The evolution of content marketing is not with more content but with better distribution. With the overabundance of content out there, there is no point if no one knows its existence.
For your content to create the impact it deserves, you have to get your targeted audience to realize that it exists. The path to this lies with content distribution channels that open up your audience’s eyes to the world of content.
Before probing into what your go-to channels for content distribution are, let’s have a look at the fundamentals of what it is first.
What Is Content Distribution?
Content distribution is the key to opening the lock called ‘audience.’ In formal terms, it is the process of promoting created content through content distribution channels and other media forms. This content includes everything from blog posts, articles, stories, newsletters, podcasts, and product reviews to research studies and case studies.
Why Is Content Distribution Important?
Imagine the director of Avengers made the film and simply kept quiet about it. No soul would have come across it, allowing it to make billions at the box office. Thanks to various promotional activities, like interviews and sharing trailers on social media, everyone was made aware of, and anticipated the movie.
Similarly, as a content marketer, you should promote your content through various distribution channels to get to the doorstep of your intended audience.
The 7 Best Content Distribution Channels
Content distribution channels are broadly split up into three basic categories. They are owned channels, earned channels, and paid channels. These channels are split depending on your audience segments and resources. Among these 3 tiers, we have filtered out the best content distribution channels through which you can broadcast your entry.
Owned Channels
From the name, it is evident that owned channels refer to those that are possessed by you. You hold authority over these platforms. It may be your social media account, your website, your blog, your app, or your company’s website. With full power comes greater risks.
The whole channel’s responsibility lies with you, and to stand out from the crowd when there are millions like you, you have to present your content in an out-of-the-box way. Owned channels are cost-efficient and your brand can have total control, but sometimes, owned channels might take their own time to escalate.
1. Social Media Profiles
“Content is fire, Social media is gasoline.” – Jay Baer, a best-selling author who wrote on customer acquisition, and a 7th-generation entrepreneur known for his social media marketing skills.
With your social media handles being the most powerful content distribution tool ever, you must tweak your content and present it in a way that your audience stops short instead of scrolling through.
Your niche should have so many other experts writing on it. Tag those people and try to maintain a healthy relationship with them to get the latest trends in the industry.
2. Website or Blog
Among the 2.8 billion users who come to the internet, it takes literally only 0.5 seconds for a user to form an opinion of your blog or website. Although the proverb ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ is true, everyone who visits your webpage will likely do exactly that. But, it’s not something you have to whine about. There are so many ways you can design your website creatively to grab and hold your audience.
3. Email Newsletters
According to Statista, 197.6 million emails are sent every minute. Although some content markers might exhibit concern over using email newsletters as a content distribution channel, it has become one of the most effective ways to interact with users who are already in touch with your brand. Engaging newsletters with catchy taglines and attractive content will spark interest in your audience to dig deeper.
Earned Channels
Also known as ‘shared channels,’ these are third parties who have taken the initiative in sharing content about your brand, website, or business. This content includes review sites, guest posts or mentions.
Through earned content distribution channels you gain exposure to a new set of audiences and secure a genuine network to distribute your content. The only drawback with this type of channel is that your brand is open to criticism, which sometimes might not turn out
4. Guest Blogging
This type of blogging will fetch you greater brand awareness and shake hands with other experts in your niche. Building relationships might also aid in several upgrading collaborations in the future. Guest blogging helps you grow mentions, generate leads, and bring more traffic to your original website.
5. Question & Answer Platforms
Question-and-answer platforms, like Quora, are the most common go-to spaces for people to clarify their doubts. Every month almost 633 million users resort to Quora to do away with their confusion.
Using this platform, you can target exactly the specified traffic who have any uncertainty in your area. By clearing them with clarity, a good first impression is formed and you can easily promote yourself and pull your needed audience.
Paid Channels
Pay to promote with paid channels. This type of content distribution channel covers things, like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, sponsored content, and paid influencer content. Paid channels are quick to scale your content as they are already enormously established. There is an immediate impact, but you have to brace yourself for any kind of response rate.
6. Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
Search engines, like Google, feature ads that help in reaching your content to a large audience. By filling in keywords that match your content, search engines can display targeted ads to users who have searched in similar contexts. For this strategy to reach its height, you have to make your ads so catchy that your audience just cannot ignore it.
7. Sponsored Content Distribution
This type of distribution is made possible by paying other websites or influencers to advertise your branded content. Stats have proved that by partnering up with other websites, you can anticipate almost a 50% incline in their brand becoming known.
How Do You Choose Which Content Distribution Channel Is Your Fit?
This is a common confusion when pondering how to distribute your valuable content to the right audience. While paid distribution channels are quick in producing results, they are not entirely dependable, and might not stay consistent.
On the other hand, organic channels usually climb up the ladder slowly but are steady. The best you can do is choose a combination of both, and consider which type of channel your targeted audience is mostly found at.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is B2B content marketing?
B2B content marketing is the process of creating and promoting content through different resources to drive businesses to partner up with other businesses.
What are some of the best content distribution tools?
Some of the best content distribution tools include Twitter, Instagram, Google Ads, and marketing hubs, like Hubspot.
What is audience segmentation?
Audience segmentation is the process of dividing into groups based on the criteria that are common, like demographics, media usage, income, behavior, age, and psychographic.
Wrapping Up
The right distribution technique is to place the right content in front of the right person at the right time. Through our list of best content distribution channels, you can pick your fit according to the targeted traffic you want to lure in. Always remember, content might be king but distribution is queen and the queen will always protect her king.
Suggested Reads:
