“Content is king” has been an online cliché for years now, but it’s not true. It’s never been true. Content all by itself — even terrific content — is just content, until you add one thing: business goals.

People experience Super Bowl ads as content because they choose to watch them and because the content is awesome. Sadly, on Monday they hate ads again. The reason is simple: everyday ads seem determined to hate them back. More than at any other point in advertising history, consumers have the power to choose what they watch, and it's harder and harder to acquire their attention by interrupting them.

Compelled to tap what many experts predict will be the next big Internet mother lode—online advertising—Google and Facebook laid down very big bets. Together, they might have finally gotten the average consumer riled up about privacy.

To maximize its effectiveness, develop your marketing plans around the four pillars of content marketing: context, channels, connections, and commerce. They will enable you to attract prospects to your offering, build a relationship with them, and persuade them to purchase.