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Every month, JD Supra shares a list of the 25 most popular posts (according to the number of reads) published on the platform in the previous thirty days. These reports help readers discover hot topics, well-written thought leadership, timely analysis and commentary on the news of the day, and top-level writers guiding countless business (and sometimes personal) decisions.
From a marketer’s perspective, especially someone who supports thought leaders in their own organization, the natural question about these reports: how can we make the list How can we stay on it?
In this post, I will answer these questions by exploring two others:
- Which format of thought leadership is most popular?
- What are the common attributes of widely read content?
Thought leadership comes in a variety of forms and media, including customer alerts, blog posts, newsletters, white papers, podcasts, and videos. Each format has a specific use in your overall content marketing strategy. As it happens, customer alerts and blog posts are the most popular format, accounting for roughly 20 of the top 25 posts on our list each month.
The beauty of alerts and blog posts is their relatively standard formula:
what’s happening + why/how it will affect businesses/industries + what executives need to know/do about it (call to action).
These are short updates of important information that have a direct and usually immediate impact on businesses and people. Your customers and prospects must this information. Make them timely and digestible. You can always come back later with more analysis and insights in a longer format. In fact, that’s exactly what I recommend. Refer to your most popular short posts/alerts and dive deeper into the issues they cover.
In addition to good writing and timely delivery, consider these attributes of the most effective alerts/posts of 2022:
While posts and alerts are highly effective means of highlighting the depth and breadth of your expertise, long-form content—including newsletters, white papers, and interviews—also regularly appears on the popular list and deserves a spot on your editorial calendar.
Newsletters are regularly scheduled updates on a specific topic and usually cover multiple topics. They usually require an editorial team to prepare topics and compile each month/quarter, making them an excellent opportunity for team building and overall brand visibility. Consider these popular releases from 2022 so far:
White papers and longer content regularly top the charts, providing in-depth analysis of an industry or topic. Because of their scope, they usually enjoy a good shelf life, gaining readers not only in the first week but months after publication – making them worth the greater investment of resources. Popular examples from 2022 include:
Interviewing a subject matter expert is another smart approach to content development. Whether you ask the questions via email and then edit or transcribe a conversation, interviews can strengthen relationships with clients and referral sources who serve as interview subjects. Here are some successful examples:
We will continue to update you on popular content every month. In the meantime, including a few best practices for your editorial arsenal below.
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Paul Ryplewski is JD Supra’s Vice President of Customer Service. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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