How Key Opinion Leadership helps your Audience
In today’s fast-paced world, the idea of Thought leadership (TL) is quickly becoming a center of focus for most sales and marketing teams. Read on to see how TL not only helps your audience, but why it should also become the cornerstone of your content strategy.
Most industries and particularly those in the scientific field are constantly looking for ways to distinguish themselves from the rest by offering new ideas, education, and solutions that focus on the customer’s pain while influencing their perceptions of value. But ask yourself:
What value can you offer your readers?
Sales and marketing teams are realizing that subject matter knowledge, original research, compelling insights, and a strong approach are vital for success in the digital and social channels that customers use during the greater part of the purchasing process.
20 percent of clients prefer working with visionary professionals
Key Opinion Leadership (KOL) is about providing indisputable value to your clients whilst providing little to no promotion of one’s brand or self. Ideally, TL is about creating foremost authority in your area of specialization. Most clients are willing and ready to invest with you if they feel that you are confident and are knowledgeable of your field.
For example, content marketers entrenched within the B2B instrumentation industry should talk about the world beyond the sole focus of their company and products by discussing the key application areas and techniques which help their readers - Even discuss how their particular industry has evolved and where they see the key developments in the future.
"When a reader searches, if you're not there, someone else will be"
Furthermore, discussing related areas of interest that resonate with your audience's key target markets will not only hook proponents into reading your content, but also earn you trust.
However, despite the growing importance of thought leadership, getting customers to notice and build trust in you is one of the main challenges that most B2B marketers face. This can be well illustrated by the following statistics:
- There are over 30-trillion pages on the internet today with most posing as potential competitors.
- Approximately 571 new sites are created every minute you spend online.
- Over 3 billion people use the internet, with over 2 billion present on social media globally.
While the above statistics will continue to grow, positioning yourself as a key opinion leader will undoubtedly win you numerous benefits. Here are some reasons why TL helps your customers.
1. Readers find your expertise
71 percent of B2B customers use the internet to gather information
In the scientific field, there is only a limited number of places people can go to gather information on a specific area. For most B2B customers, this place remains the internet. And as a leading expert, you want to be the one they find.
A TL’s credibility is an important part into delivering value, quality, and well-researched original content that specifically addresses on topics that are relative to their niche industry.
2. Leads engage with Key Opinion Leaders
With over 29% of the entire population on social media
One of the main ideas behind KOL is not to “cut short the conversation” but rather to become a part of it or even spark it! In any case, you are not the only contributor in your field. Staying connected on social media channels can help you engage with your peers and your customers. In addition, it can help build opportunities for collaboration.
3. Customers buy from experts
At least 88 percent of buyers think that TL is critical to the buying process
As an expert in your field, you must take an active role in your niche. This implies that your content must actively engage the public and offer continual education and learning. Your customers expect you to develop original content, observe trends, and come up with new ideas about where the industry is headed.
The above example shows Dr. Daryl Williams from Imperial College London giving his insight into the Science behind Dynamic Vapour Sorption, a technique used to measure how mass changes under specific atmospheric conditions. He discusses not only DVS, but the merits of other related techniques and the applications where they are useful. This subtle approach lends credibility to his opinion and builds value for the reader before referencing the products which represent 4 years of research, development and innovation.
Similarly, in the above example Dr. Richard Thompson, the scientific officer from Findacure details his latest work in securing funding for research in rare disease areas. The piece not only details the projects he is working on, but also raises awareness of the role of Findacure in the research process.
A Strategy for Longevity
Key opinion leadership is a strategic choice for your business whether you are an equipment manufacturer, service provider or researcher. With consistent and diligent efforts, it will create superb results that boost both your brand and your bottom line. Find out more about Thought Leadership as a strategy for your business.
