Huizenga College of Business Marketing Blog: Thought Leadership Wins Social Media Votes in B2B

Thought Leadership Wins Social Media Votes in B2B

May 1

posted by Dr. James Barry in Social Media | 64 Comments

Did you ever wonder what builds social media audiences in B2B circles?

An empirical study of 171 leading influencers by Dr. John Gironda and yours truly found that thought leadership out ranks helpful advice, engagement, entertainment, inspiration, empathy and content credibility.

So what is thought leadership and what does it mean for marketing and sales representatives?

Aspiring thought leaders must champion groundbreaking ideas that provoke new mindsets around a different way of doing business. Think Steve Jobs and the way he fomented change. But for you to gain credibility for your forward thinking insights, the research suggests you must first earn your stripes with trails of content perceived as timely, relevant and useful (i.e., instructional tips that help buyers with their operational challenges).

This is where a lot of sales and marketing personnel bail out. After all, who has the time to brainstorm fresh perspectives and helpful tips?

But imagine the trust built if buyers see you generously sharing your digital content (e.g., blog posts, videos, live broadcasts, white papers, etc.). Your empathy speaks volumes. And don’t underestimate the confidence built as each shared piece sheds more light on your expertise and relevance to your prospective buyer.

On the thought side of thought leadership, buyers need original ideas or unique perspectives before they consider you a trusted authority. High on their list is your market foresight. How can you help them navigate through turbulent times or uncertain futures? In the social media world, this is often done by consultants who regularly forewarn their customers of risky technologies.

The combination of forward looking insights and operational helpfulness then sets the stage for showcasing your expertise. Without this, your claims for cutting-edge ideas cannot be validated. So start with instructional tips to show what you know. Periodically lay out some predictions for what is coming down the pike, and then provoke a new mindset that signals to your buyers that you are worthy of their selective attention and patronage.

On the leadership side of thought leadership, marketers with the most social clout are often known for their inspiration appeal. You have to be able to drive conversations that literally spark a movement. One way to do this is to edu-tain them. Our research showed no direct influence between entertainment and social influence. But it did show an indirect influence through inspirational motivation. The suggestion here is to dress up your content with humor and visual storytelling as a way to inspire your audience.

Why is this important? Imagine a buyer in total control of the sales process (i.e. inbound marketing). Most of the buyer journey is done digitally, and 60% of the cycle is complete before they contact sales. With over 850 million websites equipped for blogging, everyone wants the buyer’s attention. So who do they follow? Their go-to advisors are opinion leaders that could help in innovative brainstorming. This sounds more like helping than selling.

So what do you think falls next on the list of ways to build social influence?

James Barry, D.B.A., is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Barry develops, teaches and consults on a variety of social media marketing subjects. He can be reached at jmbarry@nova.edu

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#1 by Mike Olivier on 5/17/17 - 11:04 AM

Very informative article. I agree that influence is built through social engagement. In the digital arena, influence is powerful and sought after. I think trust falls next on the list of ways to build social influence. Trust is the main quality all great leaders possess. In order for people to support your vision people must know who you are and want you stand for. Leaders who inspire trust achieve better innovation, loyalty and revenue.
#2 by Natalia Carvajal on 5/17/17 - 10:35 PM

I agree with the author’s approach and the importance of leadership. In today’s world a great part of the responsibility that lays on the marketing departments is to bring innovation and propose innovate ways to reach to your customers and sell. YouTube is a great example of what the author expresses on this post. The biggest digital influencers are found on this social media and are nowadays part of many company’s approach to reach to consumers. Most customers will reach out to these influencers to know their opinions and advises on certain products and follow their direction into their purchasing’s decisions. Companies may hire them and add their products while making it seem to the consumer that it is part of the influencer’s lifestyle and since they don’t perceive it as advertising, consumers end up being more open to buy the ideas.
#3 by Naser Al Doseri on 5/17/17 - 11:18 PM

I totally agree with the author of this article with regard to building trust between buyer and marketer by sharing information which helps the buyers to obtain a good knowledge of what he or she trying to buy. Moreover, nowadays most of the people are well educated they know that marketers duty is to attract people to be their customers. To take an advantage among your peers you have to share your expertise and provide instructions tips to help customers to decide, with this you will capture customers trust.
#4 by Yevgeniya Green on 5/17/17 - 11:56 PM

