1.
Thought Leadership &
Content Marketing: An
Interactive Workshop
TECNA 2014 Summer Conference
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

2.
The plan
This workshop was designed for Technology Council CEOs
and COOs as well as staff members – event managers,
marketing managers, membership directors
Takeaway value:
1.Understand the benefits of thought leadership – benefits for
you professionally, for your Tech Council, and for your local
tech industry
2.Walk through the process of thought leadership strategy,
development, and marketing in a variety of scenarios
3.Discover creative ways to develop thought leadership with
limited resources – including leveraging existing resources to
the fullest extent
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

3.
About me
• Founder & Chief Content
Strategist at Castelazo Content
• Co-chair of the Arizona
Technology Council Workforce
Development & Education
Committee
• Board member of the Business
Marketing Association and
American Marketing Association
e: molly@castelazocontent.com
li: linkedin.com/in/mollycastelazo
About Castelazo
Content
We exist to help our clients sell more.
We accomplish that by establishing the
client as a thought leader – one who leads
prospects through the sales cycle by
addressing their problems and needs,
questions and concerns.
The content we develop includes
whitepapers, blogs, bylined articles,
videos, infographics, and other content
that engages prospects, generates leads,
and converts leads into clients.
castelazocontent.com
@cmmarketing
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

4.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
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castelazocontent.com

5.
What is a "thought leader”?
“To me, Thought Leadership
is simply about becoming an
authority on relevant topics
by delivering the answers to
the biggest questions on the
minds of your target
audience.”
– Michael Brenner, SAP
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

6.
Key benefits of thought
leadership
For companies, the benefits of
thought leadership are leads
generated and converted
For a Technology Council, the
benefits of thought leadership can
include:
– Increased membership
– Increased sponsorship
– Legislative victories
– Growth in awareness about and
increased success of the local
tech industry
For individuals, thought leadership
is certainly a way to build your
professional brand – and to give
back to the community by sharing
your hard-earned insights.
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

7.
4 rules for effective thought
leadership
The only rule you need to know:
1. It’s all about your audience
Plus 3 more that are good too:
2. Engage
3. Be relevant
4. Provide value
Find more detail in the Content Is Queen
Buyer Personas slideshare at
castelazocontent.com/content-marketing-blog/
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

8.
YOU'RE A TECH COUNCIL CEO
AND WANT TO DEVELOP YOUR
OWN THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Scenario 1
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

9.
You're a tech council CEO and want to
develop your own thought leadership
Step 1: Get to know your audience
- Who is the audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What insight is relevant for that audience?
Step 2: Determine what kind of content to
produce and where to publish it
- Where is your audience?
- How will you position your insight (what are
you going to write/speak/draw about?)
Step 3: Produce the content
- How will you produce that thought leadership
(strategies for CEOs who are "too busy”)
Step 4: Market the content
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

10.
You're a tech council CEO and want to
develop your own thought leadership
Step 1: Get to know your audience
- Who is the audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What insight is relevant for that audience?
Step 2: Determine what kind of content to
produce and where to publish it
- Where is your audience?
- How will you position your insight (what are
you going to write/speak/draw about?)
Step 3: Produce the content
- How will you produce that thought leadership
(strategies for CEOs who are "too busy”)
Step 4: Market the content
Participants: Work
with your colleagues
at your table to
develop a strategy for
CEO thought
leadership using the
steps on the left as a
framework
10 minutes
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

11.
You're a tech council CEO and want to
develop your own thought leadership
Discussion/Q&A
One person from every
other table shares their
table’s plan with the whole
group
15 minutes
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

12.
YOU'RE A MARKETING MANAGER
OR OTHER STAFF MEMBER
DEVELOPING YOUR COUNCIL'S
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND/OR
PROMOTING THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE LOCAL
TECH INDUSTRY
Scenario 2
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

13.
You're developing your Council's thought
leadership and/or promoting thought
leadership within the local tech industry
Step 1: What sources do you have for thought
leadership? (What/where/with whom are the
pockets of insight?)
Step 2: Get to know your audience
- Who is the audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What insight is relevant for that audience?
Step 3: Determine what kind of content to produce
and where to publish it
- Where is your audience?
- How will you position your insight (what are
you going to write/speak/draw about?)
Step 4: Produce the content
- How will you produce that thought leadership
Step 5: Market the content
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

14.
You're developing your Council's thought
leadership and/or promoting thought
leadership within the local tech industry
Step 1: What sources do you have for thought
leadership? (What/where/with whom are the
pockets of insight?)
Step 2: Get to know your audience
- Who is the audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What insight is relevant for that audience?
Step 3: Determine what kind of content to produce
and where to publish it
- Where is your audience?
- How will you position your insight (what are
you going to write/speak/draw about?)
Step 4: Produce the content
- How will you produce that thought leadership
Step 5: Market the content
Participants: Work
with your colleagues
at your table to
develop a strategy
for Council and/or
local tech industry
thought leadership
Use the steps on the
left as a framework
10 minutes
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

15.
You're developing your Council's thought
leadership and/or promoting thought
leadership within the local tech industry
Discussion/Q&A
One person from every
other table shares their
table’s plan with the
whole group
15 minutes
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

16.
WRAP-UP & NEXT
STEPS/TAKEAWAYS
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

17.
Taking this home
Step 1: What sources do you have for
thought leadership? (What/where/with
whom are the pockets of insight?)
Step 2: Get to know your audience
- Who is the audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What insight is relevant for that
audience?
Step 3: Determine what kind of content
to produce and where to publish it
- Where is your audience?
- How will you position your insight
(what are you going to
write/speak/draw about?)
Step 4: Produce the content
- How will you produce that thought
leadership
Step 5: Market the content
Participants:
- Take 5 minutes to think
about how you,
individually, can develop
your own, your
Council’s, and/or your
local tech industry’s
thought leadership.
- Draft an initial thought
leadership plan
@cmmarketing
castelazocontent.com

18.
Any last comments or
questions?
Molly Castelazo, Chief Content Strategist
castelazocontent.com
molly@castelazocontent.com
linkedin.com/in/mollycastelazo
@cmmarketing