The B2B industry, in terms of advertising and communication, has predominantly taken a direct approach rather than a conceptual one for ages. The objective was always clear for the industry and they kept focusing on that. Today, with changing times, there’s a dire need to shift (not drift away) from the traditional approach and give “Thought Leadership” the deserving opportunity to bring about a paradigm shift. This article talks about why it is important and the right time for the B2B market to bring Thought Leadership to play.
Sifting the Perception
It has always been assumed that B2B markets have a priority to generate leads and drive sales. Any communication that’s indirect and doesn’t adhere to the objective is outright rejected. An indirect, thought leadership approach, in the B2B market, may seem to be counterproductive and the long-term benefits of thought leadership content get sifted through a traditional sieve of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy.
Today, the corporate culture has embraced the ‘learn-it-all’ approach and professionals are trying to seek newer knowledge resources. And, this is the time for the newfound learners to make the best use of thought leadership content and capitalise on the moment.
Breaking the barriers
B2B marketing is not as direct as B2C. The communication has to go through a hierarchy of touchpoints and the process seems quite bureaucratic, arduous and tedious. The complexity of the B2B decision-making process indeed makes a tough case for thought leadership content marketing. While the B2B market has always been about imparting information/knowledge about the product/service, it has been done in the traditional manner. Be it in the form of demos, brochures, leaflets, manuals, sales presentations, conferences, meetings, or sales calls, it has been to achieve the objective to educate potential buyers and existing customers.
The reason to introduce thought leadership in the game is to look beyond the traditional binoculars. Thought leadership widens the B2B vision by making the organisations look through a telescope into the insightful galaxy of the B2B market. One can see that the market is not just about products and services. It’s about the people, their characteristics, the industry and the niche that the organisation would wish to create for itself.
For instance, a manufacturing company would not only be talking about the parts, technology and technicalities involved in the manufacturing process. They would go further and talk about the environmental impact the company is making. They would talk about how the company is a “Great Place To Work”. They would talk about how they have built a culture for welcoming fresh ideas… That’s what thought leadership is all about.
Why Thought Leadership?
The content that’s curated with the help of thought leadership, is often thought keeping in mind, the context of the company’s individuals or its leadership. This type of content reinforces the brand’s position, trustworthiness and niche in the market. This enables the company to become to go-to SPOC (Single Point Of Contact) for stakeholders, potential leads and consumers.
Thought leadership content can include insights, opinions, ideas and expert analyses about topics that are relevant to stakeholders, potential leads and consumers. The content that the brand curates should portray its knowledge and expertise in the industry and not just talk about the subsequent product features and benefits. Though this approach may not lead to sales directly, thought leadership can transform the brand into Key Opinion Leaders in the segment. When the company is positioned as an expert in the industry, trust is built automatically. When a brand becomes prominently visible, sales are boosted eventually and promote top-of-the-mind brand recall instantly.
Today’s audience is open-minded enough to learn new skill sets and receive new information. Therefore, the time for the B2B market to take the thought leadership stance is right now!
At 3 Dots Design Pvt. Ltd., we believe that every brand and every industry should hold thought leadership at the highest priority level. Being one of the best ad agencies in Pune, thought leadership can be seen across all our communications. With a team of well-experienced content writers, graphic designers, artists, brand managers, strategic thinkers and digital experts, we create continuous communications for all our clients. If you wish to know more about who we are or what we do, please visit www.3dotsdesign.in or get in touch with us at contact@3dotsdesign.in