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The last piece of an integrated PESO Model program, before you get to measurement, is authority—or thought leadership. If you implement a full PESO Model program, complete with the full foundational work of paid, earned, shared, and owned media working together, it will be inevitable that you’ll build authority for your organization and its executives. But you also have to create some of it on your own.

There isn’t a single piece of content out there about marketing that doesn’t extol the virtues of thought leadership. In fact, it’s so prevalent the phrase itself has become a word most marketers hate to hear.

Test it out. Tell a marketing friend that you want to be a thought leader and watch his or her eyes roll back into their head.

Even though most hate it, thought leadership is a very important part of a content strategy in today’s business world. But what does that mean? How can it be effective?

The Benefits of Thought Leadership

In an article written by Haydn Shaughnessy, “The Growth of Thought Leadership as a Marketing Strategy,” he describes it as essential as companies search for new markets, where they have no presence but see opportunity, and as they seek to defend their positions from competitors. He describes it as a strategic necessity in an era of “hyper-innovation,” social enterprise, and social media.

Thought leadership drives new directions. It pushes the economy forward. It makes the rest of us think, question, discuss, and purchase.

Thought leaders can develop organically. We’ve all known someone who is wildly creative, persistent, hard-working, and vocal. Who has been willing to take the time to study and work at her craft, to learn from his mistakes. Someone who has pushed past the fear of how it looks, how it should be done, and has produced magnificent results. Or controversy. Or both.

To some degree, thought leaders can be created. That’s what we talk about on today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode.

Links for Your Perusal

• PR Pros Must Embrace the PESO Model
• Moving From Thought Leadership to Thoughtful Leadership
• PESO Model Certification
• Thought Leadership Resources
• Spin Sucks Community

About Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm. She is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is the co-author of Marketing in the Round and co-host of Inside PR. Full bio