So, you’ve produced amazing, shareable content. It’s insightful, it’s engaging and you’re pretty sure it has the potential to get the results you want.
The problem is you’re not sure how to get it across in front of people.
That’s where content distribution comes into play.
Proper content syndication is not about spreading your content too thin, which entails sacrificing quality engagement for broader but less meaningful visibility.
Rather, it’s about strategically placing your content where it resonates with the ideal audience, leading to tangible benefits for your business.
Let’s get into the basics of content distribution as we unpack:
• What Is Content Distribution?
• Why Is Content Distribution Important?
• Top Content Distribution Channels
• How To Get Started With Content Distribution
What Is Content Distribution?
Content distribution is the process of sharing or promoting your content across various platforms and channels to reach and engage your target audience.
Why Is Content Distribution Important?
Well, news feeds are overflowing with information, and everyone is vying for audience attention. Without a proper content distribution strategy in place, your content can easily get lost in the shuffle.
Content distribution is your strategy for cutting through the noise and ensuring your voice is heard by the right people at the right time.
Top Content Distribution Channels
Content distribution channels serve as avenues for disseminating and amplifying the content you produce. Broadly, these networks fall into three primary categories, encompassing a variety of specific platforms and methods for sharing your content.
Content distribution network categories are:
• Owned
• Earned
• Paid
Each plays a distinct role in how your content reaches and engages your target audience. Let’s look into them:
Owned Content Distribution Channels
Owned channels refer to any platforms your company owns or controls. Here, you have the freedom to decide when and how content is shared.
Examples of owned channels:
• Company websites
• Blogs
• Email newsletters
• Social media profiles
• Mobile apps
• Podcasts
Paid Content Distribution Channels
Paid channels involve your company spending money to promote content on selected platforms. It’s a pay-to-play arrangement to secure visibility for your content on external sites or social media.
Examples of paid channels:
• Search engine ads (like Google Ads)
• Display advertisements on websites
• Social media ads on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and more
• Pre-roll video ads on YouTube
• Any form of sponsored content
• Banner ads on mobile apps
• Paid press releases
• Influencer partnerships
Earned Content Distribution Channels
Earned channels, often referred to as “shared” channels, occur when external parties such as customers, bloggers, journalists and influencers voluntarily promote or share your content.
Examples of earned channels:
• Social media shares and mentions
• Customer reviews and testimonials
• Media coverage and press releases
• Blog mentions from other brands
• User-generated content, such as photos featuring your product
• Mentions in industry forums and discussion boards
• Influencer endorsements not paid for
• Awards and recognitions from industry bodies
To this, the selection of these content distribution networks is influenced by who your audience is and the resources at your disposal.
Top Content Distribution Tools
Each of these tools offers unique features to assist with different aspects of content distribution, from social media management to email marketing and beyond.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a comprehensive tool for managing social media, allowing you to schedule posts across various platforms from a single dashboard.
Buffer
Similar to Hootsuite, Buffer is great for scheduling social media posts, analyzing metrics and managing all your social media accounts in one dashboard.
HubSpot
A powerful inbound marketing, sales and service software, HubSpot helps companies attract visitors, convert leads and close customers. It includes content management, email marketing and analytics features.
Mailchimp
Primarily an email marketing tool that allows you to create, send and track email campaigns with ease. It has expanded to offer more marketing features, including landing pages and postcards.
WordPress
The most popular content management system (CMS) that powers a significant portion of the web. It’s versatile for blogging, creating websites and distributing content.
CoSchedule
A marketing calendar that helps you plan, publish and promote your content. It integrates with many tools, including WordPress, social media platforms and email marketing services.
BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is also helpful for content research and monitoring. It allows you to discover trending topics, track content performance and find key influencers in your industry.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a powerful social media management tool that offers comprehensive publishing, analytics and engagement features across multiple social platforms.
Contently
Contently is a platform that connects users with freelance writers, editors and content strategists. It is designed to help users produce high-quality content at scale.
Zapier
While not a content distribution tool per se, Zapier allows you to automate workflows between your favorite apps and services, helping to streamline the distribution process.
Depending on your specific needs, budget and the content marketing channels you use, one or more of these tools could be a great addition to your content distribution strategy.
Content Distribution Strategies: How To Get Started With Content Distribution
With the right content distribution strategies and audience engagement techniques in place, you’ll find opportunities to amplify your voice and connect with your audience.