Provoking new mindsets and changing the way business performs is an incredibly difficult task. You have to be able to convince your people that your methods and logic will work and this is the most difficult task of all. As a leader this is where many people throw their hands in the air and give up. What does it take as a visionary to prove your concept ? How do you get the buy in necessary to make this kind of change ? In the case of Steve Jobs, not many believed in him and he was fired from his own company but they did not see his Vision and he was not always successful in communicating, however the relationships he forged with his close circle led them to follow him. It is the uniqueness of the person. the passion and the trust they gain along the way.
#5 by Renato on 5/18/17 - 9:25 AM

Very interesting article, Influence in my opinion is the key to drive social media engagement. It’s what keeps people coming back for more. Building social influence needs creativity – society often wants to look and feel a certain way, whether it’s by eating healthy or by working out. The more leadership builds innovative creativity to motivate through social media, the more movement he/she will spark.
#6 by Allyson Arias on 5/18/17 - 10:14 AM

This post reminded me of a guest speaker that came in to speak to my previous class. He was a financial manager of a small bank that is still in the process of growing and is from Alabama but has come to Fort Lauderdale because they are buying out several banks here. He spoke about the trust that he needs to build with his customers before dealing with their money. He would make a financial plan for them with no charge to them and if they liked it they would move forward if not they did not have to pay anything and they could walk away. He said something that stayed with me which was that he would write hand written notes to his customers saying happy birthday or just thank you for your business and he said the thought behind writing a handwritten card or note goes a long way when showing customers the thought you put into it. This is why I agree with this post there are many different sides to marketing a business and in order to be successful you would need not only thought bet leadership as well.
#7 by Nicholas Portlance on 5/18/17 - 10:43 AM

This idea seems to be picking up steam in a major way. There is now a large market for info products being advertised to entrepreneurs through all the various social media outlets. Daily I receive advertisements to join a blog, receive a newsletter or attend a webinar that will increase my business, teach me how to attract more customers, source products more efficiently, etc. Some of them are even trying to teach you how to create your own info product. One issue I see is that with a wide virtual world of self-proclaimed “experts” credibility for the true experts is being challenged. It is much more difficult to weed out the amateurs.
#8 by ANDRES PARRA on 5/18/17 - 12:17 PM

While reading this post, I couldn’t stop thinking about Intuit, a company that develops accounting and business management software (QuickBooks). In the specific case of their product called QuickBooks, this company was able to change the way people handle the accounting on their businesses, they made it really easy for customers to perform the daily accounting tasks on their business and keep everything in place and accessible from various electronic devices. Of course, they couldn’t have done this if it wasn’t for the excellent customer service that they provide. They guide you through the whole process of buying and using the software while giving you useful tips and tricks that save you time and money.
#9 by Ashley Duncan on 5/18/17 - 3:38 PM

This article touched on several important factors that extend far beyond the appearance of a social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or the primary contact that businesses have with consumers. More research and development is required from marketing and sales representatives as they prepare to present various aspects of the company through social media channels and build social influence. In addition, it is important to discover the needs of the market in which the company is serving and provoke thought and leadership geared towards those needs. This is essential in the process of showing care and concern as stated in the article. The next step includes continued research and finding ways to aim towards the needs of the client in a genuine manner that builds lasting relationships.
#10 by Melissa Hernandez on 5/18/17 - 8:47 PM

I agree with the article's stance on leadership. I couldn't help but think of all these entrepreneurs that reach out to their "fans" or "followers" via vlogs or live posts (such as FB live). Them sharing their ideas, and opinions in real time, sometimes even answering questions in their comment section really entices customers and helps sell their brand.
#11 by Jennifer Schott on 5/18/17 - 9:36 PM

In today’s age, social media is crucial for businesses success. Being a leader, knowing your product and being inspired by it, influences followers and consumers. Social media provides your consumer to feel like they are a part to be part of your brand and your brands story which increases your following. You Tube is a great platform to promote your brand.
#12 by Hamad Alyami on 5/19/17 - 1:50 PM

It is a hard thing to be persuasive to customers currently, why can trust this product is legit or a scam. I personally have face lots of scams through emails, phone calls,and messages. I got to the point where I have to research the website I am buying from if it is legit or fake. Social media is a sensitive matter when it comes to sharing information, I think most people don't ever bother to read the conditions or the terms before buying or even siding up for that reason.
#13 by Jennia Kneissle on 5/19/17 - 4:28 PM

