Authenticity and vulnerability are the heart of thought leadership

Thought leadership is a major trend right now, and comms teams should empower their executives and industry stars to show their expertise. But every comment and post must be strategic and aligned with their personal brand.

Whether it’s a LinkedIn post or an appearance on a podcast, audiences today expect three things from thought leaders: Depth of message, sincerity and topical relevance.

Consumers are becoming wary of messaging that feels disingenuous or hollow, according to Matt Buckley, head of the HP Foundation. He described audiences as having developed a “spidey sense” that allows them to figure out when a brand executive promotes something that feels off-brand or inauthentic.

Buckley noted that genuine posts have a different feel. They’re often more interesting and insightful, because the communicator is speaking from the heart about something they care about.

“They’re more interesting and promote trust,” Buckley said during a session, “The Power of Storytelling in Thought Leadership,” at a recent Ragan virtual conference.