Every now and then, a new buzzword hits the business world sending people scrambling to make sense of it all.
A few years ago it was social media. I remember having a conversation with a marketing executive at a large multi-national corporation and she asked "are you doing Twitter?"
Seemed like a ridiculous question at the time, but looking back Twitter was initially perceived by many as a frivolous platform where people talked about what they had for breakfast. Not many marketers understood the true potential of Twitter - and social media in general - until they started seeing mainstream examples.
Today's buzzword is content marketing. Over the past few years, the term has been rising in mainstream popularity, hitting marketers everywhere and leaving them scrambling to figure out what it really means and how it really works.
But the reality is that if you've worked in the startup world, content marketing isn't a new concept. In fact, many startups gain early traction based purely on a solid content marketing strategy.
And most companies, whether they know it or not, are already doing some form of content marketing. But what's often missing is a well thought out and documented strategy, that takes into account business goals and the how, what and why of the execution side of things.
But where do you start? Whether you're a startup, a big organization or somewhere in between, here's a curated list with some key resources for both newbies and advanced marketers looking to take their content strategy to the next level.
Content College - Lesson I
This is the perfect starting point if you're building a strategy from the ground up. Here's a look at Lesson 1, with more advanced strategies to come in future videos.
Storytelling Lessons From Kevin Spacey
Storytelling is at the essence of creating good content. If you haven't yet seen this speech by Kevin Spacey, it perfectly captures why telling a story is the number one way to engage.
The 7 Business Goals of Content Marketing
Understanding your business goals is a key part of developing a content marketing strategy, ensuring your efforts are aligned with what you're trying to accomplish.
The Advanced Content Marketing Guide
A comprehensive guide that looks at the tactics involved in creating, publishing and promoting your content across a variety of channels.
50 Tools to Jumpstart Your Content Marketing
From from content discovery to content creation, promotion and measurement tools this is the ultimate with almost everything you'll need.
How Video Plays a Crucial Role in Content Marketing
It has never been easier to produce and promote video for those of us with little to no skills in the area. Find out why this could be an integral part of your strategy.
Panties, Patterns And The Problem With Content Marketing
Understanding the problems as well as the advantages of creating content is key - here's a look at some of the inherent problems and how to avoid them.
Know of any killer content marketing resources? Would love to hear about them!