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What Is Content Distribution?
Content distribution is the act of taking your blog, ebook, infographic, YouTube video, etc. and disseminating it across the web. If done right, it gives your business the potential to ensure that every new asset you develop reaches the right audience.
Marketing teams spend hours creating content, but many don’t see those hours turning into real results. That’s because far too many fail at distributing content in a way that nets traffic or leads. And far more don’t invest any time in content distribution at all.
Your role is no longer done, once you press publish. No one will ever know how well crafted and executed your piece is if they never see it.
Content is no longer king—distribution is.
Why Do We Distribute Content?
Every second of every day, thousands of pieces of content are being written and published. The act of creating content has become so commonplace, making the internet more noisy than ever before.
Content is not only accessible anywhere and everywhere we are, but it is very present wherever we are, and it can get overwhelming trying to sort through it all.
This is why distribution matters.
Actively and strategically distributing your content is the best way to increase your chances of 1) reaching your audience on the channels they’re browsing and the sites they’re visiting, and 2) standing out above the noise.
Having a content distribution strategy that you can apply to every new piece of content will ensure that your content is driving results for months and years to come.
What Are The Different Ways To Distribute Content?
How and where you distribute content online can be organized into three primary content distribution channels:
Earned: This occurs after you press publish or share something organically. Earned distribution means that others have liked it, shared it, featured it, linked to it, etc. – all of which attributes value to your piece.
Paid: This means you are leveraging advertising platforms to get your content in front of the right people, faster. Google AdWords (including YouTube) is popular for paid distribution, but most social media sites also have their own platforms that can be used to promote/sponsor content.
Owned: This refers to those channels that you manage—where you have direct access to your audience and can reach them with little worry. The two most effective owned distribution channels are your website & email list.
Not every content distribution channel, nor every online community, is suited for your business. And even if a channel works today, it won’t give you the same results each time, so you’ve got to stay adaptive and experimental in your approach.
Many B2B brands have never distributed content on Reddit, Quora, Growth Hackers, or even YouTube – but they should. In reality, there are hundreds of ways you can distribute content online, and there are dozens of communities you can test out. This checklist will help get you started:
If you want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward, when it comes to content distribution, then download our Content Distribution Checklist, today!
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