Forty-one content marketing tips.

Forty-one content marketing tips in honor of turning forty-one. Since reasons to celebrate seem few and far between, why not stop and celebrate the power that is content marketing? I’m thankful I get to think about these things with other experts, friends, and clients all week long.

Which tip resonates with you the most?

1. Content should enable a connected conversation with your intended audience. There may be tangents, but it should always be a way to pull it back to its original intension.
2. Make statements.
3. Story before format.
4. Content strategy comes from the top down. It’s influenced by the bottom up.
5. Content should connect brand and product.
6. Leverage the power of writers and designers BEFORE you execute/produce content.
7. Make time for editing.
8. Make time to think.
9. Identify a neutral sounding board to vet ideas.
10. Content should not be an afterthought.
11. Do not underestimate the power of content.
12. Producing good content is 100% more beneficial than purchasing a list.
13. Content does not bring the traffic; content keeps the traffic.
14. Content puts audience first. Nothing else works as hard to keep your audience front and center.
15. Use fewer words.
16. Leverage your brand voice.
17. Know the conversations your brand has the right to have.
18. Content brings an organization together.
19. Quality content makes your job easier.
20. A lot of content produced is not effective. Say no to ineffective content.
21. Content review is not subjective.
22. Content marketing includes design.
23. Content marketing should make you feel something.
24. Create once, refine twice.
25. Content goes beyond product.
26. Re-use content.
27. Content creation deserves a process.
28. Content engagement should be measured.
29. Know your most popular content assets.
30. Create multiple paths to reach your content.
31. Fight for good content marketing talent.
32. Create a content purpose statement for your organization.
33. Share content with employees.
34. Content creation is deep work.
35. People will read content if it’s worth their time.
36. Content needs to deliver value. Every time.
37. Read your content out loud.
38. Retire content older than two years.
39. Sales data is an excellent source of content ideas.
40. Content has a specific role at each stage of the buyer journey.
41. Never stop reading. Ideas come from everywhere.