There’s never been more hype around content marketing. And data shows the hype is real. More companies are investing more resources into content strategy and creation than ever before. Most of them are reporting some sort of success too.

But what defines it as an actual marketing discipline? How do you actually plan a strategy and execute it?

These questions stem from one simple source of anxiety: the fear of not doing things the right way. This leads to a lot of marketers doing a lot of things in exactly the same way. We all begin to follow one another instead of finding our own way forward.

So, what’s the problem? Most of the advice you’ll read on the web will come from people whose professional experiences and backgrounds may be wildly different from your own (a challenge all content marketers face). This tweet from Podia’s Len Markidan resonates:

Len Markidan tweet

That’s where this guide comes in. We want to show you how to figure out what will work best in your own unique situation, rather than tell you only what’s worked for us. It will include examples from all kinds of different industries, with data from all kinds of different sources, to help you move forward with confidence and succeed at building your business with content marketing.

By the time you’ve completed this guide, you’ll understand all of the following:

What is (and is not) content marketing. Find the answers you’re looking for in terms that are easy to understand. Plus, learn how to build the case for content within your organization and show its value to your stakeholders.
How to develop and document an actionable content marketing strategy. Plan your work, then work your plan with clear guidance and a simple template.
How to measure the results of your work. Connecting content directly to revenue is difficult (and some smart people say impossible). But we’ll show you how to measure the business impact of what you create (so you can keep your job and get more investment).

Put on some coffee, bookmark this page, and let’s get down to work.