"If 2008 was the year social media went mainstream, 2009 should be the year of content marketing, the corporation as media company, the brand as publisher and broadcaster," says Junta 42 publisher Joe Pulizzi.
It's true that much of what you read these days about online marketing is about using Twitter, Facebook and social sites effectively. And most of what experts are saying about using these sites has to do with the quality of your messages and how to tie into building your brand and relationships.
If you haven't been keeping up with all this, don't worry. Some of us just aren't early adopters. We can wait for the dust to settle and just learn from the mistakes of others, after the best practices are ironed out. But get prepared because much of this will become as mainstream as email.
What is becoming crucial is that we can no longer afford to NOT pay attention to content marketing, be it on a blog, email newsletters, or on Twitter.
It doesn't matter if you're part of a big corporation trying to brand and market your products and services, or a solo professional or small business owner.
Creating content that engages readers is the challenge. You can forget going out and buying an ad. You've got to write – or hire someone to write for you.
Joe Pulizzi writes from a corporate perspective and gives 10 Content Marketing Tips to Start Now for 2009.
