We all know that the rules have changed in marketing and advertising. Shouting for attention - the old model of traditional advertising - brings little more than customer indignation.

The new model - or new rules of social media or marketing or whatever you want to call it - brings people who are actively looking for something: information, insight, solutions to their problems. If you have that special something, you can attract that special someone - the customer.

But these new rules of attraction require a shift in direction. It's not about "pushing" your message, but "pulling" in your customers. And the way to pull is to publish content.

In the book Joe Pulizzi wrote with Newt Barrett, Get Content Get Customers, content marketing is defined very simply. It's worth repeating:

Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly what your customers need to know and delivering it to them in a relevant and compelling way.

That's it. That's the beating heart of content marketing. But the body of your content marketing strategy will take on its own unique form based on a number of factors: your specific goals, what your audience needs, the expertise you can share, learning-style preferences, available resources of time and money, and other factors.

And that's where The Content Marketing Playbook: 42 Ways to Connect with Customers comes into play. Inside, you'll find a smorgasbord of content options: long and short, textual and visual, simple and sophisticated. The idea is not to present a comprehensive review; content marketing is too big and evolving too quickly for a "definitive" summary.

The goal, rather, is to open our minds to the possibilities. To explore, ponder, imagine and daydream. Then, once inspired, to take action. Because this is the key take-away from The Content Marketing Playbook: perfection isn't necessary. Don't delay participation in anticipation of a future day when you'll be able to get everything "right."

Instead, dive in now. You have 42 excellent choices in front of you. At least one of them will make sense for your business. Act on it. Learn from your successes and your failures. Then revise and act again. Because publishing content your prospects want is the best way to attract and retain the customers your business needs.

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