Why Your Recommendations Fall Flat (and How to Fix Them)
If you want an executive’s respect, give them advice they haven’t heard before. Here’s how.
Why Your Recommendations Fall Flat (and How to Fix Them) Read More »
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3 Tips for Writing Great Thought Leadership Ledes
How to write opening paragraphs that grab your reader’s attention.
3 Tips for Writing Great Thought Leadership Ledes Read More »
How AI Has Increased the Value of Original, Human-Made Content
Seen through the prism of continual changes to Google’s search algorithms, AI is not replacing humans who can write quality content; it’s helping them.
How AI Has Increased the Value of Original, Human-Made Content Read More »
LLMs Be Trippin’
Use cases for gen AI will be critically limited because they hallucinate, and those hallucinations cannot be eliminated. We have proof.
How to Earn a Writing Gig at Forbes.com
There are two ways to become a Forbes contributor. As so often in life, the more challenging route is the more rewarding. And there’s a reliable way to do it.
Thought Leaders: Answer These Questions Before You Start Writing That Book
Writing a book is terribly hard work. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you start.
Thought Leaders: Answer These Questions Before You Start Writing That Book Read More »
Navigating the GenAI – Thought Leadership Pileup
We are drowning in poor-quality content about genAI. Here’s how authors can do better.
Navigating the GenAI – Thought Leadership Pileup Read More »
GenAI Images: When Everything Is Possible and Nothing Is Real
Now the novelty and fascination have worn off genAI images, should we crank up the dazzle, revert to stock images, or something else?
GenAI Images: When Everything Is Possible and Nothing Is Real Read More »
Editorial Battles Fought and Lost in 2023
Business writing in 2023 spawned new phrases for which we already had perfectly good words and expressions. Here are some of the more irritating examples.
How to Write About the Right Things
Before you begin to develop thought leadership content, it’s important to get the topic right.
How Counterintuitive Thinking Can Help You Cut Through the Clutter
Most of what’s published in your area of expertise is useless. Challenging conventional wisdom is one way to rise above the crowd.
How Counterintuitive Thinking Can Help You Cut Through the Clutter Read More »
GenAI Is (Almost) as Dumb as a Rock
Because it communicates with words in a way that makes it seem human, genAI has fooled millions into assuming it’s far more capable than it is.
How Gen AI Can and Can’t Help Create Great Content
It can’t create original content, but GPT-4 can make content creation easier and quicker in these five ways.
How Gen AI Can and Can’t Help Create Great Content Read More »
Yes, you’ve written a solid business article. But how do you make it sing?
Having a good structure, with sturdy, declarative sentences, goes only so far. To make an article truly memorable, your prose must sing.
Yes, you’ve written a solid business article. But how do you make it sing? Read More »
Why Writing by Committee Is Hard and How to Make it Easier
There’s a reason group projects can feel like herding cats. Here are some strategies that can help.
Why Writing by Committee Is Hard and How to Make it Easier Read More »
5 Criteria for Assessing the Quality of B2B Content
Before you send your article out into the world, take a moment to review whether it has the five elements that will make your audience want to read it.
5 Criteria for Assessing the Quality of B2B Content Read More »
How to Find a Book Agent
A good agent – meaning an agent with a track record who can get your proposal in front of an editor – is a pearl beyond price.
How to Write a Book Proposal, Part 3
Once you’ve got a publisher’s attention, the next step is writing a one-page summary of each chapter of your book.
How to Write a Book Proposal, Part 2
If you want your book to succeed, you’re going to have to do a lot of the promotion yourself. Proving you can do that is a critical part of your proposal.
How to Write a Book Proposal, Part 1
The first step to writing a book is understanding that publishing one is, first and foremost, a business.
A 10-Step Program for Ridding Your Writing of Empty Superlatives
How can you stop using superlatives that undermine the credibility of your content? The same way you break any bad habit. You enter a recovery program.
A 10-Step Program for Ridding Your Writing of Empty Superlatives Read More »
7 Tips for Professional Ghosts
Ghostwriting for business experts is a different animal than journalism or corporate writing. Here’s how to make the leap.
Why an Outline Is Critical To Developing Thought Leadership Content
Many people think they already know how to write an article and that creating an outline just means extra work. Think again.
Why an Outline Is Critical To Developing Thought Leadership Content Read More »
5 Building Blocks of a Compelling Business Article
One of the most common problems with thought leadership drafts is they aren’t properly structured. Here’s the format that works.
5 Building Blocks of a Compelling Business Article Read More »
An Oxford comma walks into a bar…
I would not have believed that grammar could be funny. But here’s a proof.
Colloquial Writing Style: Not The Thought Leader’s Enemy
If you hope to establish yourself as an authority, you’d better sound real. If you don’t, you won’t connect with people.
Colloquial Writing Style: Not The Thought Leader’s Enemy Read More »
Why Results Are Critical to Thought Leadership
Too many case studies lack hard evidence that a proposed solution to a business problem really works. Here’s how to avoid making that mistake.
