[WEBINAR] Building your executive profile for B2B
B2B thought leadership is one of the most powerful ways to build trust, credibility, and brand awareness, helping you outpace competitors and attract high-value leads.
But as more companies adopt thought leadership to differentiate themselves, a critical question arises: Is it still effective in today’s crowded market?
The answer is yes, but only if you approach it strategically and creatively. To cut through the noise and deliver real results, leaders must go beyond the obvious.
In this article, we’ll explore how to do just that.
With digital transformation creating a wave of B2B businesses, negotiations becoming more complex, and regulation prevalent, securing big-ticket contracts is no longer as easy as it was in the past.
Many B2B companies fail to obtain enough clients to keep them afloat, which is why 90% of companies fail within 10 years.
Of all the persuasive factors that do make a difference today, one in particular stands out: experience.
For instance, the eyes of key decision-makers will always favor a chip firm with 20 years of experience over a startup launched just last year.
Yet, not enough B2B companies are capitalising on their experience. They’re not sharing their founding story, highlighting their global footprint, or being honest about the failures and lessons that shaped them.
That’s a huge missed opportunity.
Even if content about your journey doesn’t directly generate leads, you'll appear more credible to the media, gaining exposure to a host of potential buyers later on.
Even if you lead a startup, you can still tap into your mission, beliefs, and values, and what shapes them, to differentiate yourself and steal the spotlight.
Of course, experience alone isn’t enough if your product or service is outdated. Buyers come to you for what you offer.
But that doesn’t mean your thought leadership should read like a sales brochure. Overly promotional content only risks alienating audiences.
Instead, use your product or service as a springboard for opinionated, educational content that provides real value. That's what real thought leadership is.
For example:
As an SaaS firm, you might argue that LLMs will redefine enterprise productivity.
As a procurement consultancy, you might explore why decentralised supply chains are the future.
As a construction contractor, you could advocate for modern prefabrication methods.
Each of which positions you as a credible expert while subtly reinforcing the value of your offering. It also helps you speak to investors, suppliers, and future hires, too.
Investors want to know you're not only at the forefront of innovation but also aware of market risks.
Suppliers want reassurance that you’re a stable, trustworthy partner with a clear long-term vision.
Talent needs education and encouragement to join your firm.
So, make sure your B2B thought leadership is balanced.
In the often-monotonous world of B2B, a charismatic thought leader can be your biggest differentiator.
When all is said and done, audiences remember bold voices, not bland brands that they think they've been approached by time and time again.
In which case, before any campaign, carefully decide who you want to lead it, because while a CEO or founder might seem like the go-to spokesperson, if another leader, say the COO, has sharper insights, is comfortable on camera, and truly understands their industry, they may be the better fit.
Just remember to respect your audience’s views, welcome debate, and stick to what you know.
You want potential buyers to feel excited about the prospect of a meeting, setting you up strongly to convert.
It's worth reiterating the importance of video content. Too many leaders shy away from it, and when they do, it's always a monumental mistake.
Video not only helps B2B companies unpack complex topics, but it also, more crucially, generates 1,200x more shares than text or images on social media combined.
At the very least, video helps potential buyers form a clearer picture of who you are and eliminates misunderstandings.
That said, high-quality video content isn't easy to produce.
Although it's beneficial to occasionally film authentic thought leadership content while on the move, it's worthwhile to dedicate shoots to a professional videographer.
Though they require budget, you'll benefit from a library of content that promises high production values, while staying on brand, making the investment immediately worthwhile.
You'll be able to elevate any content your produce, not only across social but in pitch decks, blog posts, emails to journalists, and much more.
So, don't miss this trick, or you'll regret it.
For most B2B leaders, media exposure is the overarching goal. And that's understandable, considering that publications like Bloomberg reach up to 100 million global readers.
But should you immediately be targeting the big hitters to generate leads? In our view, you shouldn't.
You should target trade publications instead.
They welcome new voices, increasing your chances of being featured.
They’re more likely to run press releases on new hires, product updates, or market entries.
Their journalists understand your industry, leading to deeper, higher-quality articles.
Your target audience is already reading them.
Think of it this way: If a publication ranks well on Google and has a professional website, it’s worth pitching. Do this enough times, and grow, and a hit in Bloomberg might just follow.
It’s not always clear what your B2B thought leadership should focus on.
The media cycle and social debates are endlessly evolving, so much that opinions you hope to share can be stolen by others way before you know it. You're never truly in control.
But what about conducting a survey? Specifically, a survey questioning your customers on the most significant industry developments and how your business compares to others?
This is one way you can gain some control by uncovering fresh insights only you have access to, which you can then share when and where you like.
In the grand scheme, you'll be able to uncover and respond to customers' pain points in a way that makes your content original and much more memorable.
But more practically, you'll be able to:
Shape your product roadmap.
Reinvent your user experience.
Prioritise ESG or other overlooked issues.
Just make sure you have a decent sample size to gain genuinely valuable insights, trends, and lessons, and avoid any potential bias.
The best B2B thought leaders don’t just comment on the now. They help shape what’s next.
That means tapping into the hopes, anxieties, and expectations of your audience, with a focus on making bold predictions about where your industry is headed.
If you’re in biotech, you could argue that synthetic biology is about to rewrite how we grow food, make materials, and treat disease, and that we desperately need regulation.
If you're in finance, you might highlight how Trump's recent tariffs could introduce volatility or downside risk in the markets over the next year.
As long as your ideas are backed by experience and data, your predictions won’t just spark engagement, they’ll establish you as a forward-thinker that potential leads can trust.
When you secure a new client, especially a major one, don’t keep it quiet.
With permission, share the news in a blog or press release. If appropriate, co-publish with the client to amplify reach.
The goal here is to build credibility by association and signal to prospects that you're the expert among your competition.
Then, over time, strengthen your site with testimonials and logos to reinforce trust at every stage of the sales funnel.
Every business faces turbulence. But how you handle crises, whether internal or external, can define your reputation.
If the crisis is external, such as a supply chain disruption, speak up. Show how you’re adapting and suggest what the wider industry can do to future-proof itself.
If it’s internal, such as a data breach, take responsibility immediately. Don’t shift blame or hide from the issue. Audiences value transparency and accountability.
Done well, this kind of honesty can strengthen your reputation, as long as you follow up any promises with genuine action. This is what distinguishes the very best thought leaders.
And above all, keep producing good content to drown out negativity with positive insight across all channels.
It might take some time, but your lead-gen funnel will recover.
B2B leaders should always keep a close eye on their competitors, not to copy, but to learn from them.
With this in mind, always ask yourself:
What are they posting?
What channels are they using?
Which content formats perform best for them?
You might just discover an untapped angle, identify new audience segments, or refine your message to connect in a brand-new light.
In some cases, you might even outmanoeuvre your competitors and win over leads they didn’t know they were about to lose.
Just like the common saying goes, keep your most important stakeholders close, but your competitors closer.
Finally, know that B2B thought leadership is a long game.
Sales cycles are long.
Relationships take time.
And trust must be earned.
If you rush it, you’ll publish pitches journalists ignore, posts that sound desperate, and campaigns that fall flat.
Take your time. Plan strategically. And focus on building something real. Your leads will tell you're doing something right.