Blog

The two most asked questions I get from wide-eyed, would-be thought leaders, anxiously preparing themselves for their journeys into the unknown: What on earth do I write about? How do I constantly come up with goods? And my usual answer - look no further than your target audience. Let them be your guide! After all, they’re ones you’ll be writing for or talking to and whose lives you’ll be impacting and adding value to. They’re the ones you’ll be sweeping up and carrying along with you on your thought leadership journey. Do your thought leader intelligence gathering Regardless of >>

What is that one thing you want to be known as a thought leader for? What is that topic you would be happy to write and speak about endlessly? And when I say ‘one’, I mean one. Trying to be an expert on a multitude of topics is a recipe for disaster. Opt for that one thing and dominate it! However, the big question is: how do you determine what that one thing might be? Where on earth do you start? Finding Your Thought Leadership Niche According to the experts, your thought leadership niche should be: That nugget of >>

A similar background, same levels of education, similar industries, matching personality types … No, no and no again. The thought leaders I’ve worked with over the years couldn’t be more different if they tried. They’ve varied from financial and tech geeks educated in the state school system, marketing professionals determined to make their profession more ethical to people born with a silver spoon in their proverbial mouths who have a burning desire to support the underdog. They come from across the broad swathe of industries, are both introvert and extrovert, warm and giving and brutally direct and analytical. However, >>

So please, please stop confusing the two. Content marketing is about creating and distributing relevant content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and well understood target audience. Think marketing personas. It’s about tapping into the minds and emotions of customers by understanding what drives their collective mindset and tailoring content which connects with them at a very deep level. Bottom line; content market is all about driving sales. Thought leadership on the other hand is another beast entirely. As Forbes’ leadership contributor, Davia Temin, so succinctly explains in her blog on the topic: “Thought leadership …. creates prestige >>

“It’s not enough to be good at what you do; a thought leader is meant to be the greatest form of praise, geared towards someone who is on the absolute cutting edge of their industry or making big enough moves to warrant the distinction.” -Lauren Hockenson, author for The Next WebAs aptly summed up by Lauren, thought leaders are those at the very forefront of their professions and their industries. They’re not just the most informed people in the room; they’re the ones working hardest at maintaining that position. They’re the true subject matter experts, whose ideas are backed >>

Just when we were all thinking that publicity was a spent force on the communications front, along comes a project that proves that this channel has teeth – and very sharp teeth at that - and continues to remain a very powerful force for change. I was recently asked to assist a client in the health space raise awareness about pelvic mesh implants and encourage women to complete major research it was doing in this regard. This research would be used to inform the client’s submission to a major Senate Inquiry which is now underway. Pelvic mesh has long >>

All too many businesses looking for media mileage think that securing media coverage is about sending out a damn good media release, sitting back and hoping for the best. They also believe there is no real protocol associated with engaging with the media and that any old approach will do. Sorry to tell you ladies and gents, there is not only a lot of spadework that goes into attracting the attention of the media but also an unspoken etiquette. Hopefully this guide will help make things a little easier: Know your target media You need to know the newspaper, >>