Seven Principles Of Content Marketing

Now that we’ve all agreed that “Content is King (Again),” and Content Marketing is all the rage, maybe it is time to think about some easy-to-follow tenets. Let’s keep this simple.

Follow a 70/30 Rule – 70% of content curated, 30% branded. Why? Because the rest-of-the-world is at least 70% more interesting than your brand; and, promoting external content builds social capital, makes grateful fans of influencers.

All content should be SHAREWORTHY. Don’t publish junk. Better to be quiet than to queer the signal-to-noise ratio.

All content should benefit SEO. Note that search engines increasingly favor Social Signals and Blended Results (multimedia). Keyword optimize your content whenever possible and appropriate, across all channels.

All content should be digestible. Big pieces should be readily and easily broken-down into component parts (e.g., a big infographic could be made available in smaller chunks)

Content should be channel optimized (by channel, by device) and distributed synchronously across social outposts.

Earned Media (MSM or fan-generated) is the best media. (Really? Yes.) A reputation for credibility trumps a reputation for creativity: credibility today lends authority to the creative endeavors of tomorrow. And in our overheated media market, credibility comes from third-party influencers and from peers.

Paid Promotion – deployed flexibly, for the best earned media (primarily) or for the best branded content (secondarily) should be used to extend content lifecycle. Where it makes sense, Social Advertising should tout user plaudits vs. features/benefits: make the customer the star.

… There are more than 7 principles in successful content marketing, of course. And some might argue that these are not even the most important seven. Let’s hear your thoughts: what are the must-have considerations for success?

Continue reading here: Current State Of The Pr Industry Annenberg Study

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