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.

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:

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.

July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independence, a document announcing our independence from England had just been signed by 56 courageous men. Afterwards, they all headed over to Thomas Jefferson's for a big party. They patted each other on the back around the grill, tossed back a couple of cold ales and threw the old football around. Meanwhile that crazy nut John Hancock nearly burned his wig off lighting firecrackers.

Well, not quite.

Even though the Declaration had been signed, things were far from settled. The Revolutionary War was still going on, and wouldn’t end for another seven years. Fourth of July celebrations didn't become a “thing” until after the War of 1812, and ever since it's been the United States' favorite summer party.

When we left for Pine Point Beach in Maine for a few days of R&R, I had high hopes of doing some research I’d been wanting to do in between relaxing on the beach and generally chilling out.

That was Tuesday.

On Sunday, I was shocked to realize our time away was slipping like sand through an hourglass. I completed only about ¼ of my research and didn’t really start relaxing until Friday. Clearly my plans and my execution were not in sync.

In A. E. Hotchner's 1966 book Papa Hemingway, the author relates a conversation between Marlene Dietrich and Ernest Hemingway. When Dietrich told him that she couldn't decide about accepting a job offer, Hemingway told her: "Don't do what you sincerely don't want to do. Never confuse movement with action"—meaning she shouldn't accept the job if it wouldn't put her closer to her ultimate goals in life.

When we set goals for ourselves, particularly when we're enthusiastic about them—losing weight, for example—we may give it our all only to find we've accomplished nothing. There are usually two reasons we fail at achieving our goals: not being clear about what the goal is, and not having a way to measure success at reaching the goal.

We come across these headlines all the time: “How Your Desk Job is Killing You,” “10 Easy Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk” or “Boost Your Energy at Work with Three Simple Stretches”. And then we make a mental note that we really should do something about them and we file them away in the back of our minds. Meanwhile, we continue to suffer from poor posture, low energy and a myriad of other complaints.

Today is the day to change it up! I started a few weeks ago and I’m loving the difference.

One issue some have with working out at our desks is how to fit exercise into our workday, when it seems there isn't enough time to get our work done as it is. Phone reminders are easily set, as are discreet reminders on your computer. (And just as easily ignored!)

As a small business owner, there are bound to be times when you have questions and aren't exactly sure where to find the answers. There's also bound to be times when you aren't certain what the right questions even are. What is a business plan, and why might you need one? What kind of security measures do you need to take for your business? How should you set your prices? Is it better to lease or buy your equipment for your office? How can you get financing?

Who can help you answer your questions??!?

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are organizations set up around the US to provide assistance to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Hosted by universities and state economic development agencies, there are over 1800 SBDCs which are funded in part through the Small Business Administration.

You know the old saying, "If you don't know where you are going, then any road is as good as any other." The same is true of a marketing and sales strategy. If you don't have a strategy that you are executing against, then any kind of marketing is as good as any other. Cost and ROI be damned!

Jordan Hatch, my long time friend at Infusionsoft wrote a great blog post a couple of weeks ago on "How To Create A Sales and Marketing Strategy" that I want to share with you.

In a recent blog post here, we talked about "Building A Fence Around Your Herd." One of the strategies there was having a membership site. I recently wrote an article published in the July 2015 issue of the Joomla Community Magazine, that offers 10 reasons why you NEED a membership component to your website. Check it out by clicking here to go to the article.

If you have a membership site, how do you use it? Paid? Free? How do you use it to drive traffic and revenue?

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.
The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling
which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.
The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight,
nothing which is more important than his own personal safety,
is a miserable creature
and has no chance of being free
unless made and kept so
by the exertions
of better men than himself.
~John Stuart Mill

April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783 is 3,059 days.

When school lets out for the summer, it's the perfect opportunity to spend some time with your children and teach them some of the skills you've learned. And perhaps this year you can thwart those cries of “I'm bored” with some of these fun activities:

1. The art of brainstorming. Regardless of whether you're 7 or 70, you are going to encounter problems of one type or another. Sometimes these problems could be as simple an issue as the inevitable summer boredom. An important skill you can help your kids learn is how to come up with possible solutions. Here are some ideas that can help you get started:

• Play “what would you do if--”. What would you do if it were snowing? What would you do if there were no electricity? What would you do if you were Superman? What would you do if you had no hands? Ask serious questions, share funny answers, etc. This is a good way for kids to see things in a different light.
• Start with the desired end result and work backwards. For example, if your child wants to dive off the diving board, have him/her tell you the story of how he/she became a great diver, all the steps that he/she took to get there.

Did you know that a survey of small business owners found that about 50% only take major holidays off—or that many take NO DAYS OFF AT ALL? Here are 6 great reasons that you should take at least one vacation each year:

1. Relieve stress. Studies show that you can feel the effects of lower stress up to five weeks later.
2. Improve productivity. You'll come back feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, with renewed energy and creativity.

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!

Many Americans are making big Memorial Day weekend plans—visiting family, having a backyard cookout, or checking out the big sales at their local car dealership. But don't forget to take some time out to remember what Memorial Day is all about, and find some way you can pay your respects.

The first specific “Memorial Day” observance was held after the American Civil War, to honor the 600,000 soldiers from both sides who died during that conflict. While Veteran's Day is a day to celebrate those in the armed forces who have served, Memorial Day is set aside to remember all the men and women who never returned home.