While reading that informative article I couldn't stop thinking about the mobile phone app YELP. Were companies can open up an account and get rated. One of the most exiting functions of it is, that you can find good restaurants next to your location. You can see how they got rated from previous guests. Furthermore, everyone can post pictures from the dishes they ate at that location. A way of forming relationships is by distributing the content that they post that pertains to your company. This will make customers excited about your content and as it makes it more intimate and significant.
#14 by Bianca Simmons on 5/19/17 - 6:17 PM

To answer the question I feel that a strong social presence is next on the list to build social influence. Its important that the direct targeted group of consumers understand your vision, feel as though they may influence decisions, and play a part in a particular product/ service but its my opinion that the consumer should feel as though they prefer what you have over any competition. If you have a strong social, media and advertisement presence the likelihood of a larger consumer market trying things out is very high, which will hopefully create continued business and a consumer personal presence.
#15 by Camila Carvalho Passos on 5/19/17 - 8:38 PM

I definitely agree that creating relevant and useful content is the right strategy to attract potential customers, especially millennials. Considering that, large companies are using inbound marketing to attract potential customers, through social media. A good example is the new trend of companies to sell their products and services, trough digital influencers. Adopting this strategy, those companies can have good results, due the fact that those digital influencers have created a loyal partnership with their followers, converting what they show trough social media in sales and results to companies.
#16 by Joseph Kaplan on 5/19/17 - 8:54 PM

Influencing people is a power that is not easily attainable. If the power of influencing is achieved though, that alone will have a huge impact on sales, brand image and brand equity. Having a credible and trustworthy image can prove to boost marketing performance in a company. However, if used in a negative way, it could prove to be costly.
#17 by Kridtiya Thammajaro on 5/19/17 - 10:49 PM

I totally agree with this article because every customer wants the buyer's attention. Helpful service is very important for every business. It can influence and convince the customer to buy the product. Furthermore, the trust from sharing true information by sales representative makes loyalty customer and it will make the business grow more than before.
#18 by Rose Muselaire on 5/20/17 - 10:52 AM

This article is very enlightening. I agree with the author’s stance on leadership in today’s world. To get customers to buy your product there must be some sort of level of trust between the buyer and consumer. You should reach out to consumers, get to know them, share your knowledge and provide them with helpful suggestion to help capture their trust and loyalty. Also as a leader, you have to show your consumers that you are passionate and confident in what you are selling.
#19 by Sarah cole on 5/20/17 - 10:52 AM

I completely agree with this article. As stated, the combination of forward looking and operational insight provides a valuable means for marketing a product. Social media outlets such YouTube and Pinterest provide tutorial videos and pictures which provide inspiration and motivation to buy specific products. It sparks creativity and in turn, creates a need for the consumer to buy an item because it enthused them to do so. I can see evidence of this movement within the company where my husband works. It is looking to enhance its presence on YouTube and offer tutorial videos which will in turn drive sales simply because of the visual exposure the video provides. The customer will want to imitate the process to achieve the same result. This is the future of marketing. To motivate consumers to buy through visual means that sparks a desire to buy based on the expectation to achieve the result that they know can happen because they have seen it accomplished and are willing to invest to reach that outcome
#20 by Innocent Laurent on 5/20/17 - 2:02 PM

This article provoked a way that leaders must explode any comfort zone of a process to not only improve a process but to forward thinking innovative ideas to fulfill future needs of the customers. Leaders must use market trend to predict the future, and offers valuable service which can persuade and gain credibility. Since most of all financial transaction use technology, it indicates a way to better serve the market and have a better B2B virtual reality that would impact transaction. Using trends to create new products or new demands would give a competitive advantage for companies and let their customers access virtual service in real time.
#21 by Brandon Conte on 5/21/17 - 9:35 AM

I agree that the most effective form of marketing will feel more like helping instead of selling. Consumers subconsciously understand that traditional marketing feels more like they're being sold to than say a blog. The difference between a traditional advertisement and say a blog is that a blog author isn't necessarily doing it for a financial gain. Authors of blogs and the like usually don't have anything monetary to gain from the post besides sharing their opinion and maybe gaining social influence. Thought leaders can be perceive as inherently more trustworthy due to the fact that they don't really need to be doing it.
#22 by Susan Duarte on 5/21/17 - 6:04 PM

