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Have you heard about the content revolution? Content is becoming the `must have' for business to gain competitive advantage. If you have doubts, an article titled, Matt Cutt says quality content is key to Google rankings (emphasis on quality) gives fair warning that Google is marching on the front lines.

What does the content revolution mean for business?
You need to make content a strategic priority. It's no longer good enough to rely on Adwords or word of mouth referrals if you want your business to thrive. If you think of your content as a business asset and you should you'll want to make sure you're not falling into some common traps.

1) Your content is old
When was the last time you read an old newspaper? Your content, just like a newspaper, goes stale at an alarming rate. If you're not contributing to your blog, updating your news feed, and publishing new information about your company, you quickly begin to lose the interest of your customers and prospects. The internet is a hungry beast and you have no choice but to keep feeding it.

2) You don't have enough
If it seems like a colossal effort to produce quality material, you're right. You should never consider your content creation to be a completed project. It's vital to have new stuff being published all the time. I see so many websites with one or two blog posts, a case study page saying "Coming Soon", or events pages with one, out-dated event. If that's what your website looks like, it's time to do something about it.

[color=black ]3) You don't have variety[/color]
Dedicating your time to doing one thing really well makes a lot of sense in the beginning. However, once you gain influence in one area, your customers will start looking for you in other places. A blog is a good place to start but you should be backing it up with social media activity. You can curate content on Facebook and Twitter to complement your business. You should also plan to produce one longer piece of content monthly or quarterly a customer success story, a white paper, or a video help add depth to your marketing.

4) The quality is poor
Getting a good deal on a cheap website might be the worst deal you ever make. The image of your company is reflected in the investment made in your collateral both design and content. If you're selling high-ticket items, charging premium consulting fees or trying to attract large corporate customers, your website and marketing material better look like your business warrants the revenue you expect. You're fooling yourself if you think `cheap and cheerful' will cut it.

5) It makes you look stupid
While many people consider spelling and grammar to be a big hassle, it's essential to presenting your business in a professional light. Errors in your copy send a distinct message that you don't care, you're sloppy in your own work or you're just plain stupid. If your staff isn't able to cope, contract your writing out to a qualified copywriter. It's also a good idea to invest in the services of an editor. I like to think I'm particular about the rules of writing but I've never worked with an editor that didn't find something to fix.

6) You sound just like everyone else
If your content is full of gobbledygook or you're snatching all your ideas from competitors, you're not doing yourself any favours. Creating original content takes a lot of planning and even more effort but the pay-off is big. So many businesses go on auto pilot when they pitch their products and services. Think of how you can describe yourself differently; inject some enthusiasm and lose the jargon and clichés.

Using the Content Revolution to Build Assets
There's no denying were in the middle of a seismic shift in how we're presenting our companies to market. All indicators point to the need for quality content. As consumers continue to educate themselves with the web being the first stop for any research, businesses with plenty of original content are going to come out ahead. Start thinking of your marketing collateral as an investment in your business not a necessary evil and you'll be on the path to creating valuable assets for your organisation.

WHAT OTHER IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE IN CONTENT?

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Image Credit: JD Hancock, on Flickr