Whether you are writing a blog post, sharing a link or retweeting someone you respect, you have to do your homework. I am not sure what’s happened over the past year or so, but it seems everyone has forgotten the important adage of:

“You can’t believe everything you read.”

These is your reputation on the line here folks, so stop rushing through your content creation and sharing, when you can do some serious harm to your reputation.

I admit I’m not perfect, but I do have a couple of things on my side:

• I am a bit of a skeptic by nature. I’ve never believed everything I read and I take most things with a grain of salt. Certainly, I’ve been wrong before, but overall, I’ve protected myself and others from bad information countless times.

• I like to check facts. And if you happen to be my Facebook friend, you may find this little habit of mine a bit annoying, but I just gotta be me.

And let me tell you, these characteristics have come in handy whether I’m creating content or consuming content for my own personal use. Everyday, I come across something that is stated as fact, but is far from it, and if I’m trying to come up with my own content, I need to make sure I find the facts.

These are crazy times of economic and political turmoil, so things are getting pretty confusing out there. There are also so many people out there, sharing opinions as facts or twisting facts to further their own agendas.

As content marketers we have to rise above this if we want to keep our reputations solid long in to the future. Sure, we are all entitled to our opinions and they will vary widely, but opinions need to have their basis in fact rather than fantasy.

Just in the past few weeks, I’ve seen numerous misrepresentations and plain old wrong facts. I’ve seen people claim that governments were hiding specific facts, but a quick search of public documents showed that these facts were clearly published.

I’ve also seen a “natural news” website completely misrepresent the findings of  health organization report. I don’t know if it’s because they didn’t actually read the report, didn’t understand the report or they simply wanted to twist things for their own purpose.

I’ve seen images passed around claiming the origin of saggy pants, but a quick look at Snopes.com showed this was wrong. The same goes for the pictures of Mechanically Separated Poultry (MSP) that people claim is in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Now, I’d never claim that McNuggets are good for you, but they aren’t made from MSP. They haven’t been since 2003.

I’ve seen false Amber Alerts and while I have no idea why anyone would knowingly create a fake Amber Alert, you can verify an Amber Alert by going to the official web page for your country’s Amber Alert System. You can also enter the text of a supposed Amber Alert plus the word “hoax” into Google and you might be surprised at what you find.

Most of these examples (with the exception of children’s lives at stake) are pretty benign, but it points to a bigger issue. Information is traveling so fast these days with the power of the Internet. However, the speed at which it travels is rarely regulated by whether the information is right or wrong, so it’s really up to us to make sure we’re sharing the right information.

How to Keep Your Content Based in Fact

* Research the content you create. Back it up with facts and statistics and share your sources. Not only does it create better content, it shows that you are a reputable publisher that is truly knowledgeable about your topic.

* Never repost or retweet anything without actually reading what you’re posting. Just because you like and trust someone, doesn’t mean they’re right and are doing their own due diligence each and every time.

Even if you’ve read through something, do not repost or share until you’ve had a chance to process it and research anything you feel is necessary. Sure if it’s a picture of a cute fluffy cat with a clever saying, no processing or research is necessary. But if someone is making health, political, economic, social or any other claims…verify it. You have the Internet at your fingers, it only takes a few minutes to check.

Add to that, what if you don’t agree with the article and you simply repost blindly? What does that do to the consistency of your message? Just because you think “Steve Francis” is the best stamp collecting blogger of all time, doesn’t mean you can be sure that he is always right and that he reflects your own beliefs on stamp collecting. Protect your reputation and just do your homework. The Internet will be ready and still waiting for your wisdom when you come back.

Sure, we’ve all done this at some point in time.

We get projects started with the best of intentions, but then we get busy or distracted and the seemingly small task of publishing our content gets put aside.

But have you sat down to think about how that “small” task can mean BIG things for your business? After all, content can serve a lot of important uses…

Content can:

* Bolster your reputation in your niche community
* Drive readers to sign up for your mailing list
* Boost your revenue by displaying ads, adding links, etc.
* Be a source of revenue as an info product for sale

If you hire someone or buy content, you need to have a plan to see things through.

