We’ve all heard it, Content is King. And it is, but as the content landscape turns into a content landslide, it might be worth adding a few qualifiers, like GREAT, CREATIVE, ENGAGING, ORIGINAL, SMART, TARGETED, PURPOSEFUL, AUTHORITATIVE, PROLIFIC . . .

Because, at one time, you might have found it ironic that you came across a one-dimensional video with an elusive purpose and captioned with frequent misspellings, while looking for good content about content. That’s right, as this slideshow from Velocity Partners deftly describes, poor content (they call it something else) is the biggest threat to content marketing and there is so much content on the horizon that it is no longer ironic to come across poor content while looking for the goods; it’s a reality.

The point? While content marketing is one of the latest and greatest revenue streams, it’s not going to get any easier, but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. As a publisher, you likely already have the tools—personnel, creativity, tenacity—to create really sharp content. But, check out the slideshow—and refresh your memory and your skills with these 6 principles of building a great content brand (and other insights) on what content marketing should or should not be.

Velocity Partners’ 6 Principles of Building Great Content are:

1)    Be the Buyer. They are pretty concise about this—it’s about challenges, prejudices, needs and concerns. Have you tried being Your Own Audience?

2)    Be Authoritative. Where does your expertise intersect with what your readers care about? Find that place and stay there.

3)    Be Strategic. That’s right, you don’t want a string of one-hit wonders, you want a portfolio of platinum albums.

4)    Be Prolific. Content Marketing is a Marathon, not a shot put. This isn’t just about speed—if given the choice between producing quality content and posting more frequently, opt for the quality, not frequency.

5)    Be Passionate. Why are you writing about it if you don’t care about it? Your readers will ask the same question—and they’ll go find someone who does.

6)    Be Tough on Yourself. In this case, it’s acceptable to be your own worst critic. Challenge yourself to create the best content, every time.