If you have any background in content marketing, you know that the number one rule is to create content that provides value for your target market. But what you might not know is that this is only the first part of the equation. The next is making sure that content gets in front of the people who will find it valuable.
There are many content distribution methods that can help you get your content in front of a wider and more specific audience. Let’s examine what content distribution is and the different avenues available.
What is Content Distribution?
Content distribution (also known as content syndication) is the process of creating content and disseminating it throughout different channels to generate more traction, leads, and website traffic.
There are two primary types of content distribution, free and paid. Both play vital roles in a content strategy and many marketers find that using both promotional and organic tactics lends to a strong content plan.
Free Content Distribution
You’re probably familiar with the majority of free content distribution channels. They include your blog, social media profiles, and email lists. There’s no “one size fits all” content distribution strategy that will work with all businesses, so you will need to find the channels that work best for your audience and play around with your outreach. Some examples of free content distribution include:
- An active social media presence, including being on the Big Three
- A healthy mix of videos, infographics, blogs, newsletters, and other marketing collateral (mixing text and visual content is ideal!)
- Free content sites that drive traffic back to your website (think YouTube, SlideShare, or applicable financial industry publications)
- Encouraging and rewarding sharing, reposting, and other organic outreach from your audience
Free content syndication methods will get your toes wet if you’re new to this method, but they aren’t the full story. Let’s also look at the paid channels you can start with.
Paid Distribution
Paid distribution channels can be a great resource for driving traffic back to your website or an intended landing page, encouraging engagement, and getting your name out there. Plus, they might be more affordable than you think! Three of our favorites are paid syndication networks, social advertisements, and native advertising.
Content Syndication Channels
Similar to traditional pay-per-click advertisements, paid content syndication puts your pieces in front of audiences around the Internet and you pay for their exposure. Two industry leaders, Outbrain and Taboola, are good examples of how this type of advertising works. They disseminate your content pieces to specified audiences and their teams have access to a number of networks around the web.
Social Advertisements
Social ads are the new way to gain exposure on social media because the algorithms on these sites are slowly morphing into a “pay to play” structure. Each platform will vary on the type of content ads offered. Here are the most popular on the Big Three platforms:
- Facebook allows you to target your audience and provide them with ads in their News Feed or on the right side as a banner ad. Facebook ads can have images and text, but the text can’t take up more than 20% of the whole ad.
- Twitter has a variety of ads, including ones that promote app downloads, Tweet engagement, website traffic, and more. But remember, these ads must be less than 140 characters!
- LinkedIn’s main types of social ads include sponsored content, which is a boosted update that comes from your page, and Sponsored InMail, which delivers ads right to the inbox of targeted accounts.
These ads will vary in cost, depending on the duration and reach of your advertisement.
Native Advertising
Forms of native advertising have been around for ages, but new platforms seem to be popping up everywhere. From ingredient-sponsored recipes to advisor-sponsored financial blogs, native advertising is a great way to get your name in front of prospects without coming off as too self-promotional. For more on native advertising, check out our Marketing Tip that explains what it is and how advisors can use it.
A robust strategy of paid and organic content distribution is key to getting your content in front of the people who will find the most value in it. By targeting your ideal market, creating valuable pieces, and implementing new tools and techniques you will quickly see the benefit of these distribution strategies.
