It's been three years since this article “5 Things to Know Before You Start a Marketing Plan” was published. Content marketing is still such a new creature to most of us that it might be a good idea to expand on some of that information, and look at how you can use it to finish out the calendar year on a roll.

What's in it for your customers? The main benefits for most customers are time and money—are you addressing both of these? Customers appreciate being informed of sales and other specials, but it's just as important to be considerate of their time. Are you delivering your messages in a timely fashion? Are you consistently reminding clients of appointments? Do you have a system in place to let them know their purchase is ready to be picked up? Are your customers able to access your content quickly? Marketing often involves tying up these loose ends.

Herding cats is hard work. Just ask any of the ranch hands in the award-winning EDS ad made back in 2001. The slippery felines gave them all they could handle and more. Proud, independent and stubborn, every cat wanted to make its own way whether the ranch hands wanted it to or not. Does it sometimes feel like keeping your customers happy is a lot like cat herding?

A key recommendation by Dan S. Kennedy, the marketing expert, is to build a fence around your cats (customers) to keep out poachers and to prevent them from going off on their own. Just because your customer has made a purchase from you in the past doesn't mean he or she is your customer forever. It's important to try to offer your clients extra products and services -- extra value -- that will keep them coming back to you.

There probably isn't a week that goes by when you don't notice an ad on a website or in your email talking about “creating killer content”. So what does it really mean, and why do you need to do it?

Content marketing is often sought out by customers. It offers them the information they’re looking for when they need it the most.

Here's how to make it work for you:

In addition to being one of America’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin was also an inventor, scientist, author, printer and a diplomat. He is well-known for having created libraries, fire departments, and the postal service. If that weren’t enough, he invented bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod. He was involved in politics, wrote a newspaper, traveled, had an active social life and was a single father.

Franklin was also a man who made to-do lists. Mr. Franklin's lists included things like housecleaning and reading, as well as reminders to bathe and be frugal. No doubt someone as busy as Ben needed to be reminded of those things!