Why bother thinking? Thought leadership and its payback

Thought Leadership is a concept that has grown in popularity and importance in recent times. It was actually first coined as a phrase nearly 30 years ago. In simple terms, it’s a form of education – the passing on of skills, ideas and insight in a way that demonstrates your expertise to other companies and individuals; thought leadership defines the backdrop against which companies assess which risks to accept. It’s how underwriters attract brokers, how brokers appeal to their clients, and how the wider market (including retail customers) chooses which provider to go for. In a busy marketplace, thought leadership is a tool that can help you and your organisation stand out from the crowd. Ultimately, it could help build your visibility and reputation so you’re ‘the go to’ for that next deal. Check out this example we have created!

A shopfront for innovation

The insurance and financial services industries are focusing heavily on innovation, working to find new solutions, markets and more efficient practices. Being inventive, while also being prudent. The industry is both a proving ground for new ideas and a means for reinventing existing thoughts for a modern world. Insurance, and the wider financial services market benefits from prior experience to shape and educate new thinking, new ideas and new cultures.

Thought leaders are shrewd enough to be able to contribute to the current conversations and leanings of the market, and at the same time speculate in a meaningful way about what the future may hold. In fact the best though leaders are those that can stretch the thinking processes in their followers, in order to achieve new results and solutions that are beyond the original brief.
The world in the 21st century is evolving at a faster pace than ever before. Technological revolutions are changing business itself, as well as the way in which we do business. That’s why thought leadership is so essential to insurance; risks change, and recognising the changes and adapting to them is crucial to survival.

Articulating ideas

But having the leadership thoughts alone is not enough. To have influence – either to other business and brands, or to individuals, you need to articulate and broadcast your views. These are areas where a specialist marketing agency, such as brandformula are essential.

Writing engaging and succinct copy – whether for a trade journal or the internet – is not as easy as it sounds. As someone who has spent a career in journalism, I can reasonably say that text can have a meaning way beyond the dictionary definitions of the words being used! The wrong words, the wrong tone or even bad grammar can dilute the message you are trying to convey. That’s a key benefit that can be provided by a professional writer. Financial services writing requires a deep understanding and technical knowledge, so it makes sense to use a suitably qualified reporter. At brandformula we’re lucky enough to have a team of expert writing consultants who collectively, have lots of experience writing for the insurance markets.

Reaching your audience

With content made, the next hurdle is distributing it to a target audience. Again, this is where the brandformula team has a distinct edge. Our digital team is comprised of social media experts who understand the latest trends and platform algorithms. We have years of experience in refining and targeting messaging so that it reaches the right people. You can read about our how our expertise has helped in past campaigns here.

If you have a thought leadership message to showcase, brandformula can help you to make the most of it. Talk to us today about how best to distribute your expertise, and we’ll advise on styles, platforms and broadcast schedules. Contact us here for more information.