Thought Leadership Content Creation

I Wish Someone Told Me This When I Started on LinkedIn… When I first started posting, I believed three things: ✔️ If my content is good, people will notice. ✔️ More engagement = more success. ✔️ Posting daily is the key to growth. Turns out, I was so wrong. Here’s what actually works: 1. Quality beats quantity: every time. • A high-impact post once a week will bring more followers and leads than daily posts that no one remembers. • Instead of forcing daily content, focus on posts that make people think, save, or DM you. 2. Visibility isn’t about algorithms: it’s about positioning. • If your content speaks to the right people, they’ll find you. • Instead of chasing virality, build trust. People buy from those they trust, not those who just “go viral.” 3. People don’t follow you for information. They follow you for insight. • Google gives information. You give perspective, experience, and clarity. • Your audience doesn’t just want what to do. They want to know why it matters and how to make it work for them. 4. You don’t need 1,000 likes to get inbound leads. • A post with 20 likes can bring a client if it speaks directly to their pain points and desires. • Instead of asking, “How do I get more engagement?” ask, “How do I make the right people reach out?” 5. Thought leadership is built, not declared. • You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to share your journey, insights, and solutions. • The more you share, the more authority you build. People trust those who show up consistently with valuable insights. 👉 If you want to grow fast on LinkedIn: • Stop posting for engagement. Start posting for trust and impact. • Be the person who gives people clarity and direction. • Focus on solving problems, not just sharing tips. What’s one thing you wish you knew earlier about LinkedIn? #linkedingrowth

When I became Head of Content, I learned the hardest part wasn’t writing—it was working with the executive team. After leading content at two $1B+ SaaS companies and advising dozens of founders, here’s what I wish I knew sooner: The real challenge? Bridging the gap between vision and execution. It wasn’t about copy, campaigns, or conversion rates. It was about trust. Here’s what I’ve learned: 1️⃣ Turn “We need more content” into “Here’s what actually works” Instead of reacting to endless content requests, reframe the conversation. -From “We need more leads” To: Let’s double down on what’s converting best. -From: “We should be on every channel” To: Here’s where our audience actually spends time. -From “We need to go viral” To: Let’s create something worth talking about—consistently. Your job isn’t just to produce—it’s to set and protect the strategy. 2️⃣ Recognize the “Marketing vs. Sales” Tension Sales wants pipeline now. But Marketing is playing the long game. Your job? Balance both without caving to short-term thinking. Push back when needed. But always have quick wins on the calendar. 3️⃣ Speak Executive (Not Marketer) I used to walk into meetings with engagement metrics. Nobody cared. Now I start with: -How content influences revenue -What’s next (and why) -Invite questions and input Save the click-through rates for the marketing team. 4️⃣ Pick Your Battles (And Win the Right Ones) Not every content request deserves a fight. But some hills are worth fighting on—like positioning, messaging, and brand narrative. Don’t let “random acts of content” kill your strategy. Learn how to operate like an executive. It’ll help get you more budget and creative freedom you need to win. ** What’s been your biggest challenge getting exec buy-in?

My community got upset with me when they found out we didn’t record an interview with a special someone. Two months ago (August), I invited Crystal Lim-Lange for a fireside chat with my aspiring speakers at the Get Paid To Speak bootcamp. Crystal is a global leadership expert who recently launched an online program that made $400K in just 12 days, proof that thought leadership pays! We held the session under Chatham House Rules, so no recordings, no replays. But her wisdom was too good not to pass on. Here are three deep insights about thought leadership I gleaned from that session: 1. A thought leader doesn't just inform, they birth conversations. “A thought leader is somebody who is able to steer the conversation and hold the community together… not reacting, but looking ahead, like going where the hockey puck is going.” Crystal emphasised that true thought leaders don’t chase trends, they create them. They identify conversations that need to happen but haven’t yet been voiced, then catalyse communities around those ideas. It’s not about echoing what’s popular, it’s about midwifing new thinking into the world. 2. Build from the inside out through your values, strengths and presence. “Your values are your why. Your strengths are your how. And your presence is how you make people feel.” Crystal’s “Triangle of Thought Leadership” starts with deep self-knowledge: - Values: what drives you (eg. freedom, learning, authenticity) - Strengths: how you naturally create results (i.e. your superpowers) - Presence: the energy you project and the emotional imprint you leave behind Only by aligning all three can your message feel authentic and magnetic. 3. Choose your niche strategically... and become "The One". “You want to gradually become the one who is synonymous with your niche. But you must be strategic. Claim the niche that you can truly own.” Crystal explained that thought leadership evolves in levels, from unknown, to competent, to branded, to thought leader, and finally The One. To reach that top tier, don’t compete in saturated spaces. Instead, find a niche that aligns with your strengths and hasn’t been claimed yet, like she did with Future-Ready Education when she led NUS’s Centre for Future-Ready Graduates. What’s one conversation your industry needs but no one’s brave enough to start yet? #thoughtleadership

