Thought Leadership Research: Data that Validates Impact and Tells You if You’re Doing It Right
Summary: Data has proven that thought leadership influences decision makers, attracts new clients, and retains existing clients. In this article, I recap key findings from the two most recent Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Reports. I'll discuss data and takeaways about:
- Thought leadership's trustworthiness.
- How thought leadership changes thinking and behavior.
- Thought leadership consumption.
- Thought leadership perceptions.
- How thought leadership makes people think differently.
- Preferred thought leadership tone and language.
These reports provide valuable insights into the impact of thought leadership on those who are not actively seeking products and services, as well as hidden decision makers who marketers often overlook.
When I read the Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report for the first time back in 2019, it validated much of what I believed about thought leadership with hard data from actual decision makers.
I wrote a blog about that report, made it the centerpiece of my first webinar, and revisited the 2024 report in another blog.
Count me in as a believer.
What Is Thought Leadership?
Everyone has their own definition, but here’s mine:
Thought leadership is the sharing of insights, information, and/or innovative ideas that reflect the knowledge, perspective, and unique voice of an authority figure in a particular field.
When I’m asked what type of content is in my wheelhouse, I always point to thought leadership. Here's why.
Thought leadership is about helping your audience and adding value to their lives, not selling.
It shows you understand their problems and how to solve them. It also provides a window into who you are as an individual and abrand.
Selfishly, I enjoy the process – tapping into a subject matter expert’s knowledge and passion, capturing their voice, and telling their story in a way that aligns with business goals and creates moments of human connection.
Most importantly, thought leadership just plain works.
Let’s quickly recap the 2024 report and take a look at an interesting new wrinkle in the 2025 report.
Key Takeaways from the 2024 Report
The first report I read before the pandemic focused on how thought leadership is consumed, valued, and perceived, and its impact on decision making.
The 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report reinforced many of these points but shifted the focus to decision makers who weren’t necessarily seeking new products or services.
That’s because thought leadership isn’t just about introducing your ideal client to new solutions or making them gush about your brand.
It’s about introducing them to challenges they’re not considering and rethinking strategies for overcoming them.
Data on Thought Leadership’s Trustworthiness
More than seven in 10 decision makers said an organization’s thought leadership content is more trustworthy than marketing materials and product sheets when it comes to evaluating capabilities.
Takeaway
From my view, thought leadership is 100% a form of marketing, so I disagree with the premise and framing of the question.
But this is about perception. And you know what they say about perception.
People don’t see thought leadership as marketing or selling. They see it as helping, providing value, and sharing insight.
If one is all about me, and another is all about you, which matters more?
Data on How Thought Leadership Changes Thinking and Behavior
More than three-quarters of decision makers and C-suite executives said thought leadership led them to research a product or service they weren’t previously considering.
Six in 10 of these respondents said thought leadership made them realize their organization was missing out on a significant business opportunity.
Nine in 10 decision makers and C-suite executives said they were more receptive to sales or marketing from a company that consistently produced high-quality thought leadership.
70% said thought leadership led them to question whether they should continue working with an existing provider.
54% said thought leadership made them realize other companies had a better understanding of their challenges.
Takeaway
Thought leadership challenges the status quo and changes behavior. It makes people rethink and reassess.
It demonstrates your value, insights, and approach, but it also exposes your audience’s weaknesses and threats.
And it helps you get in the door.
But thought leadership also reassures your clients of your value and prevents them from seeking other options for the same reasons.
The 2025 Report: The Hidden Impact of Hidden Decision Makers
The 2025 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report added an interesting new wrinkle to the thought leadership conversation – hidden decision makers who aren’t necessarily targeted by marketers but carry a lot of weight in decision making.
While target decision makers have the final say, hidden decision makers are defined as people who are involved in the final decision-making process but don’t necessarily have in-depth knowledge of the product. They might come from finance, operations, legal, procurement, etc.
