In the crowded, competitive market that is B2B healthcare, creating thought leadership content and getting media coverage is one of the most effective ways to stand out. Thought leadership can help you build brand awareness, credibility, and trust, position your C-suite as go-to experts, and ultimately, be the vendor of choice when decisions are made.
While mass layoffs have touched nearly every news and media organization, journalists, editors, and producers are being asked to do more with less. Yet they still need newsworthy stories, which presents a unique opportunity for companies to pitch and place thought leadership content.
In an interview on The PR Playbook podcast, I sat down with host Ronjini Joshua, owner and president of The Silver Telegram, to explore how thought leadership fits in your PR strategy, why most pitches land in the trash, and how to place thought leadership content and land media interviews.
Set Your Goals
Every marketer knows they should create thought leadership content, but knowing why it’s right for your company and establishing goals for your efforts is the first step. Perhaps it’s building brand awareness, changing the perception of the brand, or getting the market to think about a challenge or an industry trend in a different way.
Be Realistic
Keep in mind that like all things marketing, thought leadership is a long game, not a build it and they come effort.
Building trust and credibility, and staying top of mind takes time and consistency that ultimately positions your company as the go-to solution. While there’s no ideal cadence and your efforts will depend on your resources and budget, aim to place one piece a month, or at the very least, one per quarter.
Get C-Suite Buy-In
If your senior leadership doesn’t understand why thought leadership is a priority, creating the content and landing media coverage will most likely be difficult. Therefore, before you launch your efforts, explain the “why,” and what your goals are for the program. Plus, if your competition regularly lands media coverage, show senior leadership the results they’ve had, which may make getting buy-in easier.
Something else to keep in mind is that although your c-suite is busy, 30 minutes is plenty of time to conduct an interview that will give you, or the journalist, plenty of information to write a strong piece.
Do Your Research
Before you write, you need to do your research and understand what types of stories the outlet publishes, who their audience is, and what makes them unique.
Search their stories to make sure you’re not pitching a story they have already covered and be sure to pitch the right journalist, editor, or producer.
Write a Strong Pitch
When I was writing for Fox News, Everyday Health, and other consumer news outlets, 99% of the pitches I received were deleted. Most of the publicists who pitched me used weak subject lines such as “story idea” or “media expert available” and rather than pitch a story idea, they pitched a new book or product. When writing pitches, here are some tips to consider:
- Keep the subject lines, short, sweet, and clickable.
- Always address the pitch to the individual you’re pitching.
- Don’t bury the lede—quickly tell them what they need to know.
- Include only 3 ideas you plan to write about.
- Include the name of the source (not the entire bio!) and explain why they should be interviewed or contribute an article.
Have Something New and Newsworthy To Say
Oftentimes, companies think they’re creating thought leadership, when in reality, what they have is just another blog post or plug for a new product or solution. Media outlets need something new: new studies, new statistics, or a new trend. True thought leadership content is newsworthy and:
- Offers your audience a new solution to an age-old problem or industry challenge.
- Provides a new idea or a fresh perspective.
- Encourages your audience to rethink what everyone else is talking about.
- Explores ideas no one else is talking about.
- Persuades your audience to take action.
While the ideas that you pitch should align with your company’s messaging, avoid plugging your products or solutions since any mentions will likely be cut.
Maximize Your Interviews
If you’re already conducting an interview for a website article or ebook, for example, and you have 5 minutes left, pick your SME’s brain for new thought leadership ideas. I find the best story ideas come about when I ask, “Is there anything else that is important or we didn’t talk about?” These stories are those that come from conversations behind closed doors or challenges that keep your experts up at night.
Offer Video
With video consumption at an all-time high, it’s no wonder that media outlets are looking for it. In fact, 87% of reporters say they use video from pitches.
If your SMEs are media-savvy or you have—or can create—a video to support your story, you may have a better chance of placing your thought leadership content or landing an interview.
Including thought leadership in your PR strategy is a no-brainer, and with these simple strategies, you can launch your efforts in no time.
To learn more, listen to my interview on The PR Playbook podcast or schedule a free discovery call today.