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be the voice
Here’s a summary of what you’ll learn and whyyou must “Be the Voice.” 
Critical business need
Thought leaders are driving customers either toyour business or away from it.
Cost-ef 
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cient publishing and distribution
You have the industry wisdom, you just haven’thad the easy-to-use tools (e.g. blogs, podcasts,video) for communications and conversation.Now you do.
Focus on message, not medium
It’s easy to be distracted by the technology.Don’t be medium-focused. Learn how to zero onthe message and ef 
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ciently publish a single ideaor effort across multiple media.
 “Be the Voice” - Build your Business byBecoming your Industry’s Thought Leader© 2008, Spark Media Solutions, LLC.
 “Be the Voice
SM
” - Build Your Business byBecoming your Industry’s Thought Leader
By David Spark, Founder of Spark Media Solutions, LLCFebruary 20th, 2008
Determining your message
What content should you create? What is themost appropriate medium for your audience?How, when, and where should you engage inconversation?
Grow your business with ongoingknowledge base
Increase organic discovery of your product andservices. Support sales staff so they can closesales. Build your brand identity. Help customers
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nd their way by providing answers so they canmake decisions whether or not to purchase yourproduct.
Avoid common pitfalls
Learn how to detect common early warning signsthat your company’s media network may fail.
 
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Be top of mind
How powerful would your business be if customersand potential customers always thought of you
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rstwhenever they had an industry related question?You are
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rst on their mind because you have anonline media presence. For the past year you’vebeen writing a blog, hosting a podcast, andproducing video demos for everyone to see. All of that information is housed in one easily searchablearea of your business site. Everyone uses theirreal names when they post and for each postedcontent unit, people can comment, provide theirown insight, or ask a follow up question. You don’tbalk nor delete messages when they mention yourcompetitors. You follow up on your audience’sresponses and provide thoughtful answers foreveryone to see.Whenever a big industry issue hits, you have anopinion. You reach out beyond the walls of yourbusiness’ Web site and engage in conversation onindependent blogs and in editorial publications.Plus, you provide links from your site to outsideentities.People know you and your colleagues by your
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rstname, and everyone’s business email and phonenumber can easily be found.There’s absolutely nothing strange about the abovedescription. But for years, organizations havefeared this public discourse scenario as invitingonly problems. Organizations have eschewed self publishing, operating out of fear of exposure. Butas we all know, just because you’re not in theconversation, doesn’t mean they’re not talkingabout you. People tend not to talk negativelyabout you when you put a human face on yourorganization, and you’re willing to listen to all theirproblems with serious concern.Thanks to new Web 2.0 technologies, the Internethas become the platform for an endless array of media publishing and distribution opportunities.Those taking advantage of these communicationsand conversation tools have become voices for theirindustry or sector. People are listening to, learningfrom, and making decisions based on the ideas andrecommendations of these thought leaders.If you and your business don’t become the voicefor your industry, someone else either already hasor will. Voids don’t stay open long. But even if itis
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lled, not to worry, thought leadership alwaysneeds to be challenged.Stake your editorial claim. Own a category that’saligned with your branding, PR, and marketingstrategy. Such an online presence reverses thenotion of outreach. No longer do you blast outmessages to groups of people hoping to
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nd theones interested in your business. You are creating adestination that people can
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nd on their own or bepushed to through traditional media. Through hardwork establishing credibility as a thought leader, the “right people” will self qualify and come to you.Becoming a thought leader is not just a nice idea,it’s integral to your business strategy. Havingongoing editorial content and discussion will providesupport to your sales staff, aid in discovery of yourproducts and services, strengthen your brand, andmove potential customers through the pre- andpost- stages of your sales cycle.
 “Be the Voice” - Build your Business byBecoming your Industry’s Thought Leader© 2008, Spark Media Solutions, LLC.
 
Page 3
Help potential customers
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nd their way
Solution
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nders are self motivated. They wantanswers, and they appreciate honest and thoughtfulexplanations. More importantly than the answers,is they recognize and acknowledge the voicedelivering those answers. When creating customeditorial content, keep these issues in mind:
You’re not writing sales collateral.
You’recreating content to answer a question. If it’s asuf 
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cient “answer” then you’ve sold them on yourcredibility and your solution.
Put yourself in the mind of the individual ororganization with the problem.
Different peopleare brought in at different points in the sales cycle.Do you have the right information, produced in theright way, when that person needs it?
For the audience that doesn’t even knowyou exist, where do they go to
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nd answers?
Where do they spend their time? Find thoselocations (e.g. blogs, magazines, user groups) andspend time there as well. Participate in discussionseven when they’re not directly relevant to yourbusiness.
Make sure there’s a division between youreditorial content and marketing collateral.
Itshould be instantaneously clear to the audiencewhat is information and what is a sales pitch.Think about a magazine that has an article on theleft page and an advertisement on the right page.Editorial separated by advertising is an understoodand accepted relationship. Create the same dualtracks.
Purchase should be possible at any moment.
 Once you’ve created a separation betweeneditorial and marketing, making both visible andavailable, you’ve given your audience the optionto jump to purchase or additional purchase at anypoint along the sales cycle.You’re using custom editorial and social mediato move a would-be buyer through the purchasecycle. With this understanding, you’re ready to startcreating your editorial calendar.
Five phases of a purchase cycle
Assuming the product you’re selling is aconsidered purchase, like a service or pieceof technology, consumers will go through
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vedistinct phases (discovery, research, purchase,use, and additional purchase) to solve a givenissue. Except for the two purchase stages,traditional and new media custom publishingcombined with open discussion will movepotential customers and existing customersthrough the other three stages. Here’s a look ateach stage in isolation.
Phase 1: Discovery
There are an endless variety of ways potentialcustomers can discover your company and itssolutions. Here are some common examples:• Your business has an established brandfor which you’re always a top contender inyour category. • A media entity talking about a speci
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cissue mentions your business as offering adesired solution.• Potential customers ask a trusted friend/expert what solution they’d recommend.• Potential customers go to editorial sitesthey trust and search for possible solutions.• Potential customers do general searchesonline to read articles and see what’s beingdiscussed in blogs and discussion groups.• Potential customers happen upon yourbusiness serendipitously through traditionalmarketing or as they’re casually reading orlooking for other tangential, yet relevantinformation.continued...
 “Be the Voice” - Build your Business byBecoming your Industry’s Thought Leader© 2008, Spark Media Solutions, LLC.
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