Shortcuts to Leveraging Intellectual Capital

Makovsky

When speaking to current or potential clients, we often hear that partners, executives or consultants have very little time, if any, to develop effective intellectual capital. Bylined articles, white papers, blog entries and similar work can be an integral part of a comprehensive public relations program, and a unique way to publish content that reflects your point of view – without being relegated to one line of commentary in a larger piece.

Small and mid-sized professional services firms face an uphill battle. Larger accounting firms and management consultancies have dedicated resources to produce intellectual capital, and reap the benefits by publishing insightful, timely content. How can a small firm keep up when time is at a premium?

Often, the answer lies in making the most of what has already been done. For many of our clients who are subject matter experts on a given topic, it’s common for them to have spoken publicly or internally on the topic in recent past. PowerPoint presentations, scripts and even talking points can all be leveraged to generate additional content without reinventing the wheel. For those who speak extemporaneously, transcripts are easy to generate, which in turn provides ample material to convert remarks to a bylined article or similar piece. For those who have yet found the opportunity to present their ideas in person, we find it helpful to start the process with a brief list of questions that – when answered – can then be used to develop a narrative on the topic.

The most important this is to never be afraid of a blank page. Given a few shortcuts, it can be an easy process to convert your ideas to intellectual capital that can help you share your ideas, network with other experts and promote your brand.