Thought leadership is a buzzy term, and there’s no denying that it’s earned that status. Sophisticated buyers want sophisticated content that respects their time and intelligence. Thought leadership—content that delivers fresh thinking in a way that provides value for others—often checks that box.
Still, we couldn’t shake the feeling that the term “thought leadership” was starting to become overused—flattened into a catch-all way of defining any content that’s original and substantive (or in extreme cases, being defined as “posting on LinkedIn”). The term thought leadership was being broadly used to signal quality content, but this usage was eroding the meaning of the term itself. Not all content is thought leadership, but other types of content can be original, substantive, and focused on earning audience attention and building their trust.
Surely, there was another way to describe this content without shoehorning it into the category of thought leadership.
As we thought more about this gap, it eventually became clear that we were already filling it. For many years, we had been mining subject matter expertise via thoughtfully structured Content Conversations℠ and using the unique insights captured to create original, substantive content that didn’t always classify as traditional thought leadership.
It was time to put a name to what we were creating—expert-led content—and develop a clear framework to define it. That’s how the Expert-Led Content Umbrella was born (i.e., created in Canva).
What We Mean By Expert-Led Content
Expert-led content is exactly what it sounds like: content that’s rooted in people’s knowledge, experience, and skills. It’s not developing an informational piece that’s stuffed with keywords in lieu of an actual point of view. Nor is it ghostwriting a byline based on surface research without ever getting insights from the individual leader.
In contrast, expert-led content is a commitment to mining the expertise inside an organization—expertise held by the executives, product managers, scientists, strategists, and team leads who know the work best—and sharing it consistently as part of an integrated marketing and communications strategy.
Executed correctly, expert-led content offers a few major benefits:
- Earns attention and builds trust. When content reflects the real thinking inside your organization, people notice. They see you as a credible source worth listening to, and over time, that trust compounds.
- Substantive and grounded in expertise. Audiences are tired of filler. Content anchored in genuine expertise respects their intelligence and offers something of value that rises above the noise.
- Differentiates your organization. Let’s be honest: many companies sound the same. Expert-led content highlights what’s unique about your perspective, making your brand memorable in a crowded market.
Unifies the customer journey. Expert-led content ensures that the promises you make externally align with the experience customers have once they’re working with you. From first touchpoint to long-term engagement, your perspective comes through consistently, so prospects who buy in know exactly what they’re signing up for.
The Two Branches of Expert-Led Content
It’s helpful to think of expert-led content as branching in two directions: individual and brand. In both cases, the expertise comes from the same origins: subject matter experts, executives, and leaders inside the organization. The difference lies in the output. Are you elevating one person’s voice, or are you creating materials that represent the organization as a whole?
Individual
When elevating an individual voice, the output typically consists of authored content assets tied to that one person’s perspectives. Individual expertise can come through as:
- Thought leadership content. Yes, thought leadership is a subset of expert-led content. At its best, thought leadership introduces new ideas or perspectives that provide value for others, moving a conversation forward rather than repeating what’s already been said.
- Personal brand content. More personality-driven than thought leadership, personal brand content helps audiences connect with a leader as a whole person.
For individuals, expert-led content often takes the form of LinkedIn posts, bylined articles, or personal newsletters—formats that highlight their perspectives and allow them to maintain a consistent presence with their audience.
The good news is that plenty of individual expertise already exists in work that’s been done, meaning you don’t necessarily need to take up too much of an expert’s time. Internal conversations, external webinars, speaking engagements, panels, and interviews often capture valuable insights that can be repurposed into content without demanding additional time from a busy executive.
Brand
When creating expert-led content assets that represent the organization as a whole, the output typically consists of marketing materials and other assets authored by the brand. While these assets aren’t tied to an individual’s voice, producing them still requires capturing people’s expertise. That expertise is then synthesized into a brand-aligned asset. Brand expertise can come through as:
- Core messaging. The foundational story about who you are and what you stand for.
- Perspectives. Collective points of view on industry trends, customer challenges, and best practices.
- Knowledge bases. Structured resources like FAQs, help centers, or libraries of expertise.
- Systems and frameworks. Proprietary processes, methodologies, or models your organization uses to solve problems.
For brands, expert-led content often takes the form of case studies, white papers, eBooks, blog posts, webinars, or company LinkedIn content. These formats make it possible to combine insights from across the organization into assets that reflect the company’s perspective as a whole.
Just like with individual expertise, much of this knowledge already exists somewhere. Internal process documents, such as SOPs, playbooks, or training guides, as well as explainer resources like FAQs, onboarding materials, or technical documentation, often serve as the raw material for this content. Even client-facing deliverables like reports, proposals, and project frameworks can provide a foundation for expert-led content assets.
Make Expert-Led Content Part of Your Marketing Strategy
Thought leadership will always have a place. It’s one of the most reliable ways to provide content that sophisticated buyers actually want to read. But it’s not the only way.
The Expert-Led Content Umbrella provides a framework for capturing internal expertise and turning it into content that is substantive, differentiated, original, valuable, and true to the organization, whether it comes from an individual or the brand.
If you’re ready to make expert-led content part of your marketing strategy, Every Little Word would love to put our approach to work for you. Book a Discovery Call, and let’s get started.
