Category: Uncategorized
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 – Today, I was honored to speak before the Florida Public Relations Association on the topic of “Building and Sustaining a Thought Leadership Platform.”
While creating the presentation, I remembered a conversation with one of our international clients, who said that, in Europe, “knowledge leader” was the preferred term. The more I thought about it, the more I tended to understand. After all, anyone can have a thought or make you think; not everyone can convey valuable knowledge.
So who or what is a “knowledge leader”? Simply put, that person or organization is the go-to for information in their field of expertise. They are people and companies others trust to be credible, have vision and – most importantly – provide answers to their questions or solutions to problems.
Online, these sources are our bookmarks, our favorites, the ones that take just a few letters in our URL bar. They’re places we go for technical advice, enlightening information, industry updates or surefire recipes. They’re the places we go with confidence of good results.
Before you can position yourself or your organization as a knowledge leader, however, you have to know you’re attempting to lead. Like all things PR, it starts with the audience, understanding their businesses, their values and needs and what will resonate with them. Thought leadership, however, also requires introspection, that is, knowing your own organization and the knowledge equity you most likely already have amassed.
Ultimately, thought leadership is a form of content marketing in which you tap into the talent, experience and passion inside your organization to answer the biggest questions on the minds of your target audience on a particular topic or in a particular area. The goal is to systematically and consistently provide content that is:
- Useful and engaging
- Sustainable, current and curated
- Authentic, concise and fact-based
- Appropriate for your audience(s)
And don’t be afraid to take risks, whether it’s with infusions of humor or a unique view of the future. Those are the kind of things that come up in normal conversations and should come up here.
As I told my audience at the presentation, this may be a lot easier than they think, as they – no matter where they are in their careers – and their organizations – no matter the stage of their evolution – already have a wealth of experience, passion and knowledge that probably isn’t being promoted to its full potential.
Understanding those resources is the first step in building a thought leadership platform. The next step is determining your core messaging. Opinions may vary but core facts do not. When creating such a platform for our clients, we take a hard look at what they’re saying about themselves, what others are saying about them and what competitors say in comparison. Then we establish a common language, with the proof points, to help guide us and our clients going forward. A critical part of this is getting your current communications up to date with who you are now. It continues to amaze how many organizations have outgrown their messaging or are delivering conflicting information in different media. This creates the most substantial roadblock to a thought leadership content management strategy.
Once you know whom you’re talking to and what you want to tell them, you can tap into that deep well of expertise to build an arsenal of thought leadership assets and choose the right medium for its distribution, aiming at the heart of clients’ and prospects’ share of mind. And, remember, as communications visionary Marshall McLuhan said a half century ago, “the medium is the message.” That is, the form of a message has influence on the ways in which that message will be perceived. Decades later, it has never been more true, as there are now so many outlets and likely no one uses them all.
However, whatever the medium, emails to white papers, eBooks to video, checklists to FAQs, you want to be your target audience’s source of knowledge whenever they think about . . . you fill in the blank.
Among key tactics in creating thought leadership that drives results are:
- Identify topics that align with your brand
- Identify the questions customers and prospects are asking and answer them in multiple formats
- Create value in the process
- Provide the type of information a reader will want to pass on or comment about to others.
Is it worth all the work? Absolutely. A strong thought/knowledge leadership program creates an affinity for your brand, enables your content to start a conversation early in the consumer journey and develops a higher level of intimacy with your audience.
There are, of course, many ways to measure the success of your content management program, such as online metrics, open and response rates, page hits, etc. It is also important, however, to take note of both formal and informal conversations about your brand – listening to, learning from and taking the pulse of, your clients and prospects.
Before leaders set out to promote their images and their companies’ messages, they need to control the original content around their brands. By focusing on thought leadership, you can surround yourself and your audience with the right kind of content – content that’s valuable, educational and engaging. As thought leadership continues to grow in popularity (and as the base of successful public relations strategies), agencies will need to adjust their budgets to allow for greater thought leadership development and execution.
A recent New York Times article, “More Wretched News for Newspapers as Advertising Woes Drive Anxiety,” took me back to my days as a print journalist, when a certain editor, to keep us humble, would say, “Remember, you’re just filling the white space around the ads.”
He was right. At least at that time, studies showed that people, when presented with multiple publishers, subscribed to the newspaper whose ads reflected their local shopping patterns. For some of those people, nothing we ever wrote would be as important as a dollar-off coupon for ground beef.
But I digress.
The issue here is the bleak future of newspapers as they continue to be drained of the lifeblood that is print advertising and the question it raises, that is, where are those ads going? The answer, you may have guessed, is at your fingertips – on your phone and personal devices.
As reported in AdAge, the latest local ad revenue forecast from BIA/Kelsey indicates that revenue from local-focused online ads will exceed that of traditional ads aimed at local audiences by 2018. This “digital transformation,” statistics show, is taking place across the nation and “risks sidelining traditional print ads.” It also isn’t helping the television industry, as a new report by eMarketer projects that U.S. digital ad sales will surpass traditional TV for the first time by the end of this year.
The bright side for advertisers is that the emergence of digital outreach widens, rather than narrows their opportunities, offering new ways to win new customers.
Still, danger lurks, as every type of advertising – from sandwich boards to emails to the most sophisticated digital ad – requires a different type of knowledge and expertise to create and execute correctly, and most all campaigns require a mix of media. Further, when initiating digital outreach, which can far exceed any publication’s circulation or TV’s program viewership, advertisers pretty much have to get it right the first time.
In other words, it’s not for amateurs.
If you’re interested in initiating or transforming your own advertising, let’s start a conversation. We’d be happy to share our insights and help you share your word.
strategic and digital marketing
Competencies include: brand development, strategic marketing plans, marketing audits, marketing research, marketing communications (including advertising and promotion), digital marketing, Internet website creation, trade show management and direct marketing programs.