Here are a few tips for you:

* Make publishing a part of your regular schedule. Try doing it in batches and schedule all your content accordingly.

* If you just can’t find the time or don’t like the tasks involved with publishing, hire someone. A virtual assistant, your older children or even a stay at home mom in your neighborhood can easily learn how to do this stuff for you.

And most importantly, only get content that you’re going to use. It seems so simple, but human beings love to do the planning,  getting things started, but sometimes they falter on complete execution.

Let’s make 2012 all about seeing things through from beginning to end!

Some Resources to Help:

• Content Ideas: We’ve got ready-made ideas for you.
• Ghostwriting: We can help you with writing articles, blog posts, reports and more.
• PLR: Check us out at DIYplr and APLC
• To find someone to help with publishing, you might be able to connect with someone through VA Networking or simply ask for recommendations from your online colleagues.

Well, if you’re ready to stay on top of your content creation in 2012, here are some tips for becoming more efficient…

1. Dedicate Time for Planning:

Contrary to what some might think, taking time to plan actually saves time. When you know what topics you are going to publish and when you’re going to publish it, it’s easier to get everything done. Whether you hire a writer, search for PLR or write it yourself…it’s much simpler to do if you know where you’re going.

If you don’t have them already, do pick up our free content planning tools.

2. Hire Help:

If you constantly find yourself too busy to get the content done, hire someone to do it. Whether you use our service, hire your  mother or find someone else, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that the content is getting done.

3. Recruit Guest Writers:

There are many people out there, ready and willing to write for extra exposure for their business. You can use a service like MyBlogGuest or reach out to people in your online social circles.

4. Use PLR:

PLR is pre-written content that you can add to, edit, chop up or even publish as is. It reduces your workload dramatically and is cost-effective too. By the way, you can save 30% at DIYplr.com until this Friday, if you use the following coupon code.

Coupon Code: 2011HOLIDAY
Discount: 30% off
Expiry: December 30, 2011

5. Reuse and Repurpose:

Here’s a big one. Most of us have a wealth of content right under our noses, but we’re always trying to start from scratch. Over time, your readers SHOW you what they’re interested in, so give them MORE of that.

If you’ve already written content on a popular topic, see how you can expand it or go into more depth on a certain aspect. Turn well-trafficked articles into videos or podcasts. Transcribe that webinar and turn it into articles, a report or even some workbooks. Take some ideas from your information products and make them into short pieces of content.

As long as you have a plan and a little bit of help, content creation in 2012 can be a breeze (well, almost!). If those tasks are taken care of, you can focus on marketing and growing your business for a very prosperous New Year.

So now that I’m writing a top 12 content marketing tool list for 2012, you should probably expect this to be solid stuff with no crazy surprises and these tools will take you through 2012 and beyond.

For all these tools you also have choice. The specific tools you choose should be determined by your business needs, preference and budget. There is really no right or wrong choice, but one thing’s for certain…your business will be far more successful if you learn to make these important decisions for yourself.

Now without further ado, here are those top 12 content marketing tools…

1. Content Management System for Your Own Website:

Okay, it’s not a big bang start to this list, but it’s important. While the fad of trying to build a content-based “business” without owning a website seems to have died down in recent years, it’s important to mention that you need to OWN your virtual real estate.

Sure, you can have a Facebook page, a YouTube account and the like, but your main content hub should be something that is in your complete control. This means the value of this real estate is yours, not someone else’s. Add to that you aren’t at the mercy of someone else’s rules where you can have your account closed or limited in some way.

Whether you use WordPress, an HTML editor or try our website builder, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you own and control you virtual property.

2. Autoresponder:

Ummm…I feel like a broken record, but you need a list. If you don’t have a mailing list you are, to use an overused but true cliche, leaving money on the table. Sign up for a service like MailChimp, Aweber or get the Autoresponse Plus script. It doesn’t matter. Start building your list and writing to them.

