How do you develop an effective content distribution strategy that delivers results? You're not alone if you struggle to answer this question.
In fact, according to a recent survey, only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content strategy.
The truth is, creating high-quality content alone is not enough. However, with a proper content distribution plan, your efforts will yield excellent results.
That's where an effective content distribution strategy comes in.
As entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk once said, "Content is king, but distribution is queen.”
In other words, distribution is just as important as content creation.
With so much noise and competition, standing out and getting your content in front of the right people is crucial.
This article will guide you through 12 essential steps to develop an effective B2B content distribution strategy.
Keep reading to learn how to boost your content discovery, brand awareness, traffic, engagement, sales, and ROI.
What’s the point of creating content if it doesn’t serve a purpose?
Your marketing content must have some defined expectations, such as:
Setting goals for your content distribution strategy is crucial for achieving these expectations via all channels. Here are some tips:
For example, you can aim to aim to increase MQLs by 20% within the next quarter by:
Here, you can measure success through KPIs like MQL conversion rate, lead engagement, and qualified lead acquisition.
To refine content distribution strategy, you must balance multiple content distribution goals, establish a primary one, and ensure others contribute.
For instance, you can prioritize generating MQLs (primary goal) while driving traffic and building brand awareness (secondary goal).
Then define KPIs such as MQL conversion rate, website traffic, lead engagement, and brand reach.
This holistic approach will help you align your goals and drive impactful results across revenue generation, traffic, and brand visibility.
Different channels and content types require different KPIs, such as:
Consider these goals and KPIs when developing an effective content distribution strategy.
ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles) help you create content aligned with your target audience's needs. Plus, it allows you to distribute materials that fit customers' behaviors.
To create ICPs, ask questions such as:
Your Goals
Different channels may be more effective depending on your goals.
Industry
Pain Points
Decision Making
Content Types
Channels
Digging into the above point more, here are some tips for researching the platform where your audience is active.
An editorial calendar is essential for B2B content marketing distribution planning. It serves as a roadmap for content creators and editors. Plus, it keeps them aligned with publishing, sharing, and promoting every piece.
Several tools can create editorial calendars, such as:
Your editorial calendar should contain vital information such as:
Frequency of publishing is also essential to maintain consistency, which your target audience will appreciate. According to research, 34% of marketers publish content multiple times per week, while 33% do it every day.
However, keeping your audience from getting overwhelmed or spammed with too much content is essential. Therefore, decide your ideal frequency based on the following factors:
In addition, you can also reshare and repurpose existing pieces instead of creating new content every time.
Tailoring your content distribution strategy to each platform is crucial to achieving traction. It means understanding the language of each channel and customizing the copy you use to push your content.
For example, you may use shorter and more concise language for Twitter, whereas you may use longer paragraphs for LinkedIn.
Custom content creation also involves knowing your customers better. As such, you must conduct in-depth research to understand your audience's preferences and needs. Here are a few ways:
You build a deeper relationship with your audience by following the above tips. Plus, you can better understand their needs and preferences. As a result, you can create a content distribution strategy – tailor-made to your audience and their specific requirements.
You already know this – creating top-notch content that resonates with your target audience is a MUST to generate leads. But how do you achieve this? Here are some tips:
To create meaningful and impactful content, deeply understand your audience. It can help you develop relevant topics that cater to their needs and struggles.
For instance, a guide with long-form content and an accompanying video tutorial can effectively engage your audience.
Let’s now check out some tips on creating brilliant content ideas:
Assign your content to specific stages of the buyer's journey can quickly uncover which stage lacks content. Then you can focus your efforts on creating content for that particular stage.
It is vital to have a mix of content formats and types to make your content marketing strategy more effective.
Blogs have served as the primary marketing channels for decades. However, you may need more than just focusing on them to stand out.
According to EarthWeb, bloggers worldwide publish over 7.5 million blog posts daily. Therefore, diversifying your content distribution strategy is crucial.
Researching your audience will help you learn what content they appreciate. While focusing on their preferred types is essential, you should provide multiple content assets to capture more leads and conversions.
As per HubSpot:
It's also essential to consider different content types for your distribution strategies, such as ebooks, white papers, webinars, success stories, industry reports, and checklists.
However, remember that some content types work better on specific platforms, such as:
It's important to note that ebooks, webinars, white papers, infographics, case studies, and success stories should have dedicated landing pages. It makes it easy for your audience to find and consume them.
Next, consider the length of your content. As per research:
Key Takeaway: Longer content, specific posts, and infographics are ideal for acquiring backlinks.
Next, focus on your targeted KPIs – such as the number of social shares:
As per research:
Key Takeaway: Longer content and certain types of headlines and content formats, such as question headlines and list posts, tend to perform better regarding social shares.
You can use three channels for content distribution: owned, earned, and paid. Each channel type has its benefits and drawbacks. As such, you MUST choose the right channel(s) for your content.