I started posting consistently on LinkedIn last year. Here’s what I learned. At first, it felt awkward. I overthought every post. Wondered if anyone would care. Questioned whether I was saying anything “new.” But I kept showing up. What surprised me wasn’t the likes or the views. It was the conversations. The DMs from people saying, “This explained what I’ve been struggling to put into words.” The quiet readers who later said a post helped them make a decision. And then the opportunities started showing up. Speaking engagements. Panel invitations. Meaningful professional connections. People reaching out for collaboration, mentorship, and guidance. Not because I was trying to sell anything. But because I was sharing my knowledge, experience, and thinking about in real time. Here’s what consistency taught me: Posting isn’t about being loud. It’s about being clear. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. You need to be honest and helpful. People don’t connect with perfection. They connect with perspective. Your experiences, even the messy ones, are useful to someone else. And growth doesn’t happen overnight. It compounds. One post at a time. One conversation at a time. The biggest lesson? Visibility isn’t self promotion when it’s rooted in service. If you’ve been thinking about sharing more but holding back, this might be your sign. Start where you are. Say what you know. Learn as you go. You don’t need to go viral. You just need to show up.

After ghostwriting 2000+ posts for executives, I can tell you exactly how to build thought leadership that drives revenue. Most CEOs think it starts with posting on LinkedIn. Wrong. Great executive thought leadership is built on four steps that most people never see: 1. Strategy First Before we write a single word, we define your "category of one" positioning. What conversation do you own that nobody else can claim? We dig deep into your expertise, market dynamics, and contrarian viewpoints to find that unique intersection where you become the only voice that matters. 2. Profile as a Conversion Tool Your profile needs to be set up to polarise everyone who lands on your profile. Attract those who are target persona & good fit, push away everyone who isn’t. The result - it should make the right people want to work with you before they even send a message. 3. The Process Nobody Talks About Posting only works if you can stay consistent and volume of activity. Our process that in 1 hour of time = 12 pieces of content is: - Podcast-style interviews that extract your best ideas & insights  - Journalist-trained writers (not "LinkedIn writers") to create authentic & compelling opinion pieces - We layer in data and research to back up content - We leverage our own data in what works for clients on LinkedIn - 3 rounds of edits to ensure every post advances your industry 4. Results That Count We track all the data and bring that into the following Strategic Content Sessions. You need to ensure your content is attracting, engaging the right target decision-makers. - Decision-maker engagement (VPs, C-suite at target accounts) - Qualified conversations started - Pipeline influenced Recent client results: - Tech CEO: $2.4M in closed deals - B2B SaaS CRO: 18 qualified SQLs in pipeline - Agency CEO: First inbound deal in 1 hour The executives winning on LinkedIn aren't just hitting post with some AI-generated surface-level copy. They're investing in intellectual rigour that is showcased through their quality of content they’re the expert in their field. Ready to build thought leadership that drives real business results?

Here come the 'thought leaders'! I've noticed this growing obsession with 'personal branding' that breeds a formulaic approach: curated strategies, polished facade, trend analysis, ghostwritten posts, a need to write something, anything... The result? A deluge of regurgitated content devoid of originality or depth. Here’s the truth: You’re either a thought leader—someone with deeply held beliefs, a strong sense of mission, real expertise, and stories that inspire others to seek your insights—or you’re not. No crafted narrative or polished, hyper curated 'content' can make you one. And if you do that, people will see through it. Thought leadership isn’t a tactic; it’s a lived experience, it's rooted in authenticity and it's earned. (PS: Definitely not a thought leadership post 😉)

Most founders don't realise this, but the thing that makes them great at their work is the same thing making their content invisible on LinkedIn. You spend 8 to 10 years inside one problem. Your brain starts skipping steps without you even noticing. You talk in conclusions because the journey feels obvious to you now. You use words that make perfect sense to your peers but mean nothing to the person you actually want to reach. And that's where it breaks. Communities don't build around the person who knows the most. They build around the person who makes others feel like they finally get it. The fix isn't dumbing things down. It's removing friction while keeping the depth. Here's the framework we use when building content for our clients: 1. Start where your audience is, not where you are. Before explaining anything, acknowledge the situation they're actually sitting in. 2. Ground every idea in a real example. Without it, even your sharpest thinking feels theoretical. 3. Show where it applies in actual decisions. Hiring, pricing, client conversations. Make the insight usable. 4. Add the nuance most people usually skip. What doesn't work and when it breaks is what separates real insight from generic advice. Your expertise should feel like a bridge into your thinking. Not a wall around it. PS: If someone outside your industry read your last 5 posts, would they walk away smarter or just confused? #FounderContent #ContentStrategy #ThoughtLeadership #LinkedInTips #BuildCommunity

