Marcom Expert Taleena Alim Helps Brands With Winning Thought Leadership Content

Taleena Alim is a veteran thought leadership writer working with Pepper. She has been a marketing and advertising communications professional for seven years. She chose a freelancing career, as it gave her a flexible work opportunity. 

“Being in the advertising space, I have handled many projects related to communication: articles, brochures, press releases, and white papers in print media. Now, although more and more people are shifting to digital platforms, the essence of communication stays the same,”

Her Journey in Marketing Communications

During her time as a marketing communications (marcom) professional, Taleena worked with several B2B companies on communication projects like websites, blogs, and press releases. She helped them by managing projects on a freelance basis. She also collaborated with professionals from other verticals, such as design and copywriting, to handle processes end-to-end.

“I’ve worked in various industries, from edtech to manufacturing. So, I gained hands-on experience conceptualizing content strategies and executing them. This helped me develop the skills needed to ideate and create thought leadership content,”

Her time as a marcom professional helped her acquire crucial skills good thought leadership writers need. She not only developed a creative edge, but also began to understand the nuanced thought processes of business leaders.

The Growing Need for Thought Leadership Content

Thought leadership content is an opportunity for brands to demonstrate their expertise in a domain. “Sharing hands-on industry experience with target customers helps brands build credibility,” she adds.

She mentions that thought leadership content builds brand awareness among existing as well as potential customers. She recently worked on a set of five thought leadership pieces for a renowned management consultant.

“Such content enhances a business’ profile, changes the way people perceive it, and generates leads,”

Taleena believes that thought leadership content will remain instrumental for businesses, as ecommerce is snowballing.

“People buy from companies that have a credible online image and strong personal brand. Sugar Cosmetics, for example, can take on industry giants because of the strong image of its co-founder Vineeta Singh,”

Working With Pepper

Taleena came across Pepper in 2020, and decided to sign up as a creator.

Taleena finally moved ahead with the process, and did exceptionally well in our screening tests. Soon enough, we recognized her talent as a thought leadership writer.

With her creative writing skills, Taleena has worked with many entrepreneurs and business leaders to turn their ideas into words that connect with their audience. She has worked across different content formats, such as blogs and social media posts, for clients in edtech and consulting.

The Art of Writing Good Thought Leadership Content

According to Taleena, well-written thought leadership content is possible only when the writer knows how to get into the shoes of a leader. In-depth research and an open mindset are other essential ingredients in the recipe.

As part of the process, she first understands the client’s point of view. Next, she spends some time understanding the goals, motivations, and pain points of the audience they are catering to. 

“To be a good thought leadership writer, you must understand the subject well. Extensive research is a must in this case. If relevant data doesn’t back your content, it will appear as fluff,” Taleena says. She may not be a subject matter expert, but given the exposure she has had to leaders across industries over the years, she can perceive their mindsets well. This helps her assist brands in creating expert content that resonates with their audience. 

During her career as a communications specialist, she interacted with many top-level business professionals.

“They always see the big picture and aim to build a brand around their values. While writing content for leaders, I avoid a sales-y tone, and try to create a connection with their audience to build trust,”

She also seeks inspiration from renowned thought leaders. Anand Mahindra, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Peyush Bansal are some of the business leaders she actively follows. “Engaging with the ideas and experiences of thought leaders teaches you a lot,” she says.

Her Message to Fellow Thought Leadership Writers

Taniya advises aspiring leadership writers to gain some understanding of management and leadership strategies. It helps them develop an insight into how leaders think. The content they write should be based on these insights.

“Following noted thought leaders helps power the process of creation. Many leaders are active online, and consistently share content you can take inspiration from. When it comes to writing such content, the key is to convey your point strongly and clearly. Substance matters more than anything else,”

We are delighted to work with creators like Taleena, who turn their years of experience into winning content for industry leaders. Many other thought leadership content experts are currently helping Pepper’s clients make their mark. If you’re a thinker and have a way with words, hop on board as a Pepper creator!