Why Real Examples Are Better Than Hypotheticals
When reading about business topics, people want real stories, not make-believe.
How to Write Great Headlines: 5 Rules
Every piece of writing that’s published on the web – from white papers and articles to blogs and tweets – needs to grab the reader’s attention.
5 Reasons to Give Away the Family Silver
Many professionals worry that if they share their proprietary insights in an article, they’ll have nothing left to sell. Here’s why that’s wrong.
Why Business Writing is So Bad
We asked an HBR editor the most common reason he rejects article submissions. This is what he said.
10 Dos and Don’ts for Great Survey Reports
Surveys are easy to do badly. How to make sure yours will be a hit.
3 Ways to Make Survey Reports More Interesting
Every week you can find a new survey report that reveals something everyone already knows. These strategies will help ensure yours won’t.
Why Good Thought Leadership Is Like Good Parenting
Too much content has the same lecturing tone that parents often use with their children. And it has the same adverse effect.
Why Good Thought Leadership Is Like Good Parenting Read More »
Want To Get Your Readers’ Attention? Scare Them
Fear is a powerful motivator. Use it to your advantage.
How Parentheses Could Be Ruining Your Writing
Sometimes, I come across paragraphs so convoluted that I want to lie down in a dark room and take deep, cleansing breaths. Punctuation issues are often the culprit.
Unlock the Power of Buzzwords: A Guide to Linguistic Mastery
With the use of jargon in business writing so pervasive, maybe we should stop advocating for plain language.
Unlock the Power of Buzzwords: A Guide to Linguistic Mastery Read More »
Is Rhetoric a Good or Bad Thing?
While picking a name for our company, we initially rejected “RhetorIQ.” Then we changed our minds. Here’s why.
How to Write for the C-Suite
So many content marketers want to reach top executives, yet so few do. Here’s how to be one of the few.
5 Ways to Develop a Stronger Point of View
In the world of business management, new ideas are rare. So, if you’re writing about a well-worn topic, you’ll need a unique argument to stand out.
How to Help an Expert Write Great Content
Five lessons from a panel discussion among content developers.
3 Steps to Making Corporate Writing Better
How does a good editor make an article better? We share our secrets so that you can do it too.
Why You Should Write for a Specific Audience
It’s hard to resist the temptation to try to appeal to the masses. But to gain readers, you must.
So, You Want To Write a Book? First Answer This Question.
Many people think it’s writing a book that will make them a star. That’s no longer true.
So, You Want To Write a Book? First Answer This Question. Read More »
Will AI Steal My Job, Developing Thought Leadership Content?
Machines are already writing articles for The Washington Post, The Associated Press, and Bloomberg. Is content marketing next?
Will AI Steal My Job, Developing Thought Leadership Content? Read More »
7 Ways to Write for Executives from Someone Who Used to Be One
So as to attract and keep their attention.
7 Ways to Write for Executives from Someone Who Used to Be One Read More »
What’s the Optimum Length of an Article? Wrong Question.
Many think it’s the word count that determines how many people will read an article or blog post. The shorter, the better, right? Not so fast.
What’s the Optimum Length of an Article? Wrong Question. Read More »
5 Ways to Help Your Agency Help You Develop Your Thought Leadership
How content directors, marketing officers, and editorial directors can get the best out of us, or any other content marketing agency.
5 Ways to Help Your Agency Help You Develop Your Thought Leadership Read More »
How to Annoy Editors
Don’t bother editors after you’ve submitted an article. It never produces positive results, and it can poison the well for future submissions.
Thought Leadership’s Key Question, and Why You Must Answer It
You might work at a big-name firm or have impressive credentials, but that’s not always enough to generate the leads you want.
Thought Leadership’s Key Question, and Why You Must Answer It Read More »
How to Wrap Up Thought Leadership Articles
Authors often use the close to summarize what they’ve already said, which risks boring and frustrating the reader.
3 Tips for Writing Long-Form Content
Once you’ve got a powerful point of view, and you’ve captured your reader’s attention with a smashing lede, how do you keep him or her reading?
How to Get Your Thought Leadership Published in Harvard Business Review and Forbes
We know you’re smart. Everybody we work with is smart. But do you have what it takes to write about a specific subject?
How to Get Your Thought Leadership Published in Harvard Business Review and Forbes Read More »
10 Ways to Power up Your Thought Leadership Marketing
Tweets or white papers? LinkedIn or Facebook? We provide a roadmap for developing and promoting your content.
10 Ways to Power up Your Thought Leadership Marketing Read More »
How to Structure Your Blog Posts
My last post gave you three rules for writing better blog posts. Now, I’ve got three more rules for how to structure them.
Write Better Blog Posts: 3 Critical Rules
Here are three rules for how to write better blog posts so that people read them and you can get all the good stuff, including revenue, that a blog can bring you.
Is Thought Leadership in Trouble?
The label “thought leader” is like any other honorary title. Only a nitwit would award it to himself.
