Content marketing is hardly a secret in 2015. While a lot of brands are eager to throw their hats into the ring, not all of them are entering the fray with a solid game plan. Anyone can craft content, but only the brands with a clear strategy will be able to rise above the noise and impact their target audience. If you are posting regularly but have not seen the results you’d hoped for, here are some questions for you:

Is your content helpful? If someone has stumbled upon your content, they probably have a question they need answered. If it’s not clear that you can answer that question—and fast—then they’ll simply go somewhere else.
Do you know your audience? Sure, you probably have a good idea of your target demographic, but what are their browsing habits? Where do they go for content, and what type of media (e.g., video, podcast, blog) do they prefer?
What are your goals, anyway? Are you trying to make a direct sale, or are you simply trying to raise brand awareness? Knowing this will determine how you approach your content—and what metrics you use to measure success.

If you’re finding it tricky to answer any of these questions, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. Fortunately, we’ve got just the primer to help breathe new life into your content marketing efforts!

As we explain in our best-selling book, The Social Employee (McGraw-Hill, 2013), content marketing is a cornerstone of any social business—one driven by engaged, activated social employees. Regularly putting out quality, useful content lets the world know what your brand is all about, a way of broadcasting your mission, vision, and values.

But remember, a brand cannot communicate externally unless it can first communicate internally.

Want to learn how it’s done? Order The Social Employee today!

Below are recent endorsements for The Social Employee (McGraw-Hill, August 2013) by Tom Peters and David Aaker on their social networks, but if you want to see more of their endorsements click here.

In The Social Employee, we go behind the scenes with several leading brands—such as IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo—pulling the lid off the inspiring social business success stories that have propelled these companies into the 21st century. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

See what others are saying about The Social Employee and order your copy today!

Please check out @SocialEmployee media buzz!

“Great brands have always started on the inside, but why are companies taking so long to leverage the great opportunities offered by internal social media? . . . The Social Employee lifts the lid on this potential and provides guidance for businesses everywhere.” —JEZ FRAMPTON, Global Chairman and CEO, Interbrand

The Social Employee offers an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the social business success stories of some of the biggest brand names in the business world, including IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

The brands that leverage their employee base in order to engage customers and prospects through social media are the ones destined to win the marketing wars. This book not only details the astronomical rise of the social employee, but also outlines the innovative methods that leading companies have employed to foster cultures of enthusiastic and engaged workers.

FOREWORD by David C. Edelman, Global Co-Leader, Digital Marketing & Sales Practice, McKinsey & Company

AFTERWORD by Kevin Randall, Vice President of Brand Strategy & Research at Movéo Integrated Branding, and journalist for The New York Times, The Economist and Vanity Fair.