In our last blog post, we explained what content distribution is and why you need it. You didn’t think we would leave you hanging, and not then tell you how to create a killer distribution strategy, right?
Distribution and promotion often dictate whether content lives or dies. So in this article, we will share all our top tips for successfully distributing your content.
According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2021 study, 33% of marketers who believe their content is unsuccessful would cite content distribution as the cause. If you are one of those marketers, that is about to change. By following the below step you can craft a winning content distribution strategy and watch your content generate the results it deserves.
The better you know your audience, where they ‘hang out’ online and where they go for new content, the easier it will be for you to identify distribution channels.
Dive into your Google Analytics and start looking at who your audience is. You can collect data such as gender, age, income, location, etc. to build the clearest picture of your audience possible.
You can also ask for feedback from your audience. Use your email subscriber list and social media followers. Ask them how they feel about your current content distribution efforts, where there are problems, where they would like to see your content, and in what format.
Now you know your audience you can identify distribution channels that will get you in front of your audience.
Depending on your audience, your distribution channels will vary. We covered the three main distribution channels in our last post. If you've already forgotten, head over there and give yourself a refresh.
You may find that posting on forums such as Reddit and Quora will be your best option. Or perhaps you will want to develop a digital PR strategy and distribute it to publishers that your audience follows. There are a lot of options and you should think about your distribution channels carefully. They will arguably be more important than the content you create.
Decide what you want your content distribution strategy to achieve. You need to set goals to know if your content distribution is successful and notice when there are ways to improve it.
Goals can include outcomes such as:
Content distribution requires planning and forward-thinking. Creating an editorial calendar can help you keep organised and ensure you don’t miss an opportunity.
In your editorial calendar, you should include the content you are going to create and where you want to distribute it. This should include things like your blog, email subscriber list, social channels etc.
When creating an editorial calendar you can see the big picture. This helps you spot new opportunities. You may notice that you can create topical content centred around an event, holiday or other seasonal occasions. This is beneficial for distribution as users and even other content publishers are more likely to share content when it is highly relevant to the current moment.
Now you have identified your content channels and created your editorial calendar it is time to create your content.
The content you create will vary based on your audience, time, resources and budget. For example, if your audience is 18-24 and you have a clothing brand you may be focused on distributing content on social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
If you have a complicated and specialised B2B product you may focus on longer-form content such as YouTube explainer videos, LinkedIn posts, or eBook guides.
Your content is created and now it's time to distribute. This may involve publishing on social media. If so, then you will want to post at the optimal time for your audience. You may also be paying for social ads, in which case you will want to optimise your PPC strategy.
Alternatively, you may be pitching to publishers, in which case you will want to craft an amazing outreach email. Distribution can often take as long as content creation. Having a strategy in place and your identified distribution channel saves you a lot of time, keeps you organised and gives you a list of channels to tick off.
You don’t simply distribute your content and then move on. You set goals in step three, so you need to go back and measure your results against these goals to see how your content performed.
The channel of distribution will determine where you measure your results. For example, you may find Google Analytics the most useful tool. Or you may find that your social media analytics give you more insights. You can review your key metrics and put them into a spreadsheet. This will give you a quick overview of how each piece of content on your editorial calendar is performing and help you gain insights for future strategies.
See inspirations here:
Content distribution is a key part of your marketing strategy. It also goes hand in hand with content curation. Having a handy content curation tool to help you out can save you a lot of time and frustration with your strategy. Streams is a powerful marketing tool that can help you find trending content in your niche. Try it out today by signing up for a 14 day free trial!