Though leadership is most certainly crucial, especially now-a-days. In a world where there is constant advancement in everything from technology to the ways in which organizations practice business, it is necessary to be innovative. Innovation is not always enough as the article states, innovation must be accompanied by good timing and relevance.
#23 by Lubabah A. Chwdhury on 5/21/17 - 7:03 PM

This article critically and deeply evaluates how thought leadership could be utilized at its best with the blend of right publicity and presentation. I watched an advertisement of vicks, titled, "Touch Of Care ", which just does not advertise the product but tells 2 important story with 2 important morals. It is an Indian tvc but it has subtitles and here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQVGB3Tk6M4.
This tvc will surely touch your heart, open up few bright sides of your thoughts and create a feeling of respect for the brand itself. After reading this article, I thought this video made me feel exactly what the author was telling about ways to build social influence.
#24 by Yanin Mesa on 5/21/17 - 8:05 PM

Good article and quite intuitive, it is true if you want to succeed as a leader you must first demonstrate you have the ability to lead. How best to do so, like the author suggested by providing relevant and timely information to your customers to make more educated decisions.
My next thought was of YouTube and Lowe’s, leveraging this technology Lowe’s has developed their own channel with expert tips from how to assemble kitchen cabinets to the best method to stain wood. There is also a discussion board for consumers to post questions or seek advice. The discussion board also provides Lowe’s with real time feedback on how their operation is performing.
#25 by Julian Garcia on 5/21/17 - 8:43 PM

I totally agree with the author of this article and how important and relevant can be strong leadership in your business. Now a day’s internet and social platforms has become an important tool for companies that gives them the ability to reach more customers and most importantly to build a strong relationship with them. Nonetheless, for many companies well defined leadership is essential to build strong relations with buyers. In other words, most of us get services and products from companies that not only introduce innovate products or services but companies that we can fully trust. A good example of this is Apple because this company has always inspired employees with their ideas and to be willing to help people. At the same time, they give customers the opportunity to go test their products at their own store, which built trust and close relationship. In addition, customer know that they can always come back to have repairs done of their products at the same store rather than shipping it, which again makes people trust the company, engage with employees and fell they have control on their decision.
#26 by Bruno Natteri on 5/21/17 - 11:26 PM

I agree with this article. I find it very helpful. It shows a very interesting side in the process of engaging consumers by helping them instead of selling them. Providing content that helps them to make important decisions. However, before we can generate the leadership necessary for consumers to follow our innovative ideas, it is clear that we must start by building a reputation to be considered as an authority on the subject.
#27 by Whitney Mahon on 5/22/17 - 1:23 AM

There are many individuals that demonstrate thought leadership in regards to being on social media. In order for these individuals to be trustworthy or even be considered credible, they have to prove themselves knowledgeable about the product or service they are promoting. It is ideal, that they demonstrate a certain sense of professionalism and display interest in the buyer. This takes commitment and time management. Communication is important, when it comes to building relationships. It is important for buyers to feel comfortable and not skeptical.
#28 by Orlando on 5/22/17 - 11:20 AM

This article presents a very interesting idea of build value through creating trails of content that can be perceived as timely, relevant and useful to your audience. Also, when the blogger writes about the thought leadership, and he breaks it down on the thought side of offering original ideas or unique perspectives, and on the leadership side, where influence is linked directly towards inspirational appeal. Very interest article and a lot thoughtful, makes us think about new ways to build social influence.
#29 by Mythsuka Louis on 5/22/17 - 5:50 PM

There are new products and companies in the making everyday. How do you get your target audience to trust your brand over the other? we all want to think we are making the best decision possible. I worked at best buy for a few years. we had to test the products in the store, especially the best buy brands. that way we could give them our own personal experiences. nine times out of ten, the customer would leave with the one you recommended due to your experience. now that everything is online, there are now videos of people using the different products in interest. they actually get to see how it is put to use and make decisions based on your opinions.
#30 by Benson Prospere on 5/22/17 - 6:01 PM

In a world filled with ideas and invention it is very imperative to obtain a balance between innovation and business objectives. The parity of the two gives a better understanding of timing and strategy. I definitely agree that the organization who have the most social clout or influence are the one who is known for their inspiration appeal. The more visual and humorous the content is the better relatable it is to the audience.
#31 by Marlyn Boada on 5/22/17 - 6:31 PM

I agree with this article. I believe for consumers to follow; the leader needs to be credible. For customers to purchase from a company a level of trust needs to be created. This can be done by inspiring and influencing the customers. People will be more open to new products/services when someone is helping rather than selling. I do like the idea of helping instead of selling. Sometimes having a selling approach pushes a buyer away. By helping them, one is building trust and providing them with useful information that can influence the customer.
#32 by Raquel Selechnik on 5/22/17 - 7:51 PM

I think this is a very interesting article as it made me think of HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing strategy, a strategy I completely agree with. HubSpot Inbound methodology is all about turning strangers into not only customers, but promoters of your brand. The methodology is divided into four stages: attract, convert, close and delight.

