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64 Content Marketing Essentials You Need to Know Before 2013

Essential content marketing - cover2012 was quite the year for content marketing. As the discipline and marketers mature and social platforms explode, there is no shortage of things we have learned — and there’s always so much more that we can learn. At the Content Marketing Institute, we are so lucky to have the brightest contributors talking about everything from content marketing strategy to distribution.

In case you didn’t catch them all, or you want a refresher on some of the ones that are most valuable to you, here are more than 60 essentials we learned:

1. There are 21 types of content people crave. (Scott Aughtmon)

2. If you want to study content marketing, Coca-Cola is a great place to start:

3. Content marketing and social media are indeed two distinct disciplines. (Toby Murdock)

4. Search engine optimization (SEO) can feel confounding, but it doesn’t need to:

5. Women rock, especially in content marketing. Check out this list — and the extensive comments our readers posted — of more than 20 women you may want to follow. (Joe Chernov)

6. Keeping track of all of the ideas you have around content is tough. Learn how to create a dashboard to keep the suggestions organized. (Roger C. Parker)

7. If you want to keep your content marketing projects on track, you need to ask the right questions before you get started. Here are 15 of the most essential ones. (Clare McDermott)

8. A content marketing mission statement is essential, as it keeps your team driving toward the same goal while telling your audience members how your business can help them. (Joe Pulizzi)

9. B2B marketers use LinkedIn most often, whereas B2C marketers prefer Facebook. (B2B and B2C Content Marketing 2013: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends)

10. There are at least 14 social platforms marketers use to distribute content — and there are brands who use all of them well (get tips and examples). (Michele Linn)

11. People love content idea suggestions when they are in the process of planning and budgeting — and here are 42 for 2013. (Joe Pulizzi)

12. To make sure your content is the best it can be, there are 13 things you should do before you hit the publish button. (Heidi Cohen)

13. And, there are also 19 things you should do after you publish a blog post. (Brody Dorland)

14. Pinterest is an increasingly popular social platform, with 26 percent of B2B and 35 percent of B2C marketers using it. Here are nine board ideas to inspire you. (Andreea Ayers)

15. Marketers love insight into what’s on the horizon for their industries. See what tops the list for 2013 content marketing and social media predictions. (Joe Pulizzi)

16. Planning content takes time, but there are a few things you can do to make the process easier, including using this worksheet. (Roger C. Parker)

17. One great way to tell your brand story is through the Facebook Timeline. (Debbie Williams)

18. If you are like the 39 percent of B2B marketers and 41 percent of B2C marketers using Google+, here are two brand examples you don’t want to miss. (Adam Barber)

19. Need examples of great content marketing?

20. Titles can make or break your content:

21. If you are not sure what to blog about, try this approach to plan your posts a year in advance. (Laura Roeder)

22. Content marketers love tools and technologies to help them do their jobs better:

23. Infographics were the rage in 2012, but with so many published, how can you stand out in the crowd?:

24. Don’t overlook the importance of design when creating content. Here are seven readability tips to make your content more engaging. (Roger C. Parker)

25. On the other hand, don’t focus only on the look of your content. Remember that in brand storytelling, words matter as much as design. (Debbie Williams)

26. The content engineer? Read about this new breed of marketer who is emerging. (Pelin Thorogood and Erik Bratt)

27. Think you know everything you’ll need to create an effective web page? Check out this A to Z guide to make sure you have your bases covered. (Jessica Lee)

28. SlideShare grabbed a lot of attention with content marketers this year:

29. Content curation is something that should be on the radar of all content marketers:

30. Do you want your content to catch attention (who doesn’t)? Here are six ways to make that happen. (Scott Aughtmon)

31.  Mind mapping is a great way to get inspired and organize your content ideas:

32. Even as marketers get more technologically and socially savvy, you can’t forget the basics, like having a strong call to action. Here are three proven formulas to create them. (Mark Sherbin)

33. The C-suite continues to be an elusive audience. Here are tips on how to use content to connect with executives. (Roanne Neuwirth)

34. Video continues to be a popular tactic, with 70 percent of B2B and B2C marketers using the format in their content efforts. Here are tips on making video work well for your brand. (Adria Saracino)

35. How do you create content for all of the different devices out there? See how publishers are shifting away from a website-first mentality. (Mark Sherbin)

36. There are four content marketing metrics that all marketers should be measuring. (CMI)

37. One great way to learn about content strategy is to look at what others are doing and reverse engineer their processes to suit your business. (Simon Penson)

38. You can create engaging content on any topic — even for industries that some might consider “boring.” (Sean McVey)

39. Continuously coming up with new topics for your content can be a challenge. One way to make it easier is to mine your analytics for ideas. (Rick Allen)

40. What’s the next frontier in content marketing? Some would argue it’s personalized content. (Mark Sherbin)

41. What are marketers at leading B2B and B2C brands doing when it comes to content marketing? Check out these interviews to get the inside scoop:

42. Print as a content medium in 2012? Absolutely! Here are seven reasons to consider print in your non-traditional content strategy. And — shameless plug — don’t miss our print magazine, Chief Content Officer. (Joe Pulizzi)

What’s missing from this list? What was one of your favorite content marketing essentials discussed this year?

And don’t forget to stay up to date on content marketing trends in 2013 by signing up for our email alerts.

Cover image via Bigstockphoto.

Michele Linn

Michele Linn

Michele Linn is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Mantis Research, a consultancy focused on helping brands create and amplify original research they can use in their marketing. Before starting Mantis, Michele was head of editorial at Content Marketing Institute, where she led the company's strategic editorial direction, co-developed its annual research studies, wrote hundreds of articles, spoke at industry events and was instrumental in building the platform to 200,000 subscribers. In 2015, she was named one of Folio's Top Women in Media (Corporate Visionary). You can follow her on Twitter at @michelelinn.