Your content marketing strategy doesn't end once you decide what types of content to produce. You also have to figure out where you will distribute the content and how you will promote it. That's where a content distribution strategy comes in.
Here, we'll show you why a content distribution strategy is essential to the success of your content. We'll also show you a few of the best distribution channels and tools to help you maximize your reach and get your content in front of your target audience.
What Is Content Distribution?
Content distribution is the process of getting content out to your target audiences. There are several different types of content distribution methods depending on how the content is promoted. Content can be distributed on owned media including your website blog, social media channels, and email newsletters.
A piece of content can also be distributed by third parties in what is known as earned content distribution. Basically, a third party likes what you have to say and shares your content on their own platforms. This can include guest posts, retweets, and press articles covering your content.
The third method of content distribution is known as paid content. This is when you pay for your content to be shared. Paying influencers to test and review your products is one example of paid content distribution. Another is pay-per-click advertising or social media advertisements.
Why Distributing Content Is Important
It's not enough to write great content anymore. As more B2B businesses produce high-quality content, it can be hard for even the best content to get enough attention on its own. To get your content in front of the right people, you need to distribute and promote it wisely. A content distribution strategy will help you hone in on where you should share certain types of content.
Your distribution strategy should be part of an overarching content marketing strategy. Each type of content may need a different type of distribution strategy and might not be suitable for all distribution platforms. Where you share white papers and technical content will largely be different than where you share landing pages and social media content. Make sure your content distribution plan is varied and includes a wide range of distribution networks and different channels from social shares, webinars, and case studies to influencer marketing. Don't forget about repurposing different content types to maximize the success rate of your content strategy.
Content Distribution Channels
Publishing on third-party sites such as LinkedIn or Medium can help your content reach a wider audience. Any time you share your posts on a third party platform, make sure to include a link back to the original content on your site. This will help redirect users to your site where they can discover your products and services.
LinkedIn groups can also be particularly helpful for driving traffic to your site. You can own your own group or join one of the already existing groups in your industry. Make sure to keep posts relevant and avoid promoting your content in the first post.
Content distribution is increasingly like conversation. Start by developing a friendly discussion and insert your content after getting to know the group members better. If you start of promoting, you may be blocked by certain groups or turn off customers who may feel like all you're trying to do is sell products.
Influencers
Influencers are a great paid content distribution option when used wisely. This type of distribution allows you to tap into the influencer's following, helping to greatly expand your reach and get your content in front of the right audience.
Forums
Forums like Reddit are a great place to distribute content. You can also try to target forums that specialize in your company's niche. Be careful to engage with the community before promoting too much content. In forums, people want to feel like they are receiving genuine, good advice. Spamming forums with articles and posts that aren't helpful will be detrimental. Keep your posts focused and make sure to interact with other forum users.
Email List
Your email list is one of the most powerful tools you have when it's time to distribute content. These are usually subscribers who are interested in hearing what you have to say and who want to stay informed on any new offerings and information in your industry. Send out a weekly or daily email newsletter to keep your customers in the loop.
Use email marketing to send out any company updates, new blog posts, and insider tips that subscribers may find useful. Your email list is a great way to build rapport with your customers and to make them feel like part of the brand. You can also use your email signature to update customers on upcoming events or when you're hiring.
Social Media Advertising
Nowadays, most companies use social networks to reach out to customers on a familiar level. Social media platforms are a laid back environment where you can build brand awareness in clever and fun ways that most other platforms aren't suited for. Brands like Dictionary.com have harnessed the powers of social media to develop their brand personality and entertain customers. A clever tweet on Twitter, a podcast with experts in the field, or a detailed infographic can help your content stand out from the crowd, making your brand and business memorable.
Social media distribution is an effective way to make your brand more personable and likable. You can share a new piece in entertaining ways that will help amplify your reach and deepen your connection with consumers.
When distributing your content on social media, use images and hashtags to increase your success. Images help grab the readers attention while hashtags put the content in front of people who are interested in your industry or niche.
Round-Up Posts
Roundup posts are listicles that feature multiple tools, products or, services that may solve a particular need. These types of posts are some of the bestways to get backlinks. Lists of the best content creation tools or the best technology tools for business are examples of round-up posts. Do a quick search to see if you can find any round-up posts that are relevant to your products and services. Reach out to the authors and see if they can add your offerings to the list.
Some authors will feature your product in exchange for monetary compensation while others will do it in exchange for free products that they can test and review. Each round-up post is different so reach out to several and see which ones best fit your needs.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Whether you're a new content marketer or an expert, you've likely heard a great deal about SEO. SEO is the practice of creating content and marketing it with the goal of increasing your rank and visibility in search engines. This type of digital marketing and content distribution can be hard to master but is essential to the success of your website.
Start by doing keyword research to find which types of things potential customers are searching for. For example, if you're a tea company you'll probably want to target keywords such as "green tea", "herbal tea", and "tea benefits". Use a tool such as Ahrefs to find out which keywords may be a good fit. Pay attention to the keyword volume—this indicates the amount of traffic that keyword generates—and the keyword difficulty—how hard it is to rank for that particular search term. Try to target keywords that have a high volume and a medium to low difficulty.
Content Distribution Tools
SimpleReach
SimpleReach is a tool that allows you to see how well your relevant content is performing. It also features a predictive score that ranks content before it's published and determines what types of content are likely to do well. This is especially helpful when deciding which type of content to use for paid content distribution and native advertising. You can also optimize content for earned distribution and use their tools to target specific audiences on social media and other platforms.
Taboola
Taboola is a tool that allows you to increase your audience reach and offer personalized recommendations and experiences to readers on your site. Taboola enables you to share content on premium publisher sites, ensuring that your content reaches relevant audiences. Taboola also offers editorial tools that your marketing team can incorporate into an editorial content creation calendar to prioritize content that is likely to perform well.
Growth Hub (formerly Inbound.org)
Growth Hub is the brainchild of content experts from Hubspot and Moz. The site features an easy-to-navigate feed featuring the top content and latest posts. It works similar to Reddit and forums where you can share content and readers can upvote or downvote content. It's a great place to share your highest performing content and to start discussions with potential customers that may benefit from your products. You can also add CTAs (call to actions) to get readers to your preferred landing page where they can access new content that is relevant to their interests.
Distribute Content Intelligently
Distributing content is a great way to ensure your content reaches your targeted audience. It can help increase your organic search results and increase brand awareness when done properly. Your content marketing strategy doesn't end once the content is created. Make sure to create a plan that helps to distribute your content in an intelligent way to increase leads and boost conversions. From blogging and social media outreach to paid distribution like PPC campaigns, remember to target your content to your buyer personas.
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