Choosing the ideal topics for your audience

When you take the time to understand your audience, you can ensure that the topics you write about resonate with their specific needs. Start by conducting surveys and interviews with high profile clients, and potentially also conduct social media analyses to identify what kind of content your followers would like to see. Furthermore, in your day to day encounters with your clients, listen carefully to their questions, comments, and concerns. These can prove to be valuable insights into the topics they care about, giving you room to address them in your content strategy.

It is very important to consistently research and understand the latest trends and innovations in your industry. In this manner, you are better able to provide fresh and relevant insights that can position your business as a forward-thinking leader. Attending industry conferences, reading trade publications, and following other thought leaders in your field could all be avenues whereby you can get inspired on which topics you should address.

When working on thought leadership content you need to ensure that you leverage your company's unique expertise and strengths. Identify the areas where your business excels, choose the individuals that lead these areas and empower them to write content alongside you and your business, together creating a competitive advantage. This will help you ensure that your content showcases your cohesive knowledge and positions your company as an authority in those areas.

Make sure to analyse what your competitors are doing in terms of thought leadership. Rather than aligning your strategy to be similar to theirs, this analysis can help you identify gaps in their content and give you the right opportunity to fill them by providing your unique perspectives. 

When selecting topics, make sure that what you write about is backed up by data and research. Quoting and referencing established entities, whose data can strengthen your argument will only add credibility and help you provide evidence-based insights. 

Collaborating with other thought leaders, industry experts, and influencers can help you expand your reach and provide diverse perspectives. Co-authored articles, collaborative webinars, and participation in panel discussions are all great ways to collaborate and share insights.