and more about execution.

The data proves there’s a captive audience for dynamic thought leadership content 

While the amount of users unhappy with thought leadership content casts it in a negative light, you only need to shift your position slightly to see that the pushback presents an opportunity, especially with members of the C-suite.

• Thought leadership is sought-after: according to LinkedIn “52% of decision-makers and 54% of C-suite executives say they spend an hour or more each week reading thought leadership content”. That’s nearly two days of consumption over the year. 
• It boosts lead gen and enhances credibility: C-suite executives who share content on LinkedIn generate 6 times more leads and are viewed as 30% more competent, according to one study.
• The right content drives research: 75% of C-suite execs revealed that a “particular piece of thought leadership has led them to research a product or service they were not previously considering.”
• There are more execs than ever: over the past 5 years, there’s been a global increase of 23%. There’s now around 10 million senior leaders on LinkedIn.

While it isn’t only targeted at C-suite executives, we think their position on thought leadership content offers a good temperature check for users overall. It’s not that thought leadership content isn’t relevant; it’s that it isn’t good enough. 

The million dollar question: how do you make thought leadership content stand out?

Essentially, it comes down to something that is easy to say, and very much not easy to do: original, authentic, compelling writing. Good thought leadership content does a whole lot. 

It speaks authoritatively on a subject that most readers will be at least somewhat familiar with (which means they’ll be more critical). It does it in a way that enchants as much as it informs. All while feeling fresh, unique, and urgent, and maintaining a consistent, distinct tone of voice. 

So, not much then.

The fact that most thought leadership content feels stale and uninspired isn’t actually that surprising when you remember how hard it is to get right. But getting it right is absolutely crucial, lest you become one of the many accounts failing to meet the benchmark, leaving golden opportunities on the table. 

Thought leadership content: maligned in some circles, but more relevant than ever

So, in our world, the problem isn’t thought leadership content, but how it’s being executed. There’s a demonstrable appetite for that type of content. When done right, it can accelerate lead generation, transform perception of the poster, and boost brand trust and authority. 

The problem is that, for the most part, it’s not being done right. And that’s fuelled a growing sense of frustration and disillusionment with thought leadership content, often resulting in a knee-jerk dismissal of anything with that label. The pushback is real, and it’s becoming louder.

Thought leadership content is arguably more relevant than ever — but it’s under intense, growing scrutiny. Doing it effectively isn’t easy, but with all that untapped potential, it’s clearly worth it. 

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