Authenticity is Invaluable; Originality is Non-Existent
Some writers are so concerned with saying something earth-shattering that they forget to be authentic: to base their assertions on things they know.
Authenticity is Invaluable; Originality is Non-Existent Read More »
6 Keys to Consistently Good Thought Leadership
Many professional services firms try to publish a steady stream of high-quality content. Some succeed, some fail.
7 Smart Content Marketing Moves
Skimp on promotion and your article, despite your hard work developing it, will slip into quiet oblivion. Without these steps, it happens all the time.
Go Ask Alice: 4 Questions to Answer Before You Begin Writing
The hardest articles to fix are those the author has already drafted but has not thought through why he’s writing it in the first place.
Go Ask Alice: 4 Questions to Answer Before You Begin Writing Read More »
The Advantages of Long-Form Content
Short-form content on platforms like Twitter and Vine have become very popular. But for B2B firms, the data shows that long-form is often more effective.
How to Help Thought Leaders Who Suffer From the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Ignorance, far from making one humble, often leads people to overestimate their performance on things they know just a little about. Like writing.
How to Help Thought Leaders Who Suffer From the Dunning-Kruger Effect Read More »
What’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Thought Leadership Marketing?
Don’t be confused by the commentators who toss these terms into the same blender. They’re not the same thing.
What’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Thought Leadership Marketing? Read More »
4 Roles Thought Leadership Writers Must Play
The job is akin to that of an analyst, consultant, and therapist, as well as that of a writer. Is it any wonder that only a few ever learn to do it well?
How to Stand Out in the Thought Leadership Crowd
With so much material published on so many topics, it’s harder than ever to differentiate your content from your competition’s.
How to Stand Out in the Thought Leadership Crowd Read More »
5 Nice Ways to Say No to Bad Thought Leadership Ideas
Bad content lowers a reader’s opinion of the firm that publishes it and makes prospects disappear. But how do you tell your SME their idea isn’t going to fly?
5 Nice Ways to Say No to Bad Thought Leadership Ideas Read More »
Why You Should Measure Your Thought Leadership ROI
A business should always strive to measure the return on its investments. Otherwise, how do you know what works?
Why You Should Measure Your Thought Leadership ROI Read More »
Was Albert Einstein a Thought Leader?
We compare our “7 Hallmarks of Thought Leadership” to the type of groundbreaking thinking the famous physicist did.
Curated Content and Why You Should Avoid It
Unfortunately, there is only one reliable way to attract users with quality content: creating it.
5 Steps to Getting Quoted in the Media
Getting quoted in the media is an excellent way to build your reputation as a thought leader. The funny thing is, it’s not that hard.
Industry Insight: What Editors Want
The do’s and don’ts of appealing to those who can get you published in high places.
10 Rules for Publishing Articles Anywhere
We frequently publish articles in third-party journals on behalf of our clients. When people ask how we do it, here’s what we say.
What Is Thought Leadership?
Too many definitions of “thought leadership” are vague and confusing. Here’s one that isn’t.
The Beginning Is the Hardest Part of Thought Leadership
Why establishing yourself as a content development expert, not just a writer, is critical to getting these projects off the ground.
The Beginning Is the Hardest Part of Thought Leadership Read More »
3 Barriers to Beginning a Thought Leadership Program
Despite all the excitement about thought leadership marketing, the uptake in industries outside of management consulting and IT services is slow.
3 Barriers to Beginning a Thought Leadership Program Read More »
Top Practitioners Offer Four Best Practices for Thought Leadership
How to produce the best content and get it in front of prospective buyers in a compelling, consistent, and even industrialized way.
Top Practitioners Offer Four Best Practices for Thought Leadership Read More »
Is SEO a Waste of Time?
Mostly yes, and a little bit no. Here’s why.
What Business Writers Can Learn From the Literary Greats
It might seem odd to turn to the literary masters for lessons on business writing. But I think there are some we can learn. And the first has to do with clarity.
What Business Writers Can Learn From the Literary Greats Read More »
A Unified Theory of Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership
The key ingredients of high-quality content in one diagram.
A Unified Theory of Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership Read More »
Is Thought Leadership Annoying and Boastful? Part 2
Sometimes, yes. But we haven’t found a better term for it. And it’s a helpful term when it’s legitimately applied.
Is Thought Leadership Annoying and Boastful? Part 2 Read More »
Is Thought Leadership Annoying and Boastful? Part 1
Why we sometimes wish the type of work we do was called something else.
Is Thought Leadership Annoying and Boastful? Part 1 Read More »
Why Corporate Writing Stinks
There are two major reasons: Fear and the taint of the hidden agenda. Allow me to explain.
How to Write a White Paper That Makes an Impact
Most white papers are ignored or forgotten soon after they are published. Writing one that connects with executives and opens doors requires a different approach.
Case Study Research: An Essential Ingredient of Thought Leadership
Understanding what works in the field and how it works is critical to developing new approaches to business. Surveys alone can’t do that.
Case Study Research: An Essential Ingredient of Thought Leadership Read More »