ENGAGE
Now that you’ve discovered Next-Mark, you’re on the right track. Give us a call and let’s get start a dialogue – and partnership – that will help bring your company’s story to life!
Joseph Grano
President & Founder
Joseph Grano
President & Founder
Joseph S. Grano, Jr., has a record of success providing vision and strategic direction to organizations experiencing rapid growth and change. He is one of those rare individuals who have made a successful transition from corporate leader to entrepreneur and owner of his own growing company.
With more than 25 years of comprehensive marketing communications, business development and public relations experience, he has held key executive management positions in healthcare, technology and financial services. They include leadership roles as chief marketing officer at two public health systems and as vice president of marketing for a health information organization and a pharmaceutical technology firm, in one case leading marketing efforts that grew revenue from $40 million to $120 million.
In 2005, Joe founded Next-Mark, LLC leveraging his years of managing award-winning corporate marketing and communications for private, public and international organizations. There, he has built a practice that boasts an international client base representing some of the most noted brand in healthcare, retail and technology, among others. He is a selected member of the Forbes Agency Council and is a regular published contributor on www.Forbes.com
Joe is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo and has an M.B.A. from the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Massachusetts. A sought-after professional speaker, executive performance coach and facilitator, he has served as an adjunct professor of business at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
ryan hoevenaar
Director, Creative Strategy
Ryan Hoevenaar
Director, Creative Strategy
As Director of Creative Strategy, Ryan leads design, brand, and digital strategy at Next-Mark. His experience includes wide-ranging expertise in fine art, illustration and design across a wide variety of mediums; he has even had his work as a fine artist displayed nationally. A strong conceptual thinker, with more than 10+ years of experience in visual communications, he has a deep understanding of brands and strategic brand development. Ryan, who discovered his passion for design whilst growing up in Central Illinois amongst vast cornfields and farmhouses, has a B.S. in Graphic Design and Multimedia from Bradley University. As the leader of creative strategy, Ryan’s focus at Next-Mark is the conceptualization and development of creative assets across both print and digital channels.
joseph “JT” grano, III
vice president, digital marketing
Joseph “JT” Grano, III
vice president, digital marketing
As Vice President, Digital Marketing, JT takes an analytical approach to increasing client performance and digital reach. He is keenly focused on client experience, guiding projects from conception to completion. His overall objective is to bridge the gap between marketing communications and CRM software, ultimately maximizing client profitability.JT’s previous experience includes more than five years of managing end-to-end Salesforce and Kronos Software implementations for notable healthcare and financial institutions throughout the United States, and he is certified in both Salesforce and Google AdWords. JT has a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Marketing and Finance from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, (Go Dawgs!) and held internship positions with the Indiana Pacers and women’s professional soccer.
travis cornwell
manager, client experience and development
Travis Cornwell
Manager, Client Experience and Development
Travis’s focus at Next-Mark is on building client relationships from inception to overall client experience. After earning his B.A. in Communications from Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan, he worked his way through both non-profits and broadcast stations as well as developing his skills with national sports organizations. His proven track record of managing public relations and marketing campaigns, as well as his background in journalism, give him a broad view of strategic marketing that includes everything from long-term planning to content creation. As Client Experience and Development Manager, Travis is able to leverage his skills into effective digital solutions for our clients that help increase their brand recognition, while at the same time continuing to build strong relationships with various stakeholders within the region to develop new business for Next-Mark.
NICHOLAS GRANO
Manager, Client Experience and Project Development
NICHOLAS GRANO
Manager, Client Experience and Project Development
As a Manager of Client Experience and Project Development, Nicholas’s focus is on clients’ overall experience with Next-Mark and our services, including project management and interface between our team members and clients. After earning his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from The University of Central Florida, he gained significant experience in commercial and residential construction project management, working with brand leaders in the building industry, before transitioning to a career in marketing. Nick brings with him precise operational skills to support client needs across Next-Mark’s core capabilities. Leveraging creative skills, he also curates and crafts strategy for client social media, market research, and asset development.
SAWYER LANG
Marketing Communications Associate
SAWYER LANG/h4>
Marketing Communications Associate
Beginning as an intern at Next-Mark, where he assisted in various website development projects and research initiatives, Sawyer’s marketing aptitude quickly made him a pivotal member on the team. In his current role as a Marketing Communications Associate, he provides support in managing and developing content, as well as aids in keeping strict records. Sawyer earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of West Florida with an emphasis in Public Relations and Journalism.
Caroline Wojciechowski
Solution Architect
Caroline Wojciechowski
Solution Architect
For Next-Mark, Caroline takes pride in providing simplicity, cleanliness and user experience in her solutions and build, while keeping her sights set on clients’ needs. She calls on her experience and knowledge from her time at The Coca-Cola Company to empower Salesforce users. With more than 7 years of hands-on Salesforce experience, 4 years of Scrum Methodologyexperience, and 1 year of Microsoft Dynamics experience, Caroline is well-versed in SaaS and agile ways of working to propel client success and innovation. Caroline earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on Marketing and Spanish from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN while playing Division I soccer. She also maintains a Salesforce Advanced Administrator certification.
OUR TEAM
Our leadership team includes an eclectic blend of youthful and seasoned talent, powered by our commitment to meet and exceed our clients’ needs. We strive to defy the constraints of traditional marketing companies in order to integrate and leverage our experience and creative talent to develop cutting edge marketing solutions.
clients
OUR WORK
Our client portfolio spans a broad spectrum of service and product organizations that are undergoing constant change due to growth and market challenges. This portfolio represents a few of the companies we work with, highlighting the diversity of our client base and the comprehensive marketing deliverables we offer.