Have you ever come across a video that made you feel like the information in it was of very high value? If so, and if the same brand regularly delivered this type of content, you might begin to see them as a thought leader in the industry.
If you’re wondering how to establish yourself as a thought leader using video, then you’re going to have to create content that offers the best; in-depth answers to some of your target audience’s biggest questions.
According to Edelman’s study, thought leadership content can help shorten the sales cycle and increase your brand’s credibility.
Here are some highlights from the research
B2B leaders, in particular, are paying close attention to this type of content and those who generate it. The study also made it clear that thought leadership content can impact brand perception and buying behavior.
When should you leverage the thought leadership approach?
If you’re looking to establish authority on a topic in your industry, the best way you can do this is if you provide deep insight and research on the subject to your audience. Whatever information you add to the conversation must be unique.
This video by Ahrefs is a great example of thought leadership content.
It’s important to note that thought leadership is primarily about providing value to the consumer. It’s not about promoting your brand or product.
If you do so explicitly, people may end up losing faith in your company and the content you’re putting out, thinking that you’re only doing it to boost your bottom-line.
Who should be featured in thought leadership video content?
If you’re going to make thought leadership videos, involve senior-level executives and subject matter experts.
Experienced professionals can pull from years of experience and what they say hold weight because of their expertise and position.
Here’s a video from HubSpot featuring Seth Godin that fits the bill.
Are you thinking about making client testimonial videos for your business? If you are, check out our article on how to make one.
What are the Benefits of Thought Leadership videos?
According to the Edelman study, thought leadership content, in general, is highly effective. So, it isn’t a stretch to assume that if this sort of content is packaged as a video, it could perform better than other formats.
Don’t believe us? According to Optinmonster, marketers who use video get 66% more qualified leads per year. While 72% of buyers say they’d prefer video to text when learning about a product or service.
Influences prospects along their buyer’s journey
When you add value to the conversation as a thought leader, you start to influence the buyer’s journey.
If you read our article on how to use videos for the buyer’s journey, you’ll realize that thought leadership content is ideal for the awareness and consideration stage.
In the awareness stage, it helps the audience get a better grasp of whatever problem they are facing.
In the consideration stage, your audience is looking for more thorough insight into the solutions and options available that can help solve their issue. This is where thought leadership video content is perfect as well.
Establishes you as an expert and an innovator in your industry
If you’ve established a business, then that means you are an expert at something. You’re still going to have to prove it. No better way to do that than with thought leadership videos.
Find novel ways to approach existing problems and broaden horizons. Add something new to the conversation. It’s all about value.
Gary Vaynerchuk has built a name for himself as a thought leader when it comes to content marketing. Here’s a video from his channel.
Creates more PR Opportunities
Because this type of content is highly valuable, you’ll get the attention of journalists, bloggers, and reputable influencers. They may all want to link to your content, share it on their channels, request your insight on the subject, invite you to speak at events, etc.
All of these opportunities are great for your business, especially when it comes to spreading awareness about your brand and establishing authority in an industry.
In this video, Sir Ken Robinson (a subject matter expert) talks about teaching.
Great thought leadership videos bring in sales quicker
As we mentioned earlier that thought leadership videos are great for accelerating a prospect’s journey along the awareness and consideration stages.
If your content is really good, your prospects will be able to make a quick decision. This is how you get sales more naturally.
You won’t be breaking the bank
If you’re a small business that’s a bit cautious of your cash flow, it’s worth noting that great videos allow you to compete with big brands that have massive advertising and PR budgets at a fraction of the cost.
Read more: How Is the Pricing of Animated Videos Calculated?
Videos make it easier for viewers to connect with the thought leader
If you have a subject matter expert, front and center, talking directly to the audience via video then there is a better chance that your viewer will connect with that person on a deeper level compared to, say, if they were reading a statement from him/her in a long report.
You can repurpose videos
Video is a versatile medium and allows you to repurpose it in so many different ways.
Here are some things you could try:
- Create short clips from your video to share on social media
- Find interesting quotes from it to turn into graphics that you can share with your audience.
- Turn it into a blog post, audio podcasts, etc.
Read more: Tips for Producing Video Content at Scale
Ready to get started with thought leadership videos? Here are some best practices to keep in mind
Thought Leadership Videos Best Practices
The Edelman research revealed that a majority of people surveyed think there is little high-quality thought leadership content being produced.
To make sure your audience doesn’t hold this opinion of the content you produce, you’ll need to keep the following things in mind.
1. Relevance
Don’t try to create a one-size-fits-all type of video. Define your topic, its objectives and, most importantly, target a narrow audience.
2. Vision
Explain the ‘why’ along with the ‘what’. Try to explain why things are happening in a certain way and give insight into the underlying causes and trends you’ve picked up on.
All of this should circle back to address your target audience’s challenges.
In this video, Derek Muller talks about his ideas on what could revolutionize education.
3. Trust
As we mentioned before, getting credible people to talk on the subject will help build trust.
Here’s how Wired features relevant field experts for its series and builds trust with their content.
Read more: How to Make Engaging Culture Videos
4. Brevity
Decision-makers are mindful of what they’ll pay attention to; therefore, it’s best to craft your video with that in mind.
Deliver memorable value-packed information in an easy to absorb way. Use graphics and other visual cues to move the narrative along in a compelling way.
5. Attribution
Content creators often don’t establish indicators to measure their content’s performance. That’s a bad idea.
Engage with sales. Align sales and marketing on KPIs, such as MQL and SQL.
Adopt measurement tools and software that help you gather and analyze data on how your content is performing.
Don’t just focus on the numbers. Identify the quality of your audience and understand what interactions are taking place.
A Word of Caution
Although producing thought leadership video content is promising in many ways and you stand to gain a lot from it, there is a catch. You MUST do it well.
If you push out mediocre thought leadership content, you risk damaging your brand’s reputation.
You can explore the possibility of creating different types of B2B videos that’ll transform you social media game. Check out our post to learn more.
So, just remember, strive to deliver value and do what others haven’t done so far. Be authentic and create!