3. Keyword Research Tool:

While it’s important to write content for humans that read our content, keywords can help guide us to finding topics and for growing our organic search engine traffic. Whether it’s WordTracker, Google’s free keyword tool or MarketSamurai, find the tool that works for you and use it.

4. Blogging/Content Calendar:

Planning your content ahead of time makes it easier to come up with topics and to get your content written. There’s no dealing with writer’s block and scratching your head about what content to write next. Lynette’s 2012 Blogging Calendar is a great way to get organized and it’s free.

5. PLR:

Private Label Rights content is an amazingly easy and inexpensive way to fill out your content. Quality PLR content can be incorporated into your information products, articles, blog posts and more. And of course, you probably we know we have some for you at APLC and DIYplr.

6. Article Starter and Brainstorming Tools:

It’s not easy coming up with all the topics and content yourself, even if the knowledge and expertise is inside you. Even the most prolific writers stumble sometimes. Peg Baron has a unique product called Easy Article Starters that help you create quality original content…and we, at Contentrix, are cooking up something to make your content brainstorming easier for 2012 as well.

7. Graphic/Photo Editing Software:

Content isn’t just about words anymore. Images can show your readers can bring a powerful visual to your content or be used to illustrate a process. You need a graphics editor to help you take screenshots, edit photos and make other simple graphic edits. I personally use Adobe Photoshop Elements, but you can get the free editor called Gimp that will certainly fit the bill for simple graphics.

8. Stock Photos:

You don’t have to take all your own photos or create graphics from scratch. Stock photos are a great resource for your content. My personal favorite is iStockPhoto. They are a bit pricier than some, but they have the best collection I’ve seen and I can always find what I’m looking for.

9. Video Sharing Resource:

Despite my own personal desire to watch online videos, they keep getting more popular. You can use whatever tool you want to publish and share your videos, but YouTube is always a safe bet with it’s technology, traffic and sharing capabilities. Many other video sharing sites use Flash players that exclude a LOT of mobile users (interestingly enough, the only time I watch video is on mobile). Others also exclude audiences outside the U.S., so do your research before picking a service.

10. Kindle’s Ebook Store:

Many of us who have been selling ebooks for nearly a decade, smile inside when we realize we’ve become mainstream. Amazon’s Kindle Ebook Store has brought ebooks to the forefront. In May of this year, Amazon announced they were selling more digital books than they are paper. This marketplace certainly isn’t one to be ignored.

11. Analytics Program:

You have to know your numbers. You need to know what content your readers like the best, where your traffic is coming from and what content is leading to sales. One of the most powerful programs you can use is Google Analytics and seriously, it’s totally free…so there is no excuse not to use it. Here’s a post that shows how Google Analytics can help you grow your business.

12. Connections:

I’ve always said you don’t have to be famous to do well online, but you being a virtual hermit doesn’t help you at all. Getting to know other online business owners and other people in your niche has numerous benefits. You can share knowledge, resources, publish for one another and get exposure for yourselves. So if you’ve been a e-Hermit in 2011, 2012 is the year to change that.

That’s it…no bells and whistles. Just solid tools to help your content go further and help you get better results. What’s your top tool for 2012?

If you do know them, you probably feel one of two things…you either love them or you loathe them.

It’s really not likely that you have any feelings in between.

I happen to be in the “loathe them” camp and often marvel at the success they’ve managed to achieve have despite their horrible music. Yes fans, I said it. Sorry, I hope we can still be friends.

Despite my opinion and a lot of other public criticism, they’ve been nominated for and won many awards and have sold a ton of records (2007 stats). In short, they have a lot of people talking about them and plenty of rabid fans buying their records.

So if someone doesn’t like you, does it really matter (as long as you’re not actually hurting anyone)? As long as they’re talking and your fans keep coming back for more, keep it going.

Photo Credit: Tin Tiger