In every industry, there are always top institutions and individuals that people acknowledge and look up to. And it is no different in the industrial sector. In every sector of the manufacturing industry, there are prominent leaders whose ideas and opinions have changed the world. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the importance of thought leadership in manufacturing as part of your company’s marketing strategy.

As Elon Musk puts it, “I’d rather have half of my idea change the world than my whole idea be a few papers in a journal.”

Besides the attributes of your actual products and services, thought leadership in your content marketing can significantly contribute to the company’s image and position in the market. It builds your company’s reputation and strategically helps to position yourself in the minds of potential customers.

What is a Thought Leader?

A thought leader is a successful professional or company in their industry. He or she has established themselves as the cream of the crop with value-rich thought leadership content. In addition, their opinions and views aim to educate and motivate others to take bold leadership actions.

At the same time, thought leaders are authentic and in touch with the company’s identity and experiences. They use this authenticity to provide answers to consumers’ deepest questions about the industry. However, not everyone is willing to go the extra mile and accept the challenge of starting conversations and sharing their perspective, but thought leaders are.

Why Thought Leadership Matters

Thought leadership is more than increasing your reach and the readership of your content. It is about increasing your influence and positive associations with your brand through content that provides actual value to your customers and prospects.

Moreover, thought leadership establishes you and your company as an expert in your field. And when you’re considered an expert, your brand reputation is elevated.

Even more, the insights and knowledge of thought leaders are highly regarded. This is why customers are willing to pay a higher premium for products and services despite differences in prices. Likewise, being a thought leader in your industry is synonymous with carrying a badge that guarantees the quality of your products and services.

How to Become a Thought Leader

Clients and customers trust thought leaders based on logical and emotional reasons. In thought leadership content marketing, both peripheral and central routes of persuasion should be present. In other words, the central route of persuasion focuses on the logical arguments and facts of the content. On the other hand, the peripheral route of persuasion focuses on the emotions and the credibility of the source.

For that reason, it takes time to establish credibility. The only way to do it is through consistently publishing content that actually offers value to your customers. At the same time, be helpful and tap into your expertise and experiences to share the story of your brand. Personal stories of thought leaders are also effective in inspiring and motivating others.

Developing a Thought Leadership Strategy

Like any other marketing strategy, thought leadership requires evaluating your manufacturing company’s past and present. So you, along with your marketing agency, should develop a detailed plan. It’s a challenge for thoughts to stand out when millions of opinions are available on traditional and online platforms.

Ready to begin your role as a thought leader but don’t know where to start? Let’s work together on integrating your position as a thought leader in your industry as part of your company’s marketing strategy.

Companies are eager to project themselves as leaders, which makes the field even more competitive than ever when it comes to the manufacturing industry. Your expert thoughts are translated best in content. That is why your thought leadership strategy goes side-by-side with your content marketing strategy.

Here are some steps in developing a thought leadership strategy in your content marketing:

1. Identify your company’s identity and values

In this stage, you take a look into your manufacturing company’s history. What are the important lessons that you can share with your followers? Do people in your company have inspiring stories to tell?

Develop your brand story and let your company values, mission, and vision shine through it. Your brand story will impact all areas of your manufacturing as this will serve as the guiding principles of your employees and your identity to customers and potential buyers. Your brand story must capture emotional reactions that will make the audience feel like they know your company.

Personal stories, on the other hand, make your manufacturing company more relatable. Stories of thought leaders in your organization add a human touch to your content marketing.

2. Identify your target audience

Content will be more meaningful and cohesive when you know who you’re talking to. Use targeted content in your thought leadership strategy to communicate your messages to the right people.

Your followers will be more motivated to like and share your content if your content is tailored for them.

3. Identify the types of content to produce

To be successful in your thought leadership strategy, substantial content must be produced. This means that while quantity is important, quality is the star. Establish yourself as an authentic and trustworthy source of information. For example, there are many content types wherein you can share your thoughts.

• Blogs
• White papers
• Social media posts
• LinkedIn posts
• Podcasts
• Webinars

4. Identify your platforms

Once you have your type of content, you can choose traditional and digital channels to spread your messages. You must be visible to the public to become a successful thought leader.

Traditional platforms:

• Television
• Radio
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Conferences
• Live events
• Keynote speaking

Digital channels:

• Website
• Social media
• Podcasts
• Webinars

Examples of Thought Leaders

It’s not easy to become a thought leader in any industry. It takes time, awareness, consistency, and expertise. Many established brands have become successful in this endeavor, and they continually inspire, motivate, and engage in conversations.

Caterpillar Inc. is a thought leader who has been consistently producing value-rich content on multiple platforms in the manufacturing industry. For example, they reinforce their position as the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment with content that highlights their products’ quality to segmented markets to maximize reach.

They also share the personal stories of leaders in the company and have launched a podcast to talk about events and developments within the organization and the industry.

Continue to draw inspiration from other sources and examples across multiple industries.

Benefits of Being a Thought Leader

Once you’ve become a thought leader, people will seek out your manufacturing company not just for your products and services but also for your opinions and ideas on topics in your field. Likewise, a business can significantly benefit from investing in a thought leadership strategy for several reasons:

• builds credibility and trust
• differentiates your company from others
• provides real value to customers

In the end, becoming a thought leader takes a lot of effort and patience. However, once you’re established in the industry, all of the efforts that you put into your thought leadership marketing will be worth the investment. That is why it is so important to work with a team who knows your industry.

As the leader in industrial marketing, MFG Tribe has been helping Industrial companies from $2 million – $3 billion dominate their competition with the most aggressive marketing tactics that work in today’s competitive environment for over five years. Our strategy adjusts based on what’s most effective for YOUR company, and we only work with industrial companies. If you’re looking to set up your marketing efforts with the Industrial Marketing leader, schedule a discovery call today!