What does it mean to be a corporate sustainability #thoughtleader in 2026? That’s the question Solitaire Townsend and I wrestle with in the latest episode of our Two Steps Forward #podcast — and it’s more complicated (and more urgent) than it sounds We’re living with a paradox. At precisely the moment when business needs to help shape the sustainability agenda — climate risk, nature loss, resilient supply chains, the future of consumption — many companies have gone quiet. ESG backlash, political polarization and regulatory uncertainty have made silence feel safer. It isn’t. Our conversation was sparked by a new Kite Insights report, The Courage to Think Clearly (link in comments), which argues that sustainability thought leadership is no longer optional. In an era of institutional distrust, silence isn’t neutral. It’s risky. One of the most useful ideas Solitaire brings to the discussion is the notion of waves. Sustainability has always moved in cycles: periods of optimism and investment followed by down waves of backlash and retrenchment. We are clearly in a down wave now. But here’s the key insight: down waves are not dead zones. They’re incubators. Many of the ideas that later define the “next wave” — net zero targets, science-based goals, circular economy thinking — were developed when fewer people were paying attention, when it took real conviction to speak up. “If you want to shape what sustainability means in the next up wave,” Soli argues, “this is the moment to do it.” I agree — with one caveat. What’s missing right now isn’t intelligence or data. It’s courage. We also dig into a distinction that gets lost far too often: advocacy vs. thought leadership. Advocacy is lending your brand voice to an existing cause. Thought leadership is harder. It’s about reframing a problem, advancing a new way of thinking, and offering others something they can actually use. As Soli puts it: If no one follows, are you really leading? That’s the test. Not clicks. Not awards. Not LinkedIn applause. The Kite report goes further, suggesting that governments have lost the room, leaving business as one of the few institutions still capable of shaping society’s path forward. Whether you agree or not, it raises a sharper question: Will companies use this moment to say something safe — or something worth hearing? 🎧 If you care about where corporate sustainability is headed next, I think you’ll find this episode worth your time. Listen in: https://lnkd.in/gAcapwmG

Thought leadership has a terrible reputation. My first career was in diplomacy and foreign affairs. There, we would’ve called thought leadership soft power — influence without aggression (military might is “hard power”). In health tech and beyond, it often gets reduced to performance theater: - slick decks - inflated titles - shiny panels Meanwhile, those with the deepest expertise — the ones who actually know what quality looks like in complex systems — are rarely the ones shaping the narrative. Thought leadership doesn't have to be vanity or a branding trick. It can be a useful defense mechanism: a way to tell your story before someone else does. A way to translate between rooms that rarely speak to each other. It pulls opportunity toward you not because you’re louder, but because you make complexity legible. After a week of navigating my own family’s medical maze, I know how confusion thrives when clarity is absent — and how powerful it is when those who actually know share what they see. The real question isn't: should I do thought leadership? It’s: do I want to control my story — or leave it to someone else?

Today, I’m breaking down my personal LinkedIn strategy that has helped me gain 18,349 followers and push notus' MRR to $180k in 2025: The Content Archetype is the starting point for every notus client - myself included. We use it to: • create content that is relevant to the client’s target audience • align their content with their business objectives • make sure their content is authentic to them In short, the Content Archetype is a blueprint. It starts with a purpose statement - something that concisely sums up what the client’s product/service is all about. Mine is, “I build people-led B2B content ecosystems.” From there, we define 4 content pillars: 𝟭. 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 Actionable advice and tips the client’s audience can implement immediately. What you’re reading right now is an example of a tactical post. Example of one of my tactical posts: How I turned LinkedIn into a revenue channel 𝟮. 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Stories of growth, transformation, and specific outcomes related to our client’s product or service. They paint a picture of what success looks like and inspire their audience to reach for it. Example for me: How we helped Vicktoria Klich go from 400 followers to LinkedIn Top Voice 𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 Analyses of industry trends, insights, and thought-provoking discussions. This pillar is great for helping clients position themselves as industry experts and establish thought leadership. Example for me: Why the founder of a $100k MRR business is going all in on content 𝟰. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Anecdotes, experiences, and lessons learned. This humanizes the brand and builds trust on a deeper level with the client’s audience. Example for me: What happened when I stopped traveling and spent 30 days in Copenhagen _____ We create a Content Archetype whenever we start working with a client. For each pillar, we define 3 topics they can create content around. We go back and forth with feedback until the client is satisfied. A few topics we find work for almost everyone: • case studies • social proof • build in public • personal background One last thing: I see the Content Archetype as a working document. We don’t want to change it every day - that defeats the point - but we’ll revisit 1-3x per quarter to ensure it’s up-to-date. Times change. People change. Sometimes content needs to change, too.