Think Content Marketing is just a fad? We recently returned from Content Marketing World where 3,500 marketing executives, from 17 countries and 40 of the FORTUNE 100 participated in dozens of breakout sessions and keynotes all focused on today’s hottest marketing trend, content marketing. Regardless of business or target audience, content is King today and here are our Top 11 tips from our visit to Content Marketing World:

1. If a piece of content performs particularly well, don’t do more like it. Do more with it. Repurpose across channels.
2. No one cares about you. They care about themselves. Develop content based on the customer’s needs and wants.
3. Competition commoditizes competency – (thanks @jaybaer). People, passion and content make the difference.
4. Four content creation types: proprietary, licensed, curated, community generated. How much do you need of each?
5. Three steps in the content marketing funnel: Awareness, Engagement, Conversion. What content is right for each step?
6. Important: Content should not just be a magnet, it should also be a filter. Be provocative. Have a point of view. Don’t be boring.
7. Looking for your content sweet spot? It’s the intersection of what you do well and what your prospects care about the most.
8. Mobile content strategy: don’t focus on mobile phone. Focus on mobile human. What are their mobile moments as they relate to your brand?
9. Content as storytelling. Story must be defined by conflict. If not, it’s just a set up. What’s the conflict? How is it resolved? Who is the hero?
10. We don’t have an attention deficit disorder for content we like. Create content people find useful, entertaining and relevant.
11. The 5 C’s of Human Centered Content: Clear, Conversational, Clever, Concise, Consistent