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Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.The Content Marketer's Guide to Thought Leadership [+ Inspiring Examples & Expert Tips]
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Jenny Romanchuk
Jenny Romanchuk
Updated: December 05, 2024

Published: July 22, 2016

I think most people in marketing aim to become thought leaders one day. You show that you know your stuff and can teach and inspire others. But that kind of status comes with experience, hard work, and a genuine desire to grow.

thought leadership

You need to share your knowledge consistently, prove you’re an expert (not just claim it), and earn your audience’s trust. Once you’re there, though, it opens up new doors — more leads, more opportunities, and more influence in your industry.

It’s not a shortcut, but when you do it right, the payoff is huge.


Spoiler: Building my thought leadership in content writing led to all my contracts coming from LinkedIn. For Lemlist, a cold email automation tool, it resulted in $10M ARR bootstrapped. (More on this later.)

Below, let's review what thought leadership is and how to use it in your marketing strategy. I’ll also explore the best examples and types of content you can consider creating.

Table of Contents

What is thought leadership?
Thought Leadership Examples
Thought Leadership Content
Thought Leadership Strategy in 5 Steps
6 Thought Leadership Best Practices
What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is a tactic content marketers use belgium phone number material to build credibility for themselves or leaders in their company. The main goal of thought leadership is to become recognized as an expert and used as a go-to resource in your field. To become a thought leader, one might create and promote educational, helpful content and become active in the industry community, particularly on social sites.

A person or company might use thought leadership as a content marketing strategy because providing value to your audience demonstrates your brand‘s helpfulness. Then, down the road, when someone is seeking a product or service like the one you provide, they’ll turn to you first.

For instance, Brian Dean is a thought leader in the SEO space. By regularly posting content related to his expertise, he's proven his value as a content marketer worth following. More on him later.