First, you attract strangers through blog posts and social publishing to transform them into visitors. Then, you transform them into leads in the Conversion stage though forms and landing pages. Then, in the third stage, the Closing stage, you convert your leads into customers through email automation and CRMs. Lastly you delight them by turning them from customers to promoters with social monitoring and surveys.

This methodology reinstates what Barry mentions on this blog. Companies need to be able to show people that they know what they are talking about, in order to step in into the customer’s consideration stage and drive conversions.

Answering Barry’s question, what comes next in ways of building social influence. I think it will be micro-influencers. We are all aware of well renowned influencers who have millions of followers of social media, but what about those hundreds of people on social media who have thousands of followers? Yes, influencers are opinion leaders who have an effect on our buying behaviors, but as time passes by I think people are starting to notice the business itself behind those influencer strategies. Micro-influencers will become the “go-to” thought leaders as they will not seem to be as promotional or planned as big influencers are. At least for a while.
#33 by Carmen Mondesir on 5/22/17 - 8:25 PM

I love how this article makes you really think about how social media can build business. It breaks down thought leadership in a way to make you think about how you can get your brand out on social media to make it effective. The author used Steve Jobs as an example, which made me think of instagram and YouTube (even though I know he created Facebook.) I can’t help but to think about how people use these top social media to build their brand plus make money from affiliate marketing simply because of their huge following. They all started somewhere, with blogs or even a simple inspirational videos of any kind, which builds that trust with your audience. I love this article simply because it broadens the mind on how thought leadership could be used in many ways.
#34 by LUIS V CARDONA on 5/22/17 - 9:25 PM

The results of this study are very interesting due to the connection of people that can gain the trust of others and inspire others to follow their suggestions by using social media. It is also important to develop a communication that is appropriate according to the different social media platforms, especially when this communication seems to be authentic and transparent.
#35 by Maria Esquerre on 5/23/17 - 12:11 AM

I completely agree with this article. Trust has to exist between the buyer and the marketer and the best way for this to happen is by sharing information. As a buyer, I need to have the most possible amount of information of the product I am trying to obtain, therefore, I need the marketer to share this information.Big leaders have to use social media to share ideas, opinions and to influence their audience.
#36 by Crina Manea on 5/23/17 - 3:53 AM

It is very interesting to note the prospective being offered through the above article. Some things never change: Paradigm shifts are critical now in the digital age, as much as, if not more so, than in the past analog age. That the thought leadership concept and its impact on social media audiences is so relevant is because that very impact is so significant and life changing. It is surprising to find out that the concept out ranks helpful advice, engagement, inspiration, empathy and content credibility. As we all know, thought leaders are capable to inspire, to become role-models, go-to people, and trend-setters. But then, that’s what happens when paradigms shift. Not only are they able to provoke new mindsets around different ways of doing business, but they are able to do it in an educative and entertaining way. Sharing information digitally is now the stage or platform used to sell our way into immortality. Look at Steve Jobs. He not only shifted our society into a new way of thinking, he also had the new product to sell us to validate that shift.
#37 by Amira Bendrif on 5/23/17 - 7:51 AM

I totally agree with article. With the advancement of communication technology, social media has changed the way people communicate with each other. Also, leadership communication is an important element of study in organizations as this form of communication affects organizational members, which in turn will affect the organization’s performance. That’s why leaders should maximize the potential of social media in reaching internal and external audiences that includes employees, shareholders, customers and media.
#38 by Luz Sanchez on 5/23/17 - 8:29 AM

Further search, I found that there are some step a good tough leader does:
1.   Show, don’t tell.
2.   Provide, don’t promote.
3.   Depth, not breadth.
4.   Analyze, don’t assume.
Thus, I can identify some leaders in the social media that are experts in this Thought Leadership Marketing trend. The Kardashians and the Jenners, they have mastered this practice, this is the main reason every single product they’ve created has the success stamp on. Specially makeup and clothing products. They show, they provide (their own brand), they are deep in their field – spend their lives putting makeup and modeling. The last step, analyze, is where these ladies mesmerize me because they ANALIZED that is an actual profitable business.
#39 by Vicky Saget on 5/23/17 - 2:35 PM

