Top 5 Reasons the "C Word" Should Be Your Priority

I'm not going to tell you that "content is king." You already know that. There are reasons why your best bet for running a successful online business revolve around your content though.

1. Links

If you provide good, quality content, it is going to attract links period. It is true that this will not always happen without the appropriate attention to site promotion, but once people see your content, they will link to it if it is good. It's that simple. There are tons of sites dedicated to linking to (what they perceive to be) good content alone. That is their whole purpose.

Look at sites like Techmeme or even discusses the importance of top-rated content with Abby Prince in the following video (More Murdok Videos 2. Sharing

Links are really just a way that people share content. But there is no question that as an online entity, you have to consider social networks. People love to share content via Facebook, Digg and Murdok today, and she might say something like, "Hmmm, what is this Murdok? That sounds like something that I would be interested in. I should check that out. What's the URL for that?"

But again, if your content sucks, nobody is going to share it unless they intend to insult it. This brings me to the next reason why content should be a priority, and that is...

3. Reputation

If people are out there insulting your content, your brand's reputation will only be damaged. Remember, word-of-mouth works both ways. This is one reason why reputation management is so important. It's not just about your own personal reputation, it's about that of your entire business.

Creating good content establishes credibility. When someone views your content and learns something from it or likes what they see, they will (if even on a small scale) develop some amount of trust toward you (and potentially your brand) as a credible source for information within your niche of expertise.

4. Audience

The more linking and sharing of your content, the more your audience is likely to grow. Isn't this reason enough to make your content good? When you develop a positive reputation online, that in itself tends to snowball as well. People throw your name around a lot, and you can even become something of a mini-celebrity. Then people will be inclined to check out your content based on name recognition alone. People will see your name referenced frequently, and want to know what you're all about. If your content is good and appealing to them, they'll keep reading it and share your content with others.

5. Money

In the end, it is truly money, which we all seek is it not? It's not all that matters, but in the business world, it's a pretty good chunk of what matters. That's why we're all in it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be businesses. We'd be non-profit organizations.

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