SPOILER ALERT: You’re about to learn the “secret” to outstanding content marketing strategy.

It is simple, but difficult: a complete commitment to consistent content.

Many mistake content marketing strategy for specific tools. Many are pleased to announce that yes, they too use Facebook or Twitter to market their business. Tools are important. Some are even necessary. But:

Tools do not equal marketing strategy.

"hang in there" applies to content, too

The real work is the commitment to create and maintain content. Doing so yields the greatest reward. If your goal is to use content for marketing purposes (“content marketing”), your content needs to be strategic. It needs to produced on an ongoing basis.

How to Build a Commitment to Content

• Avoid being “cheap and easy“. Like dating, this may get you through the door but it won’t get you home to meet Mama. (If “Mama” is your group of loyal and dedicated core of customers who easily find your content because others recommend it.)
• Be prepared. Start with an editorial calendar. We’re all publishers now! Hire someone to create quality content and to manage it for you if you cannot do this yourself. Consider user-generated content produced by your employees or customers, too. Remember: search engines reward quality content that other people deem worthy of sharing.
• Remember content is an asset. Treat it like a financial asset because it impacts your customers at every point in the customer lifecycle.

• Plan for the future. Your content should always be evolving, but, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for some creative “content upcycling“.

Be sure to “Like-Like” Your Content

If you do it right your content marketing strategy will function similarly to a strong personal relationship with your audience. Don’t overlook some quick parallels:

• The more you give, the more you get
• The better the communication, the happier all parties remain
• Those on the “inside” “get it”
• Intimacy built today will continue to increase in value

For every advance that makes it easier and faster to build a website there is an equal inverse relationship with the quality, time, and attention you’ll need to allocate to your content to stand out.

Get ready for the content commitment.