I enjoyed this article because it challenges the reader to consider that reaching the consumer is only the preliminary step. According to the writer what is equally important is the way in which an organization keeps the buyer engaged, informed and "Edu-Tained". Social influence plays an integral role in brand image and encourages us to ask the question of whether the content we are producing to consumers is relevant , cutting -edge ,helpful or sparking conversation.
#40 by Mahesak Emaruchi on 5/23/17 - 3:42 PM

I agree with the author and I am not surprised why thought leadership won the vote. Thought leadership is very important for any business because a lot of people involved. Thought leadership can help anyone involved in the business decision making process to gain benefit to any company. The key is to have the answers in mind of customers, so that's why thought leadership is the most important thing that every enterprise should have it.
#41 by Abraao Pinheiro on 5/23/17 - 4:15 PM

Agreed, in part. Influence is definitely an important asset for social media engagement but having influence does not necessarily mean success (social media-wise). For instance, Allstate is one of the most influential insurance companies in the market today and they are known for being the best at what they do. That does not necessarily mean they are successful in social media. Especially if their engagement revolves around insurance because, let's face it, people are not going to engage in posts about insurance. It's just not 'fun'.
#42 by Hussein Rakine on 5/23/17 - 4:45 PM

Being in the business of B2B this article was truly insightful and eye opening. This is an amazing strategy to gain trust from customers and potential customers. We are currently undergoing a website renovation and working to increase our online sales by a substantial amount. I believe this could be a great way to achieve this.
#43 by Pamela Danberg on 5/23/17 - 9:47 PM

While there are countless seminars, workshops, conferences, retreats and books devoted to thought leadership, who has the time to disconnect from the day-to-day and engage in thought-based learning? This is where social media fills in the gap. We can take an hour or even 15 minutes to connect and learn. TED talks has captured a worldwide audience clamoring for knowledge that is meaningful, useful and is perfectly packaged in a not-too-long-to-lose my attention format. The need is there, but to become a follower of a thought leader, as many mention, trust has to be developed through relationship building and proven success.
#44 by MG on 5/23/17 - 11:28 PM

I have to admit two things, this article touch me emotionally and I'm a big fan for Phillip. As part of humanity how this big company dealing and standing by the athletics its great lesson should teach for others. In one point of time, this relation start to be strong, both of seller and buyer jump on so far and being so close.Always the reaction that we did after failure should be consider everything, cleary, for instance, Nike did the greatest thing towards them athletics, because the know there is duty the should do. If I could change the article title a bit I will make it The sponsor love is power.very interesting and amazing article, the author clearly " community " part in marketing universe.
#45 by Amanda Gomes on 5/24/17 - 12:17 AM

I agree that leadership is very important in the business word. When customers see that owners of companies believe in their product and use their product it makes others want to buy or use it. In today’s world, there are a lot of fraudulent businesses that just want to scam people to get their information or money. That is why when businesses show that they are real and serious it not only helps customers to trust them and what they stand for it gives the owners more customers. On social media for example, a lot of businesses have a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram but do not reply to customers or listen to them. When customers see that businesses start listening to them and actually answer their questions it not only makes customers happy but it creates a personal relationship between the customer and the business.
#46 by Almir Cortopassi on 5/24/17 - 10:04 AM

Dr. Barry’s blog post has many strong points about leadership in social media marketing. He mentions how marketers with the most social media influence are the ones who inspire and grab the attention of parties who are interested. I truly believe that marketing on social media is an art and not just anyone can succeed at it. Today, many individuals understand that and are even attending seminars to help develop leadership in social media marketing.
#47 by Janel Garcia on 5/24/17 - 10:45 AM

Thinking out of the box, establishing credibility and pursuing recommendations from established and reputable businesses are essential in the list of ways to build social influence. To be influential, one must possess certain characteristics that can be used to motivate groups of people. These characteristics include being innovative, honest, charismatic, and having integrity. People want to be understood, accepted and what better way to show them this connection by being real. Pretending to be “perfect” or “better than the rest” will not earn you the respect of others, however, showing people they are not alone and providing them with solutions with good results, is what motivates them to pay attention and accept. Additionally, one must strongly believe one is influential. A way to get into this state of mind is by stating positive affirmations. It is easy to motivate others to believe in what you believe when you show integrity, which means the way you think and the way you talk coincide with your attitude, and image of whatever you are recommending.
#48 by Adrian Clarke on 5/24/17 - 11:20 AM

