One of the biggest mistakes a person can make is simply not learning from our own mistakes, and the mistakes of those who came before us. It’s one of the reasons that makes history books and biographies so important, and so widely read. The knowledge we gain from these tomes can give us the push we need to make better decisions today.

Of course, this isn’t to say you should follow in the exact footsteps of any one leader. Choices and decisions that are set before us are uniquely different from those of others. However, if you’re involved in content marketing, it can be super beneficial to learn from the successful leaders that have already made their mark on the scene. Which is why we’ve put together this list of some of the most inspirational quotes attributed to various content marketing agency superstars.

Words can be powerful. Once heard, they stick in our thoughts and help filter our experiences and tasks in a different light. Inspirational and authoritative quotes can help us learn new things, spark new ideas, remind us of important aspects, and foster incredible motivation within us.

“Stop writing about Everything. So many brands create content and try to cover everything, instead of focusing on the core niche that they can position themselves as an expert around. No one cares about your special recipe. Find your niche, and then go even more niche.”

Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute

This one is important, because while it can be tempting for those starting out in the content world to cover as much as possible in order to get the most jobs (money) as possible, greater returns and better content can be made by focusing on the specifics. And the more you know about a specific, the greater your content will be.

“Content is fire, social media is gasoline.”

Jay Baer, Convince and Convert

As a content marketing agency, the success of your writing, infographs, etc. depends wholly on how much and how often it’ll get shared. A flame will die out if it lacks the fuel to grow.

“Remarkable social media content and great sales copy are pretty much the same - plain spoken words designed to focus on the needs of the reader, listener, or viewer.”

Brian Clark founder of Copyblogger

Never forget your work is engineered to engage a person. And when you boil everything down, what we all want is Truth.

“Content is anything that adds value to the reader’s life. It can add value by making them smarter, making them laugh, making them do their job better, rush to their child to share the video, make a contribution to a charity.”

Avinash Kaushik

Whenever you craft or build content at your content marketing agency, ask yourself: What does this give to my audience?

“Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. When people read your copy, they are alone. Pretend you are writing to each of them on behalf of your client.”

David Ogilvy of Ogilvy & Mather

In other words, while a content marketing agency works as a middle man, never strive to be seen as that middleman. You’re the invisible connection between your client and their customers.

“We’re all learning here; the best listeners will end up the smartest.”

Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, the authors of Groundswell

The perfect quote to end a list of quotes. While you will learn by doing, never forget the strength in learning by listening.