10 ways to become an authority in idea generation

“Thought leadership” is a communications and marketing approach that organizations—and individuals—have used to varying degrees of success for decades.

It’s a concept that most people in an organization typically believe they understand completely and can easily “bang out” without much planning or thought. That belief sits atop the list of most-common mistakes made when putting together a slew of influential messages.

Here are 10 keys to ensuring your next strategy is both interesting and effective:

1. Start curious/inspire curiosity.

PR pros work to expand a conversation by augmenting the early thinking in the brainstorming process.

Don’t begin “topic-mining” by assuming you already know everything about a particular subject. If you begin curiously developing your points of view, you will inspire your readers to be curious. Elevate them, make them think, and encourage them to learn.

2. “I” comes before “M.”

Sometimes it’s just alphabetical. The concept of “thought leadership” is about your ideas. It’s not about marketing. Present the way you think, how you view situations and how to create solutions. Don’t directly sell your business.