Why Your ‘Expert’ Content Isn’t Fooling Anyone, and how to do it properly with Head of Marketing, Sophie Crosby
The phrase “thought leader” gets thrown around like nobody’s business nowadays. Every brand wants to be seen as an authority, a go-to expert. True thought leadership builds trust, earns organic coverage, and sets a brand apart from competitors.
But the thing is, you can’t fake it.
Yet, time and time again, brands and the PRs working on their behalf seem to be offering regurgitated takes that anyone with Google (or lets be honest, Chat GPT) access could write. Not only does this fail to position them as an industry leader, but it’s a massive waste of budget and time, the amount of hours spent outreaching a mediocre take on a topic could be put into a more impactful way of building authority.
Thought leadership isn’t about pretending to know everything, it’s about owning your niche and sharing insights that come from lived experience, not secondhand research. Brands that lack true expertise can’t compete in the long run because their content lacks that gritty, or as described by a journalist we spoke to recently, “sticky”, information needed to provide real value.
Journalists aren’t stupid, If your insights don’t feel new, credible, or actionable, they’ll dismiss you as just another link builder
We’ve all seen those articles: 500 words of vague generalizations, no stats, no personal take, and a closing line that reads like a slogan. That’s not thought leadership; it’s content filler.
When a brand publishes low-effort content under the guise of expertise, it doesn’t inspire confidence. Instead, it signals to your audience and competitors that you’re grasping at straws and you’re not really sure what you’re saying.
You don’t wake up one morning and declare yourself an industry leader—it’s a title that has to be earned. Building credibility takes time, consistent effort, and a willingness to stick in your lane, and what you’re good at.
How to identify the thought leaders in your business, and make their knowledge work for them – and for your brands authority:
How to identify the thought leaders in your business, and make their knowledge work for them and for your brand’s authority:
You don’t always need to look outside your org for brilliant minds, they’re often already on your team. Start by identifying the people who are in the trenches: the ones solving real problems, spotting patterns, and challenging the status quo. They might not have “thought leader” in their job title, but they’ve got the insight others are Googling.
Here’s how to tap into it:
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Listen!! – Sit down with your team and ask the good questions: What’s changing in the industry? What’s broken? What do clients keep asking about? You’ll be surprised how much gold is hiding in casual conversations.
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Make it useful Once you’ve found your internal experts, help shape their insights into formats that work externally. This could be social posts, webinar topic or expert commentary for outreach.
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Keep their voice! Your subject matter experts don’t need a ghostwriter, the internet has enough of them (again, hello chatgpt) they need a strategic partner who can help them package their expertise in a way that resonates. Keep their voice in it, it adds to the authenticity and often makes it a more interesting read.
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Don’t force them Not every expert wants to be a Linkinfluencer. You can still harness their know-how for internal training, to support your sales pitches, or background info for PR pitches.
Real thought leadership is built on authenticity, expertise, and effort. If you’re trying to shortcut your way to the top with bland, wordy, not-really-saying-anything content, it’s only a matter of time before people see through it.
Stop trying to fake it. Start doing the work. And if you don’t have the knowledge to genuinely contribute to the conversation, that’s okay. Not every brand needs to be a thought leader. Sometimes, just doing good work and serving your customers speaks louder than any article ever could.
