Using content to find customers

Copyblogger has a good post today about using content to find customers.  Bottom line: don't think you can just write a blog and have customers flock to your website.  You need to do some marketing along with the content.  A couple of highlights...

• "Contrary to popular belief, you do want marketing messages in your birthday cake content. But they have to be palatable, subtle messages."
• "...create an audience of buyers, not just fans. You begin to call on your copywriting bag of tricks, adding more persuasive elements to your writing."

The point here is that your content is about establishing trust, demonstrating authority, and helping the people you most want to engage.  But at some point, you have to let people know that you have something to sell them.  If you've done your job right on the content side, some of them will be eager to buy it.