Creating high-quality content is the cornerstone of any marketing campaign. But in the end, what makes that campaign successful has a lot to do with where, when, and how you present that content. Distribute content in the right way, and you’ll win traffic, leads, and new business. Do it in the wrong way, and you won’t.
But with so many distribution channels out there, it’s hard to know where to begin. Here’s a high level look at key elements of a killer content distribution strategy.
Take a Holistic Approach
When it comes to content distribution, a holistic approach—one that incorporates a combination of paid, earned, and owned media—is paramount.
Paid media includes social media ads, PPC ads, and paid promotion efforts through tools like Outbrain and Taboola. Owned media represents all the channels your company operates, including your website, blog, your social channels, your podcast (if you have one – if not, see why Forbes says you should), and your email database. Earned media comes from external sources such as influencers, media outlets, and company blogs that choose to distribute your content to their audiences through their owned channels.
The best marketers distribute content across these different categories on launch day, and in weeks afterward, maximizing their reach and credibility.
Don’t Just Identify Your Audience, Know Your Audience
No matter how great your content is, if it’s not relevant to the people reading it, it won’t grow your business. Most marketers know this. That’s why they identify buyer personas and target their content to these personas.
But we’re sorry to say, that just isn’t enough. It doesn’t do you any good if you have a general idea of who you’re speaking to but don’t know where those people go to consume content. Don’t just identify key characteristics or interests of your audience. Know who they are, what publications and blogs they read, what they do for kicks, what kinds of content they’ve already engaged with, when they’re online, and why they’re online. Still trying to pinpoint your target audience or get to know them better? Martech.org has 7 ways to get started.
If you really know your buyers, you’re going to be much better at getting the right content in front of them.
Listen and Track
Your campaign launched. Your content is spread across owned, earned, and paid media channels. You’re getting traffic and leads. Work’s over, right? Wrong.
Determining the effectiveness of your distribution strategy means you have to listen to people’s reaction to your content. What percentage of mentions are positive? What percentage are neutral or negative? Just because people click on your bit.ly or download link doesn’t mean they like what they see. Furthermore, not all leads are created equal. Do these leads match your ideal customer profile (ICP)? If not, you’re going to have to rethink your strategy.