To find out the value of thought leadership, statistics can help shine a light on it.
In this article, we can find out all the interesting statistics regarding thought leadership. These include statistics connected to COVID-19, decision-makers, the future of thought leadership, and more.
Buckle up and get reading!
Key Thought Leadership Statistics (Editor’s Pick)
- 66% of decision-makers report thought leadership growth after COVID.
- 50% of thought leadership gives 77% of decision-makers valuable insights.
- 58% of decision-makers choose a brand based on thought leadership.
14 Thought Leadership Statistics
1. Almost nine in 10 decision-makers say thought leadership is effective in improving their perception of an organization.
According to Edelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership Study from 2020, 88% of decision-makers say thought leadership influences their perception of an organization. Moreover, 48% say that thought leadership can impact their purchasing decisions.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
2. Only 17% of respondents report that most of the thought leadership they read is very good or excellent.
Less than two in 10 (17%) respondents to the Edelman-LinkedIn survey said that most of the thought leadership they read is very good or excellent. This is telling us that it is not just important to put thought leadership material out. It is also important to make sure the thought leadership material is of good quality.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
3. 66% of decision-makers said there was an increase in the amount of thought leadership in the marketplace due to the pandemic.
More than six in 10 decision-makers (66%) see the increase in the amount of thought leadership in the marketplace as connected to the ongoing pandemic in 2021. This is according to a study of 3,593 global business executives across many industries and from differently-sized companies.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
4. Around 38% of final decision-makers say the market is oversaturated with thought leadership content.
As almost four in 10 (38%) final decision-makers say that the market is oversaturated with thought leadership content, they are saying that there is more of it out there than they can manage or consume.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
5. More than half of C-Suite executives (51%) say they spend more time consuming thought leadership than before the pandemic.
Compared to before the pandemic, 51% of C-Suite executives say they are now spending more time consuming thought leadership than before the pandemic started. Moreover, 54% of decision-makers and 48% of C-suite executives say they spend more than one hour per week consuming thought leadership.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
6. More than seven in 10 decision-makers say that less than half of the thought leadership content they consume gives them valuable insights.
According to research, most of the thought leadership content does not give valuable insights to decision-makers. In fact, 71% of them say that less than half of what they read offers valuable insights.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
7. More than half (55%) of buyers move on if the thought leadership content does not gather their attention in the first minute.
Thought leadership content does influence decision buying. For instance, 55% of buyers said that they will move on if the thought leadership content does not pique their interest in the first minute of reading.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
8. 45% of decision-makers invited a producer of thought leadership content to pitch a project when they did not consider the organization prior to it.
Edelman-LinkedIn found that 45% of decision-makers offer thought leadership content producers a chance of a request for a proposal. Also, more than 60% of C-suite executives report they are more willing to pay a premium to organizations that create thought leadership with a clear vision.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
9. Almost 60% of decision-makers in business believe thought leadership directed them to give a brand their business.
Thought leadership can help the audience consider doing business with the company. According to iResearch Services, almost six in 10 decision-makers in business believe thought leadership is what gave a brand their business.
Source: iResearch Services
10. Almost half (47%) of C-suite executives report sharing their personal contact information with sellers after they read quality thought leadership content from the brand.
While almost half of the C-suite executives (47%) say they will share their personal contact information with sellers, only 39% of sellers and content creators believe their thought leadership aids lead generation.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
11. 58% of decision-makers choose a business based on thought leadership.
When choosing a business, more than half (58%) of decision-makers choose a business based on their thought leadership. On the other hand, only 26% of sellers think thought leadership is directly responsible for doing business.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
12. 55% of decision-makers use thought leadership as a measure for vetting business.
More than half (55%) of decision-makers vet business based on thought leadership, according to the thought leadership statistics. Moreover, they eliminate businesses that do not have a strong thought leadership presence.
Source: Edelman-LinkedIn
13. 70% of people think brands are just as capable of being thought leaders as individuals are.
Seven in 10 people believe brands can be just as competent in thought leadership as individuals are, according to Survey Monkey. Moreover, 77% don’t think that thought leaders do not need to have a lot of social media followers.
Source: Survey Monkey
14. Almost nine in 10 respondents think thought leadership must promote business objectives and goals.
Eighty-eight percent of survey respondents think that thought leadership should help businesses in achieving their goals. That means that businesses have to find topics that are interesting, effective, and credible. This survey included responses from 481 marketers.
Source: Survey Monkey
Final Verdict
In conclusion, thought leadership has a lot of positive effects on the business when it is done properly. However, poor thought leadership can also have a negative impact on the company. Moreover, other leadership statistics can tell us how else leadership affects business. Also, empathy leadership statistics tell us a story of how empathy influences employees, leaders, and companies.
