On paper, everything seems fine. Your content calendar is full, webinars are scheduled, LinkedIn posts go out like clockwork, and you’re publishing blogs with reassuring regularity. So, why is nothing happening? 

You’re seeing no increase in leads. No meaningful differentiation. No real change in the market. Just more content being diligently created, published, and then lost in the bottomless pit of the internet. 

If that sounds familiar, the issue probably isn’t content volume, frequency, or even quality. It’s about your content’s authority – or more precisely, the lack of it. 

Most brands don’t have a content problem. They have a courage problem. Let’s talk about it. 

When content becomes camouflage 

Content remains a key difference-maker for brands. But to achieve success, you need to get it right. The numbers speak for themselves – the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 95% of hidden buyers believe compelling thought leadership makes them more open to sales and marketing outreach.  

Good content marketing is still capable of doing the heavy lifting before a sales conversation even begins. It can be the difference between a prospect forgetting who you are and reaching out to arrange a call. 

The same report found bold and attention-grabbing content that challenges the status quo is exactly what hidden buyers are looking for:  

  • 86% favour perspectives that challenge their assumptions. 
  • 91% want insights that uncover unseen risks or opportunities. 
  • 60% prefer unique formats or styles. 

So why are so many brands churning out multiple pages of safe, agreeable content that neither offends nor convinces anyone?  

This is the kind of content that fails quietly. It drains budget, time, and resources while slowly training the market to ignore you. You might be publishing, but you aren’t leading. And as a result, you aren’t performing. 

The AI effect 

How many times have you read a LinkedIn post and realised you’ve seen the same message in slightly different formats a hundred times before? You probably sigh, scroll, and instantly forget about it. AI hasn’t created this issue, but it has shone a light on it. 

When everyone can generate readable, well-structured content at speed, competence stops being a differentiator. If everyone is a thought leader, no one is. 

AI’s Pandora’s box is well and truly open, and audiences are more discerning than ever. They can smell AI-generated content from a mile away. What they’re looking for is originality, new perspectives, and maybe even something that shocks them.  

With AI causing so much content to sound identical, anything that dares to go against the grain stands out more than ever before, too.  

So, how can brands create content that actually makes people take notice? It all starts with the right strategy. 

Why content strategies fail 

Many content strategies fail not because they’re poorly executed, but because they’re designed to avoid friction. That might be friction from internal teams, higher-ups at the company, or even the content’s target audience. 

Effective strategies don’t shy away from friction for the sake of an easy life. They jump off the fence and proudly showcase what they think works. 

To create content strategies that make a difference, organisations must give teams license to ask uncomfortable questions: 

  • What do we believe that others aren’t saying? 
  • Where do we disagree with the general consensus? 
  • What have we learned the hard way that would genuinely help our audience? 
  • What’s a popular approach in our industry that we don’t feel works? 

Brands often hesitate here because taking a clear position feels risky. Worst of all, it introduces the possibility of disagreement. Answering these kinds of questions requires trust, alignment, and a willingness to challenge internal comfort zones. Otherwise, the market will decide your position for you. 

Candour conveys authority 

Authority doesn’t just mean shouting about your wins. It takes real bravery to be honest about your failures, too. 

Have you ever attended a conference hoping to gain valuable insights, only to find yourself listening to a conveyor belt of speakers trying to convince you their shiny new strategy is best? By the end, it feels like you’ve sat through an eight-hour advertisement. 

In these scenarios, executives who are brave enough to say what didn’t work for them instantly stand out from those who only talk about success. 

This kind of candour means being vulnerable, analytical, and honest with yourself. It doesn’t mean performative emotion or attention-seeking.  

When done well, candour builds credibility and earns trust by sharing hard-earned insight to help others make tough decisions. 

Why leaders matter 

Real authority lives in people, not logos. A 2024 APCO report on CEO thought leadership found that more than three-quarters of people said a CEO’s reputation directly influences their decision-making, from product purchases to investment decisions. 

CEOs and experienced leaders provide a personal perspective that connects with people on a level generic corporate pages can’t match. 

Inform your content approach by interviewing your leaders. Challenge them, and ask them to share their perspectives. Find out how they feel about the state of their industry, the mistakes they’ve seen, and the assumptions they disagree with. It could even be as simple as encouraging them to record their thoughts once a week on the drive to the office. 

This isn’t about turning every CEO into a full-time content creator. Executives don’t have the time or inclination for that, and nor should they. What they do have is valuable insight that can form the basis for bold content that reflects real, authoritative points of view. 

Bold doesn’t mean reckless 

CEOs form a crucial part of a brand’s identity, but that cuts both ways. 

When leaders drift into personal politics or unfiltered opinions, the damage can be significant: 

  • John Mackey’s outspoken views, both during and after his tenure at Whole Foods, repeatedly pulled attention away from the business itself. 

Effective thought leadership is bold and outspoken, but crucially, it’s also aligned to business goals. Your content should be opinionated about the work, the market, and the decisions buyers care about – not about everything else. 

Courage is a strategic choice 

Authority isn’t accidental – it’s a conscious, strategic decision. 

Building brand authority means empowering CEOs and internal teams alike to create content that speaks clearly and frankly. It means accepting that not everyone will agree, and understanding that audiences appreciate confidence and conviction, not blind consensus. 

If your content feels busy but bland, ask yourself a simple question: do you really lack content, or do you just lack courage? 

Let SALT.agency help you with your content marketing strategy 

Did this article get your attention? Our content marketing services help brands earn attention, build authority, and get target audiences talking. If you need support with your content strategy, get in touch.