There are so many vital moving parts to a highly effective content marketing strategy.
There’s content creation, content repurposing, content distribution, analysis…and so on.
All have their place in growing your business and building your brand. But in the case of a full-scale strategy, you can’t have one without the others…
And, I’d argue that you can’t get anywhere at all without content distribution.
In this post, I dive into why content distribution is the most important and, oftentimes, overlooked factor in a content marketing strategy. I share the similarities between distributing content and physical products and the top channels to use to distribute your content.
Keep reading to find out why content distribution is everything.
Why focus so much on content distribution?
You may be thinking — surely creating content is the most important factor?
Well, yes…without content you don’t have a content marketing strategy. But that’s just the first piece of the puzzle.
If you put all your focus on creating content, you will only go so far.
I think about it like this. If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody’s around to hear it, did it make a sound?
Now think about your content. If you create content, but nobody consumes it, was there any point in creating content?
You can create an amazing piece of content but without the right distribution tactics, it just won’t do anything for you.
At the end of the day, the best content doesn’t win. The best-distributed content wins.
Distribution can change everything
If your business sells real, physical products, you need a distribution strategy. It’s no good having all your goodies sitting in a warehouse! You need to get them out there. Without a distribution strategy, you have no business.
For example, I’m a fan of the TV show Dragons’ Den, which is the UK equivalent to Shark Tank in the US. Often, people go on the show with really good products, and they could likely get investment from other places, e.g., a bank, which is a lot less complicated than going on a TV show and pitching to millionaires!
But they choose the show because it’s not really the investment that they’re after…it’s tapping into the network of the Dragon investor, so they can access better distribution channels.
In some industries, it’s very much the case of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And it’s about leveraging the distribution channels your contacts have access to.
If the Dragons are keen, they reel off the retailers they can get the product introduced to. Likewise, often the products fail to get investment because the Dragons will predict distribution issues.
They know that distribution is everything.
Compare this to selling your product just from your own website. It’s fine to sell on your own website, of course, but by diversifying and finding other channels/platforms, you can reach more people.
It’s the same for your content.
Content distribution is easier than ever
Here’s the good news. Content distribution isn’t like product distribution in that it’s far easier to get in the door with the big players…in fact, the bar to entry is incredibly low or non-existent.
Whether you want to distribute your content to YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Medium, LinkedIn, etc. the requirement is the same — just create content for that platform.
It’s not like in the pre-digital days when the main content distribution channels included magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, etc. Back then it was difficult and costly.
Today, the world’s biggest and best content distribution channels sit at our fingertips.
We simply must ensure we’re utilizing content distribution channels, otherwise, is there any point in creating content?
Let’s get into some of the top content distribution channels and how repurposing can help you make the most of them…
Top content distribution platforms
1. Your website
Never underestimate your website’s power as a content distribution channel.
Firstly, it’s your best chance at getting your content to appear in the SERPs.
Secondly, it’s all yours — there’s no third party calling the shots.
Finally, it’s a hub for all your content, where potential clients will come to see what you’re all about.
Here’s one for you video creators…
2. YouTube
YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google so, if you create video content, it’s paramount to have a presence here.
The video platform has so many daily users, it’s a no-brainer for anyone looking to expand their reach. Plus, Google will return YouTube videos in search results, doubling your chances of appearing in the SERPs, and it makes sharing your videos or publishing them on other sites a lot easier.
If you’ve got a podcast, find out how you can repurpose it into YouTube content with my article, How to Repurpose a Podcast to YouTube.
There are other video distribution channels that might also be suited to your niche, so do consider also publishing on alternative platforms to YouTube if they’re relevant.
Another route brilliant for distributing your video content is social media.
3. Social Media
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest…these might be the first platforms that come to mind when you think about content distribution.
After all, they have amazing potential to distribute your content to so many people, really, really fast.
These channels have huge numbers of daily average users and are designed to get your content seen. But it’s important to focus on the numbers that matter (and not get sucked into a wormhole of vanity metrics) with social media.
Yes, there are millions of people on the platforms, but your content doesn’t need to reach all of them (and it’s not going to either!). It’s about distributing your content to your ideal audience. So, test out distributing your content to these channels and find the ones that are working best for your business — not your ego.
The great thing about social media is you can distribute any content there. Video, images, text posts, audiograms, you name it. Just be aware of the preferred image shape/video sizes/text length for each platform, and, if you’re repurposing your content to multiple social media channels, remember to respect each platform’s individuality.
4. Podcast platforms
If you have a podcast then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be on all the podcast apps. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Deezer…the list goes on. Your podcast hosting site should allow you to access all of these (and their listeners) easily, and if it doesn’t you can usually just submit your podcast to the apps by providing your RSS feed.
If you’re looking for a good podcast host that helps you to embrace distribution on the main apps then try our preferred podcast host — Captivate.
5. Your email newsletter
Another small but powerful cog in the content distribution wheel, your email newsletter is a fantastic way to take content directly to your most loyal followers.
Say you’re a video creator, you may not instantly think about distributing your video via email. But you can use the magic of repurposing to transform it into a special inbox delivery. You could write a short summary of the episode and pair it with a link to your video on YouTube or your website, or you could repurpose the video into a blog post and email that out directly to your subscribers.
It’s important that your content distribution strategy takes into account both your existing audience, prospects and brand-new audiences. So this means making full use of your website and email list, as well as third-party sites like social media, Reddit, Quora, Medium, industry sites, Discord communities, and so on.
6. Underutilized content distribution channels, like Q&A sites
As I discussed with Ross Simmonds in episode 209 of my podcast, you can get huge results by repurposing your content to undervalued content distribution channels like Quora and Reddit. Yes, they’re unusual, but these sites can help you dominate SERPs and reach niche audiences with big potential.
One caveat is that you may need to set aside extra time to repurpose your content so that it’s useful on the platform. Skip this part, and you run the risk of your content not reaching anyone on the platform at all.
Ross shared his best practices for getting noticed on Reddit, Quora, and more, in our podcast conversation. Check out the article to hear it: How to Unlock Overlooked Content Distribution Channels with Ross Simmonds.
How to create great content for every distribution channel
So now you know the best channels to use to get your content out there…it’s time to get creating!
Because a content distribution strategy is nothing without a solid content creation and repurposing strategy too.
We’ve written blog posts and recorded podcast episodes on the best ways to repurpose your content into all these formats and many, many more, so to find more information on that, check out the Content 10x blog.
Then it’s all about designing and executing a content distribution strategy that works for you.
Say Hello on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Originally published at https://www.content10x.com on November 25, 2021.
