PR ON THE GO April 20, 2022

Top Ideas for Thought Leadership Activities for B2B Startups

What is one great example of thought leadership activities for B2B startups?

To help you create thought leadership content as a B2B startup, we asked entrepreneurs and growth experts this question for their best advice. From publishing questions you were afraid to ask to interviewing experts on problems they face, there are several insights that may help you establish yourself as a thought leader.

Publish Questions You Were Afraid to Ask

Tasia Duske, Museum Hack

"One great example of thought leadership content for B2B startups is doing a "questions you were afraid to ask," series. These posts would consist of complex or common topics broken down in easy-to-understand language and steps. Folks in industry environments are often hesitant to admit that they are unfamiliar with a concept out of fear of looking ignorant or inexperienced. By providing the information without the audience having to ask, you convey vital knowledge without making your readers vulnerable. Plus, you demonstrate your authority on the subject and position yourself as an expert."

Participate in Podcasts

Nick Shackelford, Structured Agency

"Putting out podcast episodes or participating in podcasts can be an effective way to show knowledge and expertise in your field. If you are able to speak for an hour or so about what you know in a way that can educate and add value to people and businesses, you should consider speaking on a podcast in order to be seen as a thought leader."

Share Top Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching to Investors

Matthew Ramirez, Rephrase

"One great example of thought leadership content for B2B startups is a blog post on the top mistakes that startup founders make when pitching to investors. This kind of content is highly practical, as it provides insights that can help founders avoid making common mistakes. By sharing this kind of advice, startups can position themselves as thought leaders in the space, and help their readers learn and grow."

Create Content that Addresses the Needs of Your Audience

Natalia Brzezinska, PhotoAiD

"As a B2B startup, one of the best things you can do to establish yourself as a thought leader is to create quality content that addresses the needs and pain points of your target audience. This could take the form of blog posts, whitepapers, e-books, infographics, webinars, or even just well-written articles. Beyond that, it's important to make sure that your content is shareable and promotes engagement; after all, what good is thought leadership content if no one ever sees it? And finally, don't forget to promote your content across social media and other online channels - getting your name and brand in front of as many people as possible is essential for success."

Post Regularly on LinkedIn

Reece Kresser, Zizi

"A great example of thought leadership content for any business, and particularly B2B startups, is the act of posting regularly and thoughtfully on LinkedIn. This is a great way to get going in thought leadership as it costs nothing, has the potential to deliver your content to millions of users, and is published on a platform where people are actively seeking insightful posts such as yours. Consider this: every time you post something that is in any way meaningful to someone else, folks are clicking on your profile, scrolling through your credentials, and learning more about your business—and all you have to do is post your thoughts, engage, and stay updated on relevant content, news, and trends. This is a great way to not only establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and beyond, but also to gain exposure for your business."

Get Quoted by Reporters

Drew Sherman, RPM

"PR representatives from B2B startups can link up with reporters to get quoted in their articles. This is a great way for B2B startups to show their expertise in well-established publications. If a B2B's quote is found on a popular news site, this is a good sign that this organization's ideas are legitimate."

Interview Experts on Problems They Face

Kim Ann King, New Leaf Communications

"It used to be that you could create a white paper or e-book, stick it behind a landing page, and call it a day. Or develop a bunch of blog posts and credibly claim you had created B2B thought leadership content. But times have changed. B2B buyers are looking for in-depth sources of information to help them solve problems without handing over their personal information (a good reason to ungate everything) or wade through a slew of general blog posts that generally don't help. At the same time, they are turning toward other mediums such as podcasts and videos through which to consume information. My advice? Interview your subject matter experts on the problems buyers are facing, the impact of those challenges, the array of solutions available and how your company helps. Publish those interviews on your website, and distribute them widely across every owned, earned, and paid channel."

Unique Value Based On Your Own Experiences

Tory Gray, Principal SEO Consultant of The Gray Dot Company, provides a great example of her Thought Leadership activities:

"The eCommerce Technical SEO Framework" is a comprehensive guide that's infused with my own thought leadership perspectives. The piece has gained quite a bit of traction of late, not only because it highlights the many technical challenges and pain points that eComm brands face, but also because it provides tangible resources and solutions on how to overcome those hurdles. Unlike the hundreds of other posts about eCommerce and tech SEO, the emphasis for this framework was to provide unique value based on my own experiences and perspectives, as well as that of my friend and colleague, Renee Girard (Associate Director, SEO at Crate & Barrel and CB2 Brands), who also has tremendous authority on the topic.

Thank you! This experts roundup was created in collaboration with Terkel. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.