1. Content distribution strategies:
2. Dive deep into audience research.
3. Conduct a content audit.
4. Set clear KPIs and goals.
5. Craft your content calendar.
6. Distribute and promote your content.
7. Measure, learn and optimize.
8. Apply content syndication tips (sparingly).
Let’s break down the content distribution tips to get you started.
1. Dive Deep Into Audience Research
Understanding who you’re talking to is key to effective content distribution. You must look beyond demographics, diving into their interests, challenges and online behavior. Tools like social media analytics and Google Trends can offer insights, helping you to tailor your content to resonate with your audience.
2. Conduct a Content Audit
Take stock of what you have in your arsenal. Which pieces resonated most? What topics or formats got the most traction? This reevaluation isn’t just about patting yourself on the back for past wins; it’s about identifying what works so you can do more of it.
3. Set Clear KPIs and Goals
What does success look like for you? Whether it’s boosting website traffic, generating leads or enhancing brand awareness, define your objectives. Then, pinpoint the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will signal you’re on the right track. Remember, these goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).
4. Craft Your Content Calendar
Consistency is key in shareable content distribution. A well-planned content calendar helps you maintain a steady stream of material, ensuring you’re always in your audience’s mind. Include not just what and when you’ll publish but also where. Diversify your content marketing channels to widen your reach.
5. Distribute and Promote Your Content
With the insights from your audience research, you can identify the best content distribution networks. Don’t shy away from experimenting with different formats or platforms, but keep your audience’s preferences front and center. Here’s where you can leverage the different channels we mentioned, like social media, email newsletters or even guest blogging, for audience engagement techniques.
6. Measure, Learn and Optimize
Use analytics tools to track how your content performs against your KPIs. Celebrate your wins, and at the same time, keep learning from every piece of content and how it performs. Understand what’s working and why, then tweak your strategy accordingly to keep improving.
7. Apply Content Syndication Tips (Sparingly)
Content syndication is about getting your content published on third-party platforms, which can significantly expand your reach. Whether it’s through partnerships with other blogs or using platforms like Medium, syndication can introduce your work to a whole new audience.
Much like content distribution, content syndication involves getting your work in front of more eyes beyond your own channels.
Content syndication tips:
• Choose the right partners that align with your niche and have an engaged audience interested in your content.
• Tailor your content to fit the style and preferences of the platform where it’s being shared while keeping your message consistent.
• Retain your voice even when adapting to different platforms. Your unique perspective and voice should maintain brand consistency.
• Track performance to monitor how your syndicated content performs. This will help you refine your strategy and choose the best platforms.
• Mind SEO by being cautious of duplicate content issues. Use canonical tags or ensure the syndicating site links back to your original content to preserve your SEO efforts.
Content syndication tips, while useful, come with their own set of concerns that prompt some to advise caution. Here’s why:
SEO Duplication Worries: The big elephant in the room is the fear of search engines flagging your shareable content as duplicate, which can potentially harm your site’s search rankings. Though properly managed syndication shouldn’t cause issues, the risk of mishandling is real.
Audience Overlap: If your content is syndicated to platforms with a significant audience overlap, you might not be reaching as many new eyes as you hoped. Instead, you’re just circulating content among the same crowd.
Brand Dilution: There’s a delicate balance between gaining exposure and overexposing your content in a way that dilutes your brand’s unique voice. Too much syndication, especially if not carefully curated, can lead to your message losing its impact.
Lack of Control: Once your content is out there, you have limited control over how it’s presented and perceived. Misalignment with the host site’s ethos or audience can lead to unintended associations or interpretations.
Diverted Traffic: Ideally, syndication drives traffic back to your site. However, if not executed well, it can end up keeping readers on the host platform, benefiting them more than you in terms of engagement and conversions.
For these reasons, while content syndication can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, it’s essential to approach it with a strategy that mitigates these concerns.
If you’re skeptical about content syndication due to its potential pitfalls, focus your efforts on content distribution strategies instead. Then, follow up your distribution with audience engagement techniques such as social media conversations, feedback solicitation and personalized content offerings.
Strategic Content Distribution
Let Thrive help you get started with strategic content distribution on the top content marketing channels relevant to your business.
Some of our services:
• Strategy development
• Content writing
• Social media marketing
• Google Analytics implementation
• SEO
• Email marketing
Talk to our team – let’s distribute your shareable content.