I agree with the author on the note that a leader's social media presence can really influence their customer base. Just like how some athlete's boost their sales just by their presence both on and off the field (court). Not just athlete's, but some business owners reach out to their followers through things like Facebook live, vlogs, etc. to answer any questions, concerns, promote new ideas, or even gain some insight to the thoughts of their customers on what they want to see.
#49 by Michael Clavelli on 5/24/17 - 12:12 PM

This article brings great insight in the influences built through social media. It is truly important for a marketing team to present new and innovative ways to promote a product and reach out to their customer base. Being a leader it is vital to support a product that is reliable and also part of your make up. Customers will trust the credibility of a leader until proven otherwise.
#50 by Vijay Knight on 5/24/17 - 8:35 PM

Quite an insightful article , itprovides inputs into areas not many consider or even deem valuable. I think a great way to look at it as well is the use of companies and brands attaching individuals to their products or services by appointing them a brand ambassador of the sort. These ambassadors tend to range from Atheletes to Musicians to Actors and so on. These personnel are the role models and leaders to several in society.
#51 by Daniela De Nicolo on 5/24/17 - 9:47 PM

From what I understood from this blog, it seems like in order for a sales representative/marketer/etc. to provide relevant recommendations to potential customers, you have to first create a feeling of credibility. If you are innovative, and can back up those claims on a constant basis, potential customers are more inclined to follow you. This has to fermented on a regular basis. It seems like it is a never ending job. However, the payoff is greatly gratifying when customers trust you and your product.
#52 by Latavia Madison on 5/25/17 - 2:04 AM

I agree with the author of this article when he stated that thought leadership wins social media votes in Business to Business activity. It is true that buyers today need to trust the source of the leadership before they make a decision to do business. Being transparent to potential clients makes a difference to consumers today. Social media platforms are a good way to showcase transparency and expertise in an influential way. I enjoyed this article because putting together the thought side and the leadership side of thought leadership, one can truly become a powerful trusted asset to any company or organization should they understand the concept and work it takes to be powerful leader.
#53 by Ryan Steed on 5/25/17 - 12:44 PM

This topic continues to gain relevance, especially following last years election, and the presumed effect social media had on the outcome. No matter what outlet is used, business owners still need to be innovative in their approach to attract more customers, and or gain more attention. Trumps campaign was a great example of the power of influence, and how social media can effect power.
#54 by Hillary J. Taylor on 5/25/17 - 2:30 PM

This article was very informative and introduced an idea that maybe many business or individuals have not considered. I found it very interesting that although the article points out the effective of thought leadership, it also suggests that in order for the innovative and new thoughts and ideas to be accepted, one must prove themselves first by exhibiting knowledge of timely and useful information. I agree with the article because sometimes change can be difficult however people are more open to change or creative ideas that are presented by a person or business that shows expertise in their area and further is generous enough to share that expertise with the buyer. This allows the buyer to trust and that trust will result in them being more open to new and innovative ideas.
#55 by Karen Tigse Viteri on 5/25/17 - 3:30 PM

Interesting article and intake of influencing the market. It is always going to be a battle of originality and unique perspectives, that is the business world. Everyone wants to be the first or have a product that totally relies on his or her expertise. Thought leadership is a great way of explaining social influences on marketing and sales. After thought and leadership, I believe the next process would be creative ways in marketing and setting that thought.
#56 by Mehedi Hasan on 5/25/17 - 5:24 PM

Online businesses are boosting their profit margin with increased sales volume which is possible only for massive access to customers through E-commerce. As an example, Amazon is now on almost everyone’s phone and people think about it whenever they want something right in front of their door. Still different businesses need to establish their own advantages by motivating people to select them. I personally like to have the right to return something which I don’t like after a purchase and Amazon allows me that. This is the positive factor which drive me more to use Amazon. New businesses should create new policies to make the viewers into their customers and later making those customers into marketers.
#57 by Derek Bisson on 5/25/17 - 5:50 PM

Thought leadership can only be accomplished if the individual in question is a practitioner and has credibility within the field. If you do not practice what you preach you are only motivated on theory of what others have written or spoken about. In order to be a thought leader the person must be an expert at all levels in order to develop a revolutionary idea such as Steve Jobs and Apple.
#58 by Sheandra Newton on 5/25/17 - 8:11 PM

