You want to be a thought leader in your field – but what does that really entail? How can you become a successful thought leader? Honestly, the easiest way is by learning through thought leadership examples from the pioneers who came before you.
Thought leadership can be difficult to define, but there are some keep components of good thought leadership content. Today we will discuss what makes good thought leadership content, and provide some real world thought leadership examples to inspire you.
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What Qualifies as Good Thought Leadership Content?
Many factors need to work together to build high-value thought leadership content. Successful thought leadership examples have content that contains:
- A relevant problem to the readers.
- High-value and robust research.
- Forward-thinking solutions.
- A captivating narrative or case study.
- Engaging visuals or writing.
But what does this really mean? Let’s talk more about some quality thought leadership content examples.
Thought Leadership Content Examples
Thought leadership content aims to position individuals or organizations as authoritative voices within their industry or niche. Here are great thought leadership content examples:
- Expert articles or blog posts: These are in-depth, well-researched articles that provide unique insights or predictions that are relevant to the industry. They often go beyond basic information to offer a deeper understanding of complex topics.
- Whitepapers: These are detailed reports that explore a specific issue, trend, or technology in depth. They typically present original research, data analysis, or a comprehensive review of current practices and future directions.
- Case studies: These are real-world examples that demonstrate how you or your company has successfully solved a problem, implemented a strategy, or achieved notable results.
- Webinars and podcasts: These are live or recorded sessions where you discuss industry trends, best practices, and emerging issues. This type of format allows for interactive engagement and Q&A sessions with the audience.
- Infographics and visual content: These are visual representations of data, statistics, or concepts that make complex information easier to understand. They are wonderful to share on social media platforms.
- Opinion pieces and editorials: These pieces show your personal viewpoint and perspectives on current events, trends, or issues within the industry.
- eBooks and guides: These are comprehensive resources that provide in-depth information on a particular topic, offering practical advice, strategies, and actionable insights. Learning how to publish an eBook is easier than you might think!
- Speaking engagements and conferences: Speaking engagements allow you to share your expertise with a live audience.
- Social media posts and thought leadership platforms: You can share insights, articles, and opinions industry peers on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or specialized thought leadership platforms.
Thought leadership content aims to educate, inspire, and influence others in the industry, establishing credibility and fostering trust among peers and potential customers.
Now that you have an idea of what good thought leadership content is, let’s take a look at some of the best thought leadership examples today.
8 Thought Leadership Examples for Business Owners
Here are some thought leadership examples to inspire you in your business:
1. Uber Urban Air Transportation White Paper
We all know Uber as the ride-share company, but in 2016, they investigated an exciting new technology – urban air transportation.
While this may have seemed a bit far-fetched at the time, Uber actually found a vehicle system called VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) which could potentially make it all work.
Uber created a 100-page white paper to promote their ideas and discuss some of the challenges the service would face if it actually went to market.
This white paper was truly ahead of the curve – as it was the very first take on on-demand air transportation (a major breakthrough in the transportation industry).
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- It uses easy-to-understand graphs to provide key information.
- It is a complete breakthrough in the transportation industry.
- It includes comprehensive research that is backed by data.
- It discusses the feasibility of the technology in depth, from safety to performance to policies.
2. Bitcoin White Paper
Cash has been king for as long as we can remember, so it’s natural for there to be some hesitancies around a totally new way of making financial transactions. Because of this, cryptocurrency companies need to make well-thought-out white papers to promote their technology.
Luckily, Bitcoin was able to do just that!
Satoshi Nakamoto used his white paper to introduce Bitcoin with a thorough explanation and proof of concept.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- It’s a revolutionary concept to make peer-to-peer financial transactions without a third party.
- It offers a very concise and easy-to-understand definition of how Bitcoin works.
- It provides a clear mathematical proof of reliability.
3. Founder Intelligence Diversity White Paper
Founder Intelligence is an advisory firm for startups that seeks to give high-value insights to founders that help them grow. They’ve made a fabulous white paper that highlights the importance of diversity in the founding process.
This white paper shows their expertise in the startup space and is both visually and intellectually the perfect example of a white paper.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- It is forward-thinking on diversity in startups.
- It includes extensive research and figures.
- It uses bullet-point recommendations that are easy to follow.
- It has a very pleasing visual format.
4. BaseCamp’s Shape Up eBook
To introduce the vision behind their product, the founders of Basecamp is a project management platform and to introduce the vision behind their product, they decided to write an entire eBook!
In the book Shape Up the Basecamp founders challenge several common beliefs about product development: the necessity of setting project estimates, holding frequent meetings to monitor progress, narrowly defining project scope, and eliminating intermediary work among team members.
Drawing from their extensive product management experience, they analyze and advocate for effective, validated product development approaches.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- The eBook gives more autonomy to product teams.
- It includes real-life experiments and stories on the product development process.
- It offers clear advice to improve production processes in the workplace.
5. American Express Business Class Blog
American Express helps startups and small companies gain important insights through its Business Class blog.
On their blog, American Express posts marketing advice, business tips, and more. It offers articles and resources that are directly useful to business owners and professionals, covering topics such as finance, marketing, leadership, and productivity.
The articles are written in a clear, accessible manner, making complex topics easier to understand without sacrificing depth.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- The blog frequently uses case studies and examples to illustrate concepts, making the content more relatable and applicable to readers’ own business situations.
- It maintains a consistent publishing schedule, ensuring that readers can rely on fresh and timely content.
- It fosters a sense of community among readers, often encouraging discussion and providing support through comments sections or forums.
6. REI’s Blog
REI’s blog is one of the best examples of thought leadership.
The brand has positioned themselves in a place of trust by using content curated by experts – and they also give suggestions of products in their catalog that can help the readers of their articles.
This is a really smart way for an eCommerce company to operate.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- The blog leverages REI’s authority by offering in-depth knowledge, tips, and advice on hiking, camping, climbing, cycling, and other outdoor pursuits.
- It goes beyond product promotion, focusing on inspiring and educating readers.
- It maintains a high standard of content quality, using engaging storytelling, multimedia elements (such as videos and photos), and well-researched articles.
- It provides eco-friendly tips and promotes responsible outdoor practices, positioning itself as a leader in environmental stewardship within the outdoor industry.
7. Tilt’s Content Inc eBook
Joe Pulizzi is an absolute thought leader in content marketing. He was quick to grasp the potential of marketing teams functioning like media outlets, delivering significant and compelling content on a large scale.
He also understood that content itself could drive business growth, leading him to write a book about entrepreneurs who build companies centered on content. Content Inc provides a systematic process any entrepreneur can use to dominate the market.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- It provides an innovative, content-first entrepreneurial approach.
- It uses many examples and case studies of entrepreneurs using content to scale their businesses.
- It provides an easy-to-follow framework for small business owners to achieve their own success.
8. The RedShift Blog from AutoDesk
AutoDesk sells software for construction professionals, from architects to engineers to designers.
To address the evolving challenges in the construction industry, particularly sustainability and automation, AutoDesk launched the web publication RedShift.
Through a multitude of blog posts, RedShift successfully engages inquisitive minds by exploring cutting-edge construction technologies such as machine learning, generative design, and robotics.
What makes this a good thought leadership example:
- The blog offers information on the most innovative construction technologies.
- It has relatable stories from construction thought leaders.
- It uses both videos and blogs to keep readers engaged.
Want to Become a Thought Leader Yourself?
Why not write an eBook? It’s one of the easiest ways to provide quality thought leadership content to the world.
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