As a marketer you no doubt are familiar with the expression “Content is King” – but do you know who is credited with first coining it?

I posed that question to my audience at a recent content marketing conference here in Chicago. To my surprise, nobody knew the answer. While it is sometimes disputed, Bill Gates is most often credited for one simple reason:

He published it.

This is why your business needs to get serious about publishing business content.

Claim Your Signature Content

New ideas often slowly emerge from everyday circumstances. This is why they seem common to those that are aware of them.

What is uncommon is doing the work to claim at least partial ownership of these ideas. This is the basis of every copyright.

To establish a copyright one only needs to package and publish his or her original idea on a medium that is available to the public.

You are surrounded by abundant knowledge that everyone in your industry believes is common, and it is, until someone puts their signature perspective to it.

That’s the publishing opportunity available to every business in every industry. It’s almost as if we have all run a race and are standing at the finish line waiting for sometime to claim victory.

Package and Publish Business Content (or Perish)

In the world of higher education there is a frequently used phrase: Publish or perish.

College and university professors are expected to originate new ideas, ways of thinking, and solutions to problems. However, if they do not publish content in academic journals they are not appropriately credited, and that puts their career at risk.

The same holds true for every business these days.

Your business experience doesn’t matter if the marketplace cannot readily connect you with it. You have to get out there and be well known for something.

What is your business famous for (or should be)? You only have to neatly package and publish it to claim it.

Fame is the result of what people are saying about us and our businesses. Therefore, use your media to give people something to talk about.

That’s how this content marketing game works.

Start by considering what your ideal buyer should know about your business if they were to compare to others. Many buyers do not know what they need to know to make better decisions. Help them.

The One That Names the Game Owns It

Here are examples of signature business content that will give you ideas for getting started. Publishing this content helps your future and current customers, while also claiming your ownership to it.

1.  Your “secret sauce.“ Unique business methods – and why they matter

2.  Answers to common questions about your services

3.  “Did you know?” – Tips and advice about your services that buyers need to know, such as why your slightly higher price promises a product whose longevity is twice that of others.

4.  Aha moments or stories that humanize your business

5.  Uniquely favorable experiences customers have had with your business

My favorite is #1 because every business employs a process that is its own. It often has the fingerprints of the business founder all over it, and that alone makes it unique.

When your business names that process it owns it. To accomplish that, distill it down to its most essential qualities and amplify how it consistently delivers exceptional customer experiences. More on this in future issues of Web Marketing News.

For now, just remember this: The one that names their process creates a new game and owns it. If your organization or members really want my best on this, contact me about my Relationship Selling in the Trust Economy workshop.

When Bill Gates coined “Content is King” in 1996 he claimed at least partial ownership to a game that is practiced by virtually every successful marketer today.

What’s the game your business wants to own?

About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+