Updated: 21 March 2024
B2B fintech thought leadership is all about showing how you think differently than competitors. Sharing this expertise with potential buyers and purchasing committees is now as important as the products and services you develop. With thought leadership content, B2B fintech companies can boost their reputation, grow leads, and attract the right kind of capital.
Thought Leadership Influences Sales and PR
The 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report shows how decision-makers consume thought leadership content. It’s a good starting point, if you want to understand why thought leadership is a special subsection within content marketing. The study found:
- 73 percent of decision-makers see thought leadership as the more trustworthy way to assess a business than its marketing materials and product sheets.
- 75 percent of C-level executives say a piece of thought leadership motivated them to research a product or service they were not previously considering.
- And 40 percent said organizations that consistently produce high-quality thought-leadership have prompted them to research that organization’s offers or capabilities.
“Despite the clear power of thought leadership to drive business results, most organizations say it is under-resourced, misused, and not measured appropriately,” notes the Edelman-LinkedIn report.
What do Buyers Want From Thought Leadership?
So what actually makes thought leadership content attractive to decision-makers? The answer is thorough content.
They Want Specific Advice and Evidence
The Edelman-LinkedIn study revealed successful thought leadership content cites strong research and data, helps buyers understand their business challenges, and offers concrete guidance.
They Want to Spot Opportunities and Risks
Timeliness and relevance matter. About 60 percent of decision-makers said a piece of thought leadership has helped them identify a significant business opportunity. And 29 percent said it had helped them become aware of their exposure to specific risk.
They Want True Expertise (and Creative Flair)
The who—and the how—of thought leadership is important, too. Decision-makers prefer content produced by a prominent or well-respected expert. And they want to see thinking in a different format and style to standard run-of-the-mill approaches. This suggests B2B fintech companies should treat subject-matter-expert collaborations and content design with great care.
Getting Serious About Fintech Thought Leadership
While it pays to create high-quality thought leadership content, it’s a difficult process. If you want to use thought leadership to stand out, you’ll need to make sure your fintech excels at it.