Creating content that educates customers displays a businesses’ expertise in the industry in which it operates. Expertise can be used as competitive advantage, and can sway customers’ decision to shop with one seller over another. It’s also a great way to keep customers returning to businesses’ social media page, website or blog.
#59 by Marco Gutierrez on 5/26/17 - 10:22 AM

Very interesting article on Thought leadership. The combination of insights and operational knowledge before showcasing expertise on a subject is something that can be applied to any field, and something I apply constantly in my role as Finance manager. I can relate to the premise of needing to "edu-tain" since the subject matter can be a bit dry at times, even for my direct reports, let alone the areas we support. On the flip side, there need to be a fine balance on the way we convey our products' message, if too much humor is involved we may not be taken too seriously by the target audience.
#60 by Kara Brien on 6/3/17 - 10:19 AM

This was a very interesting article which proposes an idea that is not common sense. An organization gives away their content for free, content which the organization spent valuable resources on with no expectation of earning revenue from it. It’s an interesting concept which really takes a long-term strategic approach, but I can see how upper management would be opposed to the idea. One company, BGMI, has hundreds of high quality educational and tutorial videos for free on their website. It must have cost BGMI tens of thousands of dollars to create this content that they offer for free for anyone to use. However, because of their high quality content BGMI has positioned themselves in my mind as the best quality management consulting firm and my first choice if I were to need quality management consulting services.
#61 by Stela Santana on 6/5/17 - 12:10 PM

Agree with the article and comment #2 touched a very important and true point. YouTubers are opinion leaders; consumers turn to them for advice and opinions. If in doubt to purchase a product, a customer can go to YouTube and find different reviews about the company or product. Because of the huge influence they have, companies contact YouTubers and sponsor them to talk about their product.
#62 by charin campbell on 6/15/17 - 6:09 PM

“Thought Leadership Wins Social Media Votes in B2B” blog post is centered on the innovation of thought surrounding business marketing. The concept of thought leadership promotes the use of forward, risky ideas to engage businesses like that of Steve Jobs. Jobs methodology transformed the tech business model. In order to encourage this model of Thought Leadership it is important to create trust among those business you wish to work with. This methodology helps to increase the trust that these consumers have in our company because of the willingness to help change the mindset of those business owners around you. Using your content to tell a story can increase the motivation and illustrate the impact your methods promote.
#63 by Natalie Mero on 10/4/17 - 10:21 AM

This post discusses the importance of thought leadership and what it means in a B2B context. Thought Leaders are people that are going to think outside the box for their companies ??with groundbreaking and new ideas to bring to the table. This is unfortunately not a common practice because with the stresses of operating everyday a business, there is little time for helpful tips and new ideas. Another side of thoughtful leadership is the ability to "edu-tain". Storytelling with visuals are a no-brainer way to engage customers in a way that you do not come off as marketing to them. In my current marketing intership, my boss loves "BIG ideas". It is not enough to just explain the ideas we have, he likes when we can visually draw them in a way that illustrates to him and to other employees. The companies in my head that are using these concepts is Apple with their press releases on products, they do not just have the CEO speak about them, but they have videos showing the product and ways of using it. Also, Ted Talks are huge on visual storytelling and helpful tips and tricks.
#64 by Alejandro Warwar on 10/4/17 - 3:35 PM

In regard to leadership thoughts winning over social media votes in b2b, I strongly believe that great ideas must come hand in hand with the ability to influence others. You can have an amazing idea like Steve Jobs, but may lack the personalized connection between you, the brand, and the consumer. This article goes over the steps one must take to successfully win over your audience on social media.
In my internship with ALSAC/St. Jude, during fundraising events we use “instructional tips” in order to educate and inform individuals about ourselves and our mission. We have family members that serve at our gala and events as guest speakers that converse about the benefits they received from our organization. They also talk about their life changes and how well St. Jude took care of them and their family during moment of crisis. We made “predictions”, regarding recurrent issues, we let know that as St. Jude patient they will be able to go back to receive medical treatment at no cost. We also “provoke mindset”, letting our audience know that our mission will not be possible without their help and support. In this organization it is vital for employees possess excellent communication skills and the ability to make connections that last a life time.

Alejandro Warwar

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Thought Leadership Wins Social Media Votes in B2B

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