Owned channels are the ones that your business has complete control over. Some benefits of using owned channels include:
However, the main drawback of using owned channels is that you are limited to your own audience. It means that you may not be reaching new or potential customers.
Types of owned channels include:
Businesses use earned channels to distribute content through word-of-mouth or other forms of organic promotion. Some benefits of using earned channels include the following:
However, the primary downside of using earned channels is that they are often outside your control. For instance, others are not guaranteed to share or promote your content.
Types of earned channels include:
Paid channels are the ones that your business pays for to promote your content. Some benefits of using paid channels include the following:
In this case, the major con is that they can be expensive and may need to deliver the desired results consistently.
Types of paid channels include the following:
In addition, you can drive traffic to your owned channels and increase their visibility by targeting specific keywords and demographics.
Using paid advertising, such as social media ads or sponsored content, you can reach a wider audience and increase the chances of earning media coverage, reviews, shares, and mentions. These earned channels can further amplify your brand's reach and credibility.
By leveraging these connections between owned, earned, and paid channels, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote your brand, drive traffic, and achieve your business objectives.
When deciding which channels to use for content distribution, consider your audience, goals, and budget. In addition, consider each channel’s strengths and weaknesses.
Hence, a mix of owned, earned, and paid channels may be necessary to reach your desired audience and achieve your marketing goals.
Whatever channel you choose, you must engage with these communities by first providing value. You can also reference the content you want them to check out.
For example:
You can respond to a question about the best way to use Reddit for marketing a new application. Giving valuable insights and recommending via a detailed blog post on how people can use Reddit can help your audience. Then, share a link to the post.
Pro Tip: Avoid being overly promotional and focus on providing value first. Say something like, "I came across this helpful blog post on using Reddit for promoting XYZ. It shares practical tips that have worked for me. Check it out if you're interested!"
By referencing the content in a contextually relevant and helpful manner, you increase the chances of audience engagement and interest.
LinkedIn also serves as an excellent platform for B2B marketing. After all, 80% of B2B leads come from this platform. Thus, it's crucial to master content distribution on this channel. To do so, you can use content distribution tactics such as:
Selecting the proper content distribution tools ensures your content reaches the right audience at the right time through the proper channels.
Various content distribution tools are available, ranging from free to paid platforms. And each channel has its unique features and capabilities.
Some of the popular content distribution tools include:
Consider your budget, target audience, and content goals when selecting content distribution tools. Plus, choose tools that integrate well with each other, allowing for a seamless content distribution process.
Utilizing B2B content syndication networks that will drive traffic can significantly enhance your content strategy. According to research, only 29% of B2B marketers use content repurposing. However, it’s essential for maximizing the reach of your content.
Content repurposing involves transforming existing content into other formats to appeal to different audiences.
For example:
By doing so, you can:
Amplification, however, involves promoting your content through various channels, such as:
NOTE:
Content syndication involves distributing your content on third-party platforms, such as:
Gathering input from readers helps you understand your audience's preferences, pain points, and interests. As such, it allows you to tailor your content to meet their needs better.
You can collect feedback from various sources, such as:
When you analyze and take action based on this feedback, you can think of measures to:
For example, if you notice that a particular blog post receives many comments and shares, you can use that as a foundation for creating more content.
Or, if you obtain a lot of feedback about a specific issue, you can address it in your content to demonstrate that you value your audience's opinions.
It's essential to encourage feedback and engagement from your audience by making it easy for them to provide their thoughts and opinions. It could involve:
A content audit is a comprehensive evaluation of all the content on your website or other channels. It helps determine your content’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
In addition, a content audit assesses your content's quality, relevance, and accuracy. In short, it ensures the following:
Plus, it helps identify outdated or redundant content that can be removed or repurposed.
To conduct a content audit, you can start by:
You can then analyze the data to identify patterns and areas for improvement.
Some benefits of regular content audits include the following:
Assessing, refining, and updating your content is essential to any successful content syndication marketing strategy. With regular evaluation and optimization, your content may perform better.
Here are some content assessment tactics:
For example, if a piece of content is performing well regarding views, shares, and conversions, you can create more articles and turn them into a series.
And if a piece of content gets higher-than-average conversion rates, you can give it extra promotion with paid social ads or sponsored content.
Refining your content distribution strategy is crucial for keeping your content marketing efforts effective and efficient. As the digital landscape constantly evolves, keeping up with the latest trends and adapting your strategy accordingly is essential.
If you need help refining your content distribution strategy, consider contacting Revnew for guidance and support. Our team of experts can help you identify areas for improvement. Plus, they’ll guide you in developing a customized plan as per your business goals.
With the right tools and expertise, you can create a content distribution strategy that resonates with your target audience and drives measurable results. First, take your time with the complexity of content marketing. Then, contact Revnew and start maximizing your content's potential.