How to create the best content for inbound marketing.

OK, you've committed to inbound marketing, now what? Time to fuel the machine. Inbound marketing is fueled by content, but not just any content. It must be both timely and relevant to your audiences. Some so-called inbound experts often confuse crap for content and it's a costly error. Your customers are not looking for meaningless content. They are looking for information that helps them achieve a goal. It's your job to figure out what those goals are and provide content to address them. To avoid producing crappy content, here are some helpful guidelines:

© illustration by Outside Source Design, 2013

1. Know your audiences. Understand whom you are communicating and what information they are seeking.
2. Keywords are not content. Keywords are a useful tool, but they are in no way a replacement for good information.
3. Get a second opinion. Let someone else review your content before you publish it. Could be a peer. Could be a friend. Could be a client or customer. Regardless, sometimes it's good to get an objective opinion.
4. Stay on subject. Stick to a single subject and don't stray.
5. Educate or entertain. Pick one. If it doesn't do one or the other, then scrap it. If it does both, then cheers.
6. Measure and adapt. Look at your metrics. Review what content is being viewed and what content is being ignored. Get rid of the bad stuff and add more good stuff.

What do you think? Are we off our collective rocker? Let us know what content challenges you are facing.