Thought leadership requires such a commitment that it’s only normal for you to question why putting in the effort is worthwhile.
If you’re a business leader, you’re likely juggling your company’s financial performance, recruitment, and CSR initiatives, on top of any potential crises you may be facing.
In reality, thought leadership can help you manage all these issues simultaneously by improving your engagement with key stakeholders and how they perceive you.
Need further proof?
In that case, here are 31 statistics showing why thought leadership is worth your time.
In a nutshell, thought leadership is all about positioning yourself as a subject matter expert within your industry by regularly sharing novel insights across various platforms.
Anyone can become a thought leader if they have something genuinely interesting and important to say.
But most often, senior leaders tend to perform better because they are already viewed to be credible, well-followed, and influential figures.
Without investing in thought leadership, all of the experiences, breakthroughs, and lessons you could pass on to others within your field go to waste.
For instance, B2C's might use thought leadership to foster customer loyalty through relatable, consumer-focussed insights, while B2B's can leverage thought leadership to attract high-level partnerships, and influence industry standards.
Ultimately, the more you engage new audiences and build a strong following over time, the better you can accelerate growth.
58% of decision-makers admit to reading one or more hours of thought leadership content a week.
37% of decision-makers spend 1-3 hours per week reading thought leadership content.
Just 1 in 5 decision-makers spend more than 4 hours a week reading thought leadership content.
Research shows that almost all decision-makers agree that a company’s credibility can be shaped by the thought leadership content it produces.
In fact, 3 in 4 decision-makers are more likely to trust a company’s thought leadership than traditional marketing materials when judging its capabilities.
Quite often thought leadership leads to long-term loyalty from existing and potential clients, according to 82% of decision-makers.
Crises, both internal and external, are inevitable for any business. However, leadership teams that are highly visible and transparent often weather these situations better.
For this very reason, 3 in 4 members of the public we surveyed believe that every company should have leadership teams who are actively visible.
Even during times of controversy, nearly half of buyers agree that thought leadership is key in repairing a company's reputation.
Over half of buyers believe good quality thought leadership is essential to convert prospects into customers.
Thought leadership can even lead companies to reconsider their current vendors, according to 70% of C-suite executives.
3 in 4 decision-makers also say that thought leadership has prompted them to research products or services they hadn’t previously considered.
95% of decision-makers use LinkedIn thought leadership to stay informed about industry trends, highlighting the value of thought leadership to build long-term brand advocates.
In fact, a study by INSEAD found that a 1% increase in a company’s LinkedIn followers correlates with a 0.5% boost in average revenue.
Of the different types of content produced on LinkedIn, videos generate 20 times more shares than text and images combined.
According to 88% of marketers, videos dominate because they considerably improve consumer understanding of a company's products or services.
Nearly half of C-suite executives actively share high-quality thought leadership content that they come across with their teams, amplifying the content’s reach and influence.
Our research shows that 3 in 4 candidates prefer to work for a visible leadership team that regularly showcases its expertise, industry leadership, and commitment to innovation.
On the other hand, almost two-thirds of recruiters admit that candidates recognised within their industry as thought leaders are more likely to be hired than those not.
The salaries employers are willing to offer can even be higher depending on whether candidates are thought leaders, according to 34% of recruiters.
54% of buyers consider thought leadership vital in drawing attention to crucial topics journalists would not usually cover but are important within their industries.
That said, 3 in 4 journalists find value in 25% of the pitches they receive, highlighting how crucial it is for thought leadership pitches to stand out.
Thought leadership must be thought-provoking to strike a chord with audiences, with only half of B2B decision-makers considering the content they encounter to be of good quality.
This isn’t a shock considering that close to a third of people producing thought leadership content admitted that their organisations were unsure how to leverage it as a sales or marketing tool.
69% of marketers argue that too many leaders mistakenly produce thought leadership content for lead gen, undermining its value and negatively impacting pipeline and revenue.
Moreover, 23% of buyers claim that existing thought leadership content is too “corporate” in tone, underscoring a need for more personality-driven content.
Over half of B2B decision-makers suggest that research and data are essential to ground thought leadership, verify ideas, and strengthen their impact.
44% of marketers say a strong brand identity is key to resonate with audiences.
2 of 5 B2B decision-makers argue that good thought leadership hinges on relevant case studies.
72% of decision-makers say that short and easy-to-absorb content makes thought leadership compelling.
In 2024, B2B marketers increased their thought leadership budgets by 53%, highlighting its growing recognition and value.
For instance, high-growth SaaS startups often assign up to $140,000 of their annual budget to thought leadership SEO in order to beat their competition.
For more thought leadership advice, visit our insight page, where we post new content weekly.