What is content distribution?

Content distribution is a core part of any successful content marketing strategy. It's about taking the great content you've created—whether it's a blog post, video, infographic, or podcast—and actively getting it in front of the people who need to see it. Think of it as the bridge between your content creation efforts and your audience's eyeballs. Without effective distribution, even the most amazing content might go unnoticed.

The main goal of content distribution is to maximize the reach and impact of your content. This involves strategically choosing the right platforms and methods to share your message, ensuring it resonates with your target audience and helps you achieve your marketing objectives, such as building brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, or fostering customer loyalty.

It's not enough to just publish content and hope people find it. A proactive approach to distribution is essential in today's crowded digital landscape. By understanding the different ways to distribute your content, you can create a robust strategy that significantly boosts your content's performance and return on investment.

Why content distribution matters

Effective content distribution is crucial because it directly impacts your content's ability to achieve its purpose. Here are a few key reasons why it's so important:

• Increased visibility and reach: The more places your content appears, the greater the chance it has of being discovered by new audiences and reminding existing ones of your value.
• Enhanced brand awareness: Consistent distribution across relevant channels helps establish your brand's presence and authority in your industry.
• Improved audience engagement: By distributing content where your audience spends their time, you make it easier for them to interact with your brand, share your content, and become part of your community.
• Better lead generation and conversions: Well-distributed content can guide potential customers through the buyer's journey, providing valuable information that leads to sales or sign-ups.
• SEO benefits: When your content is shared and linked to from various reputable sources, it can signal to search engines that your content is valuable, potentially boosting your search rankings.

Types of content distribution channels

Content distribution channels can generally be categorized into three main types:

Owned channels

These are channels that your brand fully controls. You have complete ownership and editorial control over the content and how it's presented.

• Your website/blog: The primary hub for all your content.
• Email marketing: Newsletters, promotional emails, and automated campaigns to your subscriber list.
• Social media profiles: Your brand's organic posts on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Pinterest.
• Mobile apps: If your brand has one, it can be a direct channel for content.

Earned channels

Earned channels are when third parties distribute your content on your behalf, often as a result of your content's quality or newsworthiness. You don't pay for these, but you earn them through good content and relationships.

• Public relations (PR): Media mentions, news articles, or features from journalists.
• Organic social media shares: When users share your content with their networks.
• Influencer mentions: When influencers or industry experts share or talk about your content.
• Guest posts/syndication: When other reputable sites republish your content or invite you to write for them.

Paid channels

Paid channels involve investing money to promote your content to a specific audience. This can significantly boost reach and target specific demographics.

• Paid social media advertising: Promoting posts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
• Search engine marketing (SEM): Running ads on Google or Bing to drive traffic to your content.
• Native advertising: Content that matches the form and function of the platform it appears on (e.g., sponsored content on news sites).
• Content syndication networks: Platforms that distribute your content to a network of publishers.
• Display advertising: Banner ads on websites.

Best practices for effective distribution

• Know your audience: Understand where your target audience spends their time online and what types of content they prefer. This guides your channel selection.
• Repurpose content: Don't just publish once. Turn a blog post into an infographic, a video, a podcast snippet, or a series of social media posts. This maximizes your content's lifespan and reach.
• Create a distribution calendar: Plan out when and where each piece of content will be shared. This ensures consistency and prevents content from being forgotten.
• Engage with your audience: Don't just broadcast. Respond to comments, ask questions, and foster conversations around your shared content.
• Leverage influencers and partnerships: Collaborate with others in your industry to extend your reach to their audiences.

Key metrics to track

To understand if your distribution efforts are working, you need to track relevant metrics:

• Reach/impressions: How many unique users saw your content or how many times your content was displayed.
• Engagement rate: Likes, shares, comments, clicks on social media posts.
• Website traffic: How many visitors came to your site from your distribution channels.
• Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate might indicate your content isn't resonating.
• Conversion rate: How many visitors completed a desired action, like signing up for a newsletter or downloading an asset.

By regularly analyzing these metrics, you can identify which channels and strategies are most effective, allowing you to optimize your approach and continuously improve your content distribution efforts. Start by experimenting with different channels and measuring the results to refine your strategy over time.