The 2025 report revealed that hidden decision makers are influenced by thought leadership, which then influences their contributions to the decision-making process.
Data on Thought Leadership Consumption
64% of target decision makers and 63% of hidden decision makers spend more than an hour per week on average consuming thought leadership.
56% of target decision makers and 55% of hidden decision makers use thought leadership to evaluate vendors.
71% of hidden decision makers have little or no interaction with sales.
Takeaway
When B2B deals don’t make it to the finish line, a major cause is often internal misalignment with the buyer.
More specifically, hidden decision makers who influence purchases are overlooked by marketers.
They actively research solutions to their company’s problems, but they’re rarely involved in the sales process or exposed to marketing. They're harder to reach.
Thought leadership represents an opportunity to engage this influential group.
Data on Thought Leadership Perceptions
95% of hidden decision makers said strong thought leadership makes them more receptive to sales and marketing outreach.
71% said thought leadership is more effective than conventional marketing or sales materials at demonstrating value.
64% trust thought leadership more than marketing materials and product sheets when assessing capabilities and competencies.
35% said a C-suite executive encouraged them to consider a specific vendor after engaging with that vendor’s thought leadership.
Takeaway
Again, thought leadership is marketing. But it’s not perceived that way.
It’s more trustworthy and carries more weight than “conventional” marketing and sales.
Unlike target decision makers, hidden decision makers have little if any direct contact with a provider or vendor.
Thought leadership opens doors and helps to establish a connection with these internal influencers, often at the request of the people in charge.
And it turns them into advocates for your brand.
Data on Thought Leadership that Makes People Think Differently
91% of hidden decision makers said they value thought leadership that helps them uncover challenges or needs they hadn’t recognized.
86% want fresh perspectives and ideas that challenge assumptions, not just validation.
73% said thought leadership is one of the best ways to preview the type and caliber of thinking an organization brings to the table.
53% said brand recognition matters less when thought leadership hits the target.
Takeaway
Vanilla won’t cut it. Generic AI slop dressed up as thought leadership won’t cut it either.
I’ve often said that the two best comments I hear from clients are “Nobody ever asked me that” and “I never thought about it that way.”
That proves I’m delivering value beyond what they’re getting from other sources. It's the very definition of differentiation.
That’s what thought leadership should do.
When you bring a distinctive voice and fresh takes on issues that matter, you don’t have to be famous to be remembered, respected, and hired.
Think of thought leadership as your opportunity to level the playing field with bigger names.
Take a stand. Push boundaries. Get people to think differently, as a genius ad once told us.
“…you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them… because they change things. They push the human race forward.”
Data on Thought Leadership Tone and Language
57% of hidden decision makers prefer accessible insights and quick takeaways over deep, academic-style content.
65% want a more human, less formal tone over an intellectual one.
Takeaway
This isn’t new or a surprise, especially for someone who probably isn’t a subject matter expert.
Of course, the ultimate decision maker is often someone who doesn’t know every technical detail about products and services. They could be in charge because of their leadership style or ability to manage the business side of things.
Make your insights and ideas easy to understand for every audience. Use plain language.
Write the way you talk. Naturally (my favorite David Ogilvy quote).
When your message is approachable, your brand will be perceived as more approachable, too.
Final Thoughts
It’s never been easier to generate content. Just type a few words into a little white box.
Crafting true thought leadership is a different animal.
It’s a learned discipline that requires self-awareness, deep understanding of the audience, a distinct voice, fresh perspectives, strategic storytelling, and the willingness and inspiration to say what you feel and believe.
Whether you’re talking to the person with the final say or others who help decide “yes” or “no,” you’re not selling features and functionality.
You’re helping them and taking a stand with real-world solutions to real-word problems.
You’re making a human connection driven by emotion and backed up with sound reason and logic.
That’s how you turn thought leadership from a nice article on LinkedIn with a few likes and comments into strategic marketing content that wins business.
