Archive for July, 2011

CLAIMING CONTENT CURATION IS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IS LIKE PLAGIARISM

Content curation does not equate to thought leadership

Find me a thought leader through curation alone

Thought leadership = original, creative or innovative content

Does content curation have a place at the thought leadership table?

Can content curation lead to thought leadership?

I don’t think so and I will give you my reasoning.  But first I would like to share with you a comment on a thought leadership definition from Jessie at Hivefire.  Jessie sent this in response to another definition I shared on this blog from Jeff Ernst at Forrester.  

This is what Jessie had to say:

Thanks for sharing! We’ve got one we like to use as well from a content curation perspective,

“Thought Leadership – a primary benefit of content curation. Thought leadership status is gained when your brand is recognized, and cited, as an expert on critical industry issues. Creating a consistent stream of industry-relevant content is a key tactic supporting a thought leadership objective.”

Jessie also gives a site where they share a heap of useful definitions across a wide range of content and marketing related topics: http://www.getcurata.com/glossary

This was my response to Jessie:

Thanks Jessie, I have a particular view on content curation and thought leadership which is well known to some of the guys at Hivefire – I don’t believe the one (content curation) leads to the other (thought leadership).

I think you put your finger on it when you say that creating a stream of industry relevant content “…is a key tactic supporting a thought leadership objective.”

I do think that content curation done properly can be a very powerful tool for a content strategy but by its very nature of taking other people’s thoughts, insights and content and repurposing it, means that the person, brand or company curating the content cannot be a thought leader merely off the back of other people’s ideas. That’s not to say that content creation doesn’t work – it does and it can be a great magnet for reaching an audience. It’s just not thought leadership.

I look forward to reading some of your other definitions and thanks for sharing this with me.

Over to you guys – I’d be interested in any other views on content curation and thought leadership you may want to share…

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Another great definition of thought leadership

On the right of this page under the heading ‘Definitions of thought leadership’ you will find a host of definitions on thought leadership.  These include some of my own which change as the years go by and as I learn more about this fascinating subject from the work I do and from other subject experts in the field.

Here is one of the better definitions I have seen.  It comes from Jeff Ernst.  Jeff is with Forrester.  He serves CMO & Marketing Leadership Professionals. He is an expert across all things marketing with a particular focus on selling and thought leadership.

“The process of formulating big ideas and insightful points of view on the issues your buyers face, capturing those ideas in multiple content vehicles and sharing the ideas with prospects and customers to enlighten them, engage them in a dialogue, and position your company as a trusted resource.”

There are some key words and phrases that resonate with my views on thought leadership – they are insightful points of view, issues your buyers face, content, sharing, engage, trusted resource.

Thanks for a great definition Ernst.

If you have your own definition you want to share please send it in – happy to publish it for you.

 Please download my free e book top right of this page.  Follow me on twitter @thoughtstrategy and join me on LinkedIn.