Nowadays, conventional marketing strategies tend to fall flat because the competition is high, and there is a lot of noise to cut through. Thought leadership has emerged as one of the most powerful forms of marketing that not only establishes a brand as an industry expert but also cultivates trust and credibility among its target audience.
Industry giants have quickly realised the strength of thought leadership for B2B marketing and have used it to emerge as one of the most authentic voices in their fields. Here are some of the biggest examples of thought leadership in B2B marketing.
- HubSpot – Inbound Marketing
HubSpot is a well-known leader in the marketing industry and a great example of an established thought leader. They offer a wide variety of free resources, such as blogs, webinars, e-books, and templates that primarily focus on inbound marketing. These resources provide data-driven insights, expert analysis, and actionable tips that marketers can use to generate leads and customer engagement.
- Autodesk – Redshift
Autodesk is a software company whose aim to engage with businesses of all sizes led to a blog called Redshift. It talks about the future of technology, covering trends, predictions, the latest technology releases and more. Their main focus is on machine learning, generative design, and robotics. The senior executives also contribute as authors to the ‘Inside My Design Mind’ series.
- Deloitte – Insights
Deloitte is perhaps the most well-known example. Their website, Insights, offers a wealth of information for other businesses – from industry reports and expert insights to studies on specific areas of the firm’s services. Establishing themselves as an expert in the field, the insights provided by the company prove valuable for business owners.
What’s great is that their content is not just written information; Deloitte provides a range of media options for visitors to explore, including podcasts, videos, and downloadable assets. This gives visitors the flexibility to choose their preferred content type for consuming information, increasing opportunities for engagement beyond just blog posts or news articles.
- American Express – Business Class
American Express has a blog called Business Class Trends and Insights. It is divided into four main categories: Building Your Team, Getting Customers, Managing Money, and Planning for Growth. Each category has sub-topics like company culture, productivity, leadership, and marketing & sales.
The blog is one of the oldest and most successful content marketing examples. They prioritise their audience by offering actionable tips, insights, and inspiration to help businesses succeed. To create content, they outsource to a marketing agency, creating a sense of community and exposure for contributors. Besides blogs, they have videos, podcasts, and even interviews with industry experts.
- Microsoft – Stories
Successful content marketing relies heavily on the art of storytelling. That is why Microsoft named its blog ‘Stories.’ It covers the latest news on Microsoft products, events, and initiatives but offers a wider context for the brand beyond its core products. Its stories range from how software developers helped companies during the pandemic to how people with disabilities use technology to achieve more.
Story Labs, a sub-publication of Stories, presents the blog’s long-form content with a more in-depth analysis of topics such as sustainability, accessibility, and the future of technology. Story Labs also showcases employee profiles and stories, revealing the vast talent and expertise behind the various branches of the global Microsoft brand.
- Adobe – CMO.com
One of the most successful branded content titles online is CMO.com, owned by Adobe. It is a B2B content marketing pioneer and aims to assist CMOs and senior marketers in leading their brands in the new digital era. The blog curates high-quality, insightful content and collaborates with industry leaders to offer innovative solutions for modern challenges modern marketers face. The answer to marketing problems, Adobe CMO, is a thought leader, guiding the way for budding marketers.
- IBM – Institute for Business Value
Institute for Business Value (IBV) is IBM’s thought leadership ‘think tank.’ The website tackles the economic and managerial issues faced by companies around the world. It conducts detailed research and releases expert analysis to offer practical insights to business leaders who want to stay on top of industry trends.
One of its categories – Global C-suite Studies, delves into the minds of top executives to uncover their thoughts on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities. The company uses its knowledge to empower other businesses with actionable intelligence and innovative solutions.
- McKinsey & Company – Business Insights
McKinsey & Company made thought leadership a part of its strategy in 1964 when it released its first publication McKinsey Quarterly. To this day, they have actively helped out the community with data-driven insights, industry expertise, business solutions and more. Especially during the pandemic, McKinsey & Company emerged as a name that helped other businesses by publishing predictions, the pandemic’s impact and how to respond to it.
The global management consulting firm has consistently delivered exceptional thought leadership through its articles and reports. McKinsey provides in-depth analyses that help B2B companies make informed decisions and drive their growth strategies. Their commitment to thought leadership has made them a respected voice in the B2B arena.
Conclusion
The one thing common among all these well-known names is that they were consistent, diligent and made valuable contributions to the community with their knowledge. If you want your company to stand out like them, ensure that the content you put out is valuable to the target audience. It should be insightful and informative enough for readers to return to your work. If you make your mark as a thought leader in this competitive business industry, your brand can achieve unprecedented success.
