In the most straightforward sense, content distribution is the way you get your content to your audience. It encompasses sharing, publishing and promoting various types of content through a variety of different channels.
But really, it’s more than that. It’s the bridge connecting you with your target audience, a reflection of your company’s values and offerings. It also makes up a large part of your organization’s online identity.
That’s why it’s important to have the proper tools, strategy, and talent in place to take your content distribution game to the next level.
The Goal of Content Distribution
Marketing strategies have lots of moving parts, but content distribution is arguably one of the most important. Because really, what good is even the very best content if no one sees it?
Content distribution is all about getting the right content and information into the right hands. If done correctly, it can give you access to a larger audience of potential clients and customers while helping you hold onto the audience you already have.
This, in turn, can lead to an increase in:
- Social media likes and shares
- Backlinks
- Website traffic
Effectively distributing good content can positively affect your online presence from several angles.
- Well-written and relevant content can position your brand as a subject area expert or authority.
- Carefully crafted blogs can help increase your overall brand awareness.
- Thoughtful and engaging social media posts can grow your audience and keep them interested.
Combined, these and other strategies can all help you boost your marketing ROI.
How Content Distribution Works
Online content can be divided into three types of media:
- Owned
- Earned
- Paid
Each has its own role, along with a unique set of potential benefits and challenges.
Owned media: Perhaps the most powerful type of media to distribute is owned media. This is content you and your team create internally or employ talented freelancers to generate for you.
Blog posts, downloads and website content you generate specifically for your organization or brand fall under owned media.
The advantage is that your organization has full control and ownership over this type of media. This also means you are free to analyze and leverage associated data any way you’d like.
Earned media: Earned media consists of content about your company that is created, shared or published by a third party at no cost to you.
If a popular blogger or respected leader in your field reposts, quotes, or links to your owned content, you’ve earned a new media channel. You can think of each new mention from a respected source as a new earned media source.
And remember, the best way to earn these mentions is through high-level owned content.
Paid media: Paid media encompasses all the ads and promotional content you pay to have published and distributed by others.
This can be in the form of ads on other people’s websites, social media advertising, or even paying industry leaders and influencers to share your content or discuss your brand.
Why Content Distribution and Creation Should Always go Hand in Hand
The key to a successful content distribution strategy always comes back to the ability to create top-quality content. In the overcrowded sea of content that is the internet, your brand needs to generate a constant stream of content that can stand out from the crowd.
And it’s a mighty big crowd out there. Your content can easily get lost in the shuffle unless it:
- Offers relevant and engaging information to your target audience
- Exemplifies your brand’s voice and identity
- Ends up in front of the right people
Content Distribution’s Role in Your Overall Content Strategy
Content distribution should not be an afterthought. It’s an important step that needs to be built into your overall content strategy. In fact, every piece of content you create should be accompanied by its own series of promotion methods.
Your blog posts, for example, could be accompanied by promotion tactics that include:
- Posting a link on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts
- Pulling a quote from the piece to create an Instagram post
- Sending an email to your client base
Whatever avenues you use to gain followers, grow your audience, and drive traffic, the goal remains the same. Increase your ROI, reach a larger number of potential customers, and generate income.
How Can WriterAccess Help?
No matter how comprehensive your content distribution plan may be, its success relies on the content you’re offering to your clients and prospects in the first place.
At WriterAccess, we can help match you with content creators that produce content tailored to your exact needs, identity and style. Tap into our pool of freelance talent today with a free platform trial.
