Hot on the heels of the release of the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends study from MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute, we're taking a look back at the most valuable and indispensable content marketing resources of 2014.
The study found that just 35% of marketers have a documented content strategy, and those without a strategy are eight times less likely to say they're effective at content marketing.
As you prepare your content marketing strategy for the coming year (and you ARE preparing one, right?) ,keep the following expert tips, advice, and guides in mind.
The Art and Science of Content Marketing and Storytelling
1. The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool—Harvard Business Review
Executive coach and bestselling author Harrison Monarth explains what Budweiser and Shakespeare have in common in this column on the power of storytelling for brands.
2. Introducing the Periodic Table of Content Marketing—Econsultancy
Chris Lake shares a visual guide to the elements of successful content in this quick reference infographic, styled after the periodic table of elements.
3. The Art and Science of Content Marketing [Infographic]—MarketingProfs
Does content marketing success require left or right-brain thinking? This helpful infographic from Salesforce and Kapost points you in the right direction.
4. The Anatomy of a Perfect Blog Post: The Data on Headlines, Length, Images and More—Buffer
Kevan Lee reveals the seven essential elements of a perfect blog post, with detailed and specific tips for achieving perfection in each one.
5. How to Use Data to Improve Your Content Marketing Strategy—Content Marketing Institute
In a sea of data, which metrics actually matter for content strategy? Ben Harper identifies four types of data we should be studying and shares tools for monitoring and measuring each.
6. The Science of Great Digital Content Ideas—Moz
Isn't creativity best performed in an environment free of constraints and boundaries? Simon Penson makes the argument for creativity as a process in this in-depth column on the science behind creative content.
Creating Awesome, High-Quality Content
7. This Writing GPS Helps You Create Ridiculously Good Content—MarketingProfs
"Good writing takes planning and preparation; it doesn't just emerge, fully formed, as if from the head of Zeus. Or your own head, for that matter," writes Ann Handley in this excerpt from her new book, Everybody Writes. Learn from the first person in history to have held the title of "chief content officer" as she outlines a 12-step process for creating relatively long text—blog posts, articles, e-books, whitepapers, website content, and the like.
8. 11 Essential Ingredients Every Blog Post Needs—Copyblogger
Writing your blog post is only an initial step in creating great content. Demian Farnworth outlines an editing process for ensuring each of the critical elements of an effective blog post is accounted for, with an infographic for easy reference.
9. Seven Content Marketing Tips for Media Pickup and Massive Exposure—MarketingProfs
In this column, I shared a proven, replicable process for creating and promoting content designed to resonate with media, earning your brand valuable media mentions and backlinks.
10. 10 Ways to Create Contagious Content for Your Social Media Marketing—Jeff Bullas
There is an art to creating social content that people just can't wait to share. Jeff Bullas dives into the psychology of social sharing, with a set of guidelines for creating more shareable content.
11. 3 Steps to Identify Blog Topics That Are Relevant to Your Audience—Moz
Aleyda Solis shares a simple, step-by-step process that every content marketer should exercise in the creation of effective content that provide the relevance that audiences crave.
12. 10 Content Marketing Growth Hacks [With Infographic]—Unbounce
Want to become a content hacker? Garrett Moon outlines each of the 10 hacks you can use to gain traffic and increase revenue faster than you might have expected, with an accompanying infographic you'll want to keep on hand.
13. 3 Techniques That Will Double Your Social Media Content With Half the Effort—KISSmetrics
Half the battle in content marketing is finding the time and resources to dedicate to it. Neil Patel outlines three techniques companies of all sizes can use to become more productive and effective at the creation of social media content.
14. Content Without Strategy Is Just Stuff—Joe Pulizzi
Content marketing master Joe Pulizzi shared this entertaining and informative post on his LinkedIn blog. Check it out and learn how to avoid falling into the trap of creating a bunch of stuff.
Converting With Content
15. The Big List of 189 Words That Convert—Buffer