Not the Same Story – AGAIN!

By Ivy Cohen, Ivy Cohen Corporate Communications

I don’t know about you, but my eyes are glazing over as I peruse my inbox and social feeds. It seems that many thought leaders are writing articles I’ve read from others — numerous times. But thought leaders are supposed to lead, aren’t they? If your goal is to be one, you want to be sure your approach is original or offers a new viewpoint.

Writing new thought leadership articles on widely covered issues can be challenging. But when done in a way that establishes your unique voice, it offers the opportunity to gain visibility and recognition among your target audience, peers, and stakeholders. In a landscape saturated with discussions about important issues like AI in the workplace, sustainability initiatives, and DEI there’s an opportunity to move beyond surface-level conversations and delve into viewpoints that challenge the status quo.

Truly Understand the Landscape

Don’t fall in love with your ideas. Before putting pen to paper about a topic that has been previously written about, invest the time to research what others have already written. Then, push yourself to contemplate what has NOT been covered about that topic.

What would be interesting and unexpected for your audience to hear about? Based on your experiences and observations, think about what has the potential to change the conversation and bring something new to the table.

Bring Fresh Insights…and Authenticity

If you are inspired to write about a topic as a catalyst for transformative change, consider what your distinctive thought leadership in this area would look like. Dig deep and ask yourself, “do I have fresh insights to add to recent discourse?”

Let’s say you want to write about sustainability or artificial intelligence. Are there gaps or opportunities you’ve identified that can offer new thinking about how to activate organizations, address skeptics or shift thinking in your industry? Answering these questions can establish a powerful platform for your ideas.

Or perhaps you want to establish your thought leadership in DEI. Maybe you have an innovative proposal on how employee resource groups (ERGs) or management training can support employees from under-represented groups. Needless to say, a tremendous amount has been written about DEI. But why is this a passion for you? What can you contribute to a discussion about target outcomes, engagement or new strategies? You need to let the reader know where you’re coming from.

As you develop your piece, try to take your reader on a voyage through the twists and turns your organization took to face the issues head on. Writing from one’s own experiences distinguishes you from everyone else, and it also gives readers something they value most highly: Authenticity. Let the reader know what it is about your background and expertise that qualifies you to reshape the narrative and inspire people to take action or reconsider their own thinking.

Look to the Future

If you delve deeper into the underlying dynamics of a topic, you will be able to provide your reader insights on how the debate has shifted over time and how you think emerging developments foreshadow future trends. The same thinking can be applied to many other topics that generate a lot of media coverage – from innovation and entrepreneurship to AI and digital marketing or attracting and retaining GenZ employees.

By asking yourself probing questions when you write, you can deliver true thought leadership, rise to the top of a social feed or cluttered inbox, and capture the attention of your recipients in a meaningful and impactful way.