It’s 2022, and there’s no shortage of websites and blogs on the internet.
Therefore, the web is so oversaturated with content that it makes being found way harder than it was a decade ago.
Despite the lucrative potential of running a successful website, new website owners quickly find that gaining recognition is not so easy.
It is an incredibly competitive market, after all, and there are thousands of new startups every day.
Luckily, you can increase the odds of your business’s survival in the digital age and ensure you are found by your target audience with the knowledge of content distribution.
Here’s everything you need to know about content distribution: a website owner’s secret weapon.
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What Is Content Distribution?
Content distribution is the cumulative efforts of creating and distributing content to various social media platforms.
Marketing, algorithms, and media sharing are all elements of this process and play a crucial role in gaining an audience for your brand.
How Does Content Distribution Work?
Content distribution starts with creating content you think would appeal to your brand’s target audience.
Once it’s developed, publishing it with algorithm-friendly metadata (such as hashtags) will allow your post to be seen by relevant viewers.
This content serves as a lead to your brand, which will increase traffic to your company’s site and can potentially boost sales.
Why Is It Important To Distribute Your Content?
You can’t just create content and post it on an isolated website.
People will never find your business like that, and it’s most likely a waste of resources.
The following are reasons why distributing your content to various social media outlets is so important:1.
1. Increase Brand Awareness
Being recognizable builds trust and makes you stand out in an ocean of brands.
It’s essential to bring your company face to life with creative content regularly uploaded to multiple social accounts, increasing brand awareness and letting people worldwide know who you are.
2. Build Loyal Followers
When you distribute content, you’re building loyal followers.
If your posts are high-quality and consistent, people will eventually find you.
They’ll stick around if you give them a good enough reason.
3. Encourage Target Audience
Marketing on social media differs from putting up a billboard in a big city; you’re not shooting a shot in the dark, nor are you speaking to your viewers with a generic tone.
Social platforms have algorithms that help you distribute your content directly to your target audience and allow you to grow at an exponential rate.
4. More Social Shares
More people seeing your content equals more social shares.
When anonymous social media users share your content with people they know, they create a snowball effect for your brand’s recognition.
Plus, it’s free advertising.
5. Driving Traffic
Traffic on your social media networks often means you will see more traffic on your brand’s website.
And since your content is tailored for a specific audience, visitors are more likely to turn into customers.
What Is a Content Distribution Strategy?
Now that the significance of content distribution has been highlighted, it’s time to create a working content distribution strategy.
A content distribution strategy is a schedule mapping out when and where you’ll publish content.
Going in without one can lead to a lack of organization and adversely affect a brand.
Should Different Content Types Have Different Content Distribution Strategies?
Given that there is so much content out there and so many different platforms to post on, you will need a unique content distribution strategy to accommodate your business’s needs.
Each content type will require a different content distribution strategy to be successful.
Remember that not every method will work for every business, so you should make sure you choose the right one before making a move.
What Are Three Types of Content Distribution Strategies?
There are three types of content distribution:
- Owned content distribution is legally owned and distributed through a company or individual, usually done through sharing set content on the owner’s social media accounts.
- Earned content distribution is when third-party accounts distribute your content for one reason or another. For example, an unaffiliated company may retweet a tweet you posted on Twitter because it applies to them. It’s essentially free exposure for posting quality content.
- Paid content distribution is when you pay to have your content distributed. While this is the most surefire way to ensure your content gets recognition, it can also get a bit expensive.
How to Create a Content Distribution Strategy
Here’s how you can create an excellent content distribution strategy to ensure that your content is seen:
1. Research Your Target Audience
First, you’ll need to research who your target audience is and what type of content appeals to them the most.
Research related demographics and check out successful media accounts that post content similar to what you’d like to create.
2. Audit Your Content
Before you put any new content out there, reevaluate any pre-existing content you already have.
See which posts did best and which ones flopped, which will help indicate the best course of action for your strategy.
Related: Learn more about content audits
3. Choose Distribution Channels
There are so many platforms out there that you certainly can’t use all of them.
Instead, select a few that would work best with your company’s structure.
5. Choose Content Types
Similar to choosing your distribution channels, you will select the type of content you’d like to post.
Whether it’s humorous, serious, informal, or otherwise will depend on the type of image you’re trying to make.
5. Set KPIs and Goals
Key performance indicators will let you know if you’re on your way to success.
You know you’re on the right track if you’re constantly hitting goals.
6. Build an Editorial Calendar
Being organized is everything.
You can’t just publish content whenever you feel like it; you need structure.
Mapping an editorial calendar will help you plan a routine to consistently output content.
7. Create Content
When you create content, keep in mind that you should tailor it toward your target audience and be of high quality.
Low-effort content never goes anywhere, so take the time to ensure you’re delivering the best content possible.
8. Distribute and Market Content
The final step is to share your content with your distribution channels and market it.
You may market it yourself, or you might be using paid promotions.
Be mindful that once your content is out there, you can’t just leave it and forget it.
Instead, you’ll want to nurture it by replying to comments, sharing it on other accounts, and keeping track of how well it does.
How Do You Know if the Content Distribution Strategy Is Working?
The best way to know whether your content distribution strategy is working is to see if you’re hitting your KPIs and goals.
If you aren’t, it may be time to reinvent your plan.
You’ll always want to ensure a direct correlation between sales and viewership.
For example, the number of likes you get won’t mean as much if you have a low conversion rate.
Wrapping Up
Many new businesses fail because they don’t know how to distribute their content properly.
The important thing to takeaway is that you should have a well-thought-out content distribution strategy for your business to survive.
Without one, your website is likely to fall into obscurity.
It may take a little time and effort, but if you follow everything outlined in this article, you’ll avoid many pitfalls of poor content distribution and be on your way to making it big.
