What problem does thought leadership solve for professional services firms?

Prospective clients struggle to determine which firm is right for them because they can’t judge a firm’s expertise from the outside. Thought leadership helps them navigate this uncertainty by showing how the consultants at your firm think and solve problems. 

A professional services firm’s thinking is the product that they are selling. This means that it’s smart business to do your thinking in public; you’re showcasing your product.

Thought leadership should be helpful content—consider it a gift to the industry that helps people think about how to achieve their goals and do their jobs better.

What is a Subject Matter Unicorn (SMU)?

Every successful services firm has subject matter experts, but too often they don’t share their expertise in a way that helps to market the firm. At Scribewise, we help busy consultants become what we call “subject matter unicorns” (SMUs). An SMU is an elevated subject matter expert who:

• Creates thoughtful, helpful content
• Distributes it widely
• Builds a base of raving fans
• Continues serving clients effectively

It’s the “superpowered” version of an SME.

What is a “neon fingerprint”?

It’s your firm’s unmistakable, unignorable identifier—what makes your people inside and outside the firm easily recognize that something has come from you. Identifying it requires answering questions about skills, strengths, preferred work, client patterns, market direction and long-term goals. Learn more about differentiating your firm here.

Who should be chosen as a Subject Matter Unicorn?

There’s a tendency at just about every firm to instantly think that thought leadership is the CEO or managing partner’s job; this isn’t necessarily true. We recommend focusing on highlighting consultants who:

• Have insights that align with your firm’s thinking
• Are senior enough to carry authority
• Face customers or prospects regularly
• Can commit to a consistent cadence

The SMUs with the most impact are often those with both strong ideas and the energy to follow through.

Why is LinkedIn the primary platform for SMUs?

Because your audience is active and engaged there. It’s crowded and imperfect, but it remains the most effective social network for sparking professional conversations, garnering visibility, and building trust. 

What should SMUs know about how LinkedIn works?

First and foremost, LinkedIn is not just a place to post your resume. It’s a social platform, and like other social platforms, it’s all about interaction. 

It’s important to find the right balance between posting frequency and post quality—a lot of surface-level, AI-written junk is going to do more harm than good. Quality posting leads to conversations, which lead to broader reach and help to establish an individual consultant’s expertise. The algorithm constantly changes, so SMUs should stay attentive and adaptable.

What’s the first thing an SMU should do on LinkedIn?

It’s important to have a buttoned-up LinkedIn profile if you want to be taken seriously. The key elements to a LinkedIn profile include:

• A story-driven headline
• Updated headshot
• Featured posts and media
• Complete job history
• Education and volunteer work
• Recommendations from colleagues and clients (the algorithm rewards them)

How often should SMUs post on LinkedIn?

Aim for 2–3 posts per week; if you can do more, great, but it’s vital that you don’t let the quality slip. Consistency increases visibility and helps the algorithm favor your profile.

What types of content perform well?

All types: short-form posts, long-form posts, slide shows, simple videos… whatever works for you. SMUs should write until their point is made—no required length. Video can be as simple as a Zoom recording. Once you’re actively engaged, it makes sense to look at your analytics and see what is performing, and double down on that.

How can SMUs increase their reach on LinkedIn?

By creating “human content,” asking questions, being provocative in a thoughtful way, and—critically—by commenting thoughtfully on industry discussions, especially those started by influencers. Commenting on the posts of others is vitally important; not only does it expose you to their audiences, but it demonstrates that you are truly interested in the conversation. 

Why is patience important on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn activity doesn’t shorten the sales cycle overnight. But over time, consistent posting creates familiarity, warms leads and shortens the sales cycle because prospects feel they “already know” the consultant.

What obstacles typically stop consultants from becoming SMUs?

If becoming an SMU was easy, everyone would do it. Creating a thought leadership program that moves the needle is very much like going to the gym—you have to do it the right way, consistently over time in order to see results.

• Idea generation – solved with content calendars and repurposing existing materials.
• Time constraints – solved with batching and scheduling posts.
• Writing ability – solved with marketing help, writers, or cautious use of AI.
• Consistency – solved through habit-building and coaching.

Why is video a recommended shortcut?

A 20–30 minute recorded conversation can be edited into a bunch of 30–45 second clips. Extemporaneous speaking feels more natural and less scripted for SMEs, and audiences react positively to this. Don’t try to be perfect; be authentic.

Is LinkedIn enough on its own?

No—because buyers need to encounter you in multiple locations; additionally, AI answer engines pull information from across the internet, favoring credible, third-party websites and media outlets. We recommend that firms explore all of these channels:

• Vertical trade press
• Company blog
• Writing books (a lot of work!)
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Podcasts
• Slack communities
• Micro-events and intimate gatherings

What metrics should firms track?

We are now able to track total online visibility through tools like Scrunch, which track the sources that AI answer engines are using to provide answers to users. Other possible metrics include:

• LinkedIn impressions and engagement
• Follower growth
• Media circulation
• Website traffic (less important than it used to be)
• “Thoughtful shares”
• New contacts
• Leads generated

But firms should not obsess over dashboards—the goal is human connection.

What is “dark social”?

It refers to people who consume thought leadership silently—without liking, commenting, or engaging publicly. They may share content privately or refer to you through offline conversations, and you may never see the activity… but it is having a positive impact.

How do you know if your thought leadership is working?

There’s no universal benchmark. Success looks like:

• Warmer outreach
• Easier meeting-booking
• Increasing inbound interest
• Prospects saying things like: “I read your post about X and realized you’d be perfect for this project.”

What mindset does an SMU need?

Unicorns share a unique way of seeing the world. They’re able to zoom out to see the big picture, but also to zoom in and get granular. They help others make unexpected connections, share generously, and embrace authenticity. They also need a certain amount of grit—being a Subject Matter Unicorn is engaging in a conversation that never ends.