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Being the marketing head of your B2B tech company, you can't avoid today’s need for content syndication. This non-traditional form of marketing fits well with the quick tech industry advances and its dynamic ecosystem.
Over 79% of marketers partner with at least one content syndication vendor. It's an excellent tactic to maximize your existing tech content.
Syndication lets you grow your business’s audience base by sharing your existing content with wider prospects. Your content reaches your potential decision-makers via multiple 3rd-party sources.
Content syndication is the proactive approach to help you stay competitive in the evolving tech industry.
So, let us share our guide, where we'll tell you about:- The evolving tech content marketing scene
- Why you must give unwavering attention to content syndication
- How to build your thought leadership in the tech industry with syndication and more
So, let's begin.
The Current State of Content Syndication in Tech
Content syndication has evolved into a vital strategy. Tech giants collaborate, sharing knowledge to amplify reach, inform, and innovate – fostering a dynamic ecosystem of interconnected ideas.
The Tech Content Ecosystem
The internet is flooded with tech content. Millions of blog posts, videos, podcasts, and social media updates flood the online space daily. In fact, around 7.5 million blog posts are published every day!
Hence, it's obvious that you'll face hurdles in standing out. Especially in the tech industry, as you already know, advances at lightning speed. Some common challenges in tech content ecosystems that you may be familiar with are:
- What's hot today might be outdated tomorrow.
For instance, consider how quickly concepts like blockchain, AI, and VR have evolved in just a few years. Keeping up with these trends is a constant challenge.
- Next, search engines and social media platforms use complex algorithms that decide which content to show as results to users. Moreover, Google updates its search algorithm around 500-600 times yearly.
- Another main challenge is becoming a trusted source of information in your tech niche. In fact, even established tech giants today, like The Verge, TechCrunch, or Wired, spent years building their authority.
Hence, you must work hard to build your own niche authority. Yet, you can make this process easier and achievable with some marketing tactics. One of them is the art of content syndication.
Let's learn more about it.
What’s Content Syndication?
It is a demand generation strategy where your marketing teams collaborate with third-party media partners and outlets to share your branded content across multiple channels where your target audience is already present. Most importantly, the syndication follows privacy-compliance while using the prospect’s contact information to reach them.
Content syndication may appear akin to content marketing or content syndication due to its involvement in content creation and sharing. However, it's essential to understand that content syndication differs significantly from these approaches.
The tactic potentially yields a substantial return on investment (ROI) by increasing the volume of high-quality leads for you.
How is Content Syndication Different From Other Content Promotion Methods?
Factors | Content Syndication | Content Marketing | Content Promotion (e.g., Social Media Sharing, Email Marketing) |
Strategy Type | Demand Generation | Brand Awareness and Engagement | Various Goals (Awareness, Engagement, Conversion) |
Collaboration | Collaborate with Media Partners | Typically In-House Efforts | Self-Promotion or Sharing Through Owned Channels |
Distribution Channels | Third-party Platforms and Outlets | Typically In-House Efforts | Self-Promotion or Sharing Through Owned Channels |
Audience Targeting | Leverages Existing Audience | Audience Building and Engagement | Audience Building and Engagement |
Privacy Compliance | Follows Privacy Compliance | Privacy Consideration Varies | Privacy Compliance May Be Required |
Use of Prospect Contact Information | Uses Prospect Contact Info for Reach | Typically Not for Direct Outreach | Uses Prospect Info for Targeted Outreach (Emails, Messages) |
ROI Potential | Potentially High ROI | Varies Depending on Goals | Varies Depending on Goals |
Lead Generation Focus | Focuses on High-Quality Leads | Focuses on Building Brand Loyalty | Focuses on Engagement and Conversions |
Why Is Content Syndication Crucial For Tech Companies?
Let's delve into why content syndication is crucial for tech companies like yours:
Nurturing Tech-Savvy Audiences
Your target tech enthusiasts and professionals are a discerning bunch. They crave in-depth, up-to-date information. Hence, content syndication is your tool to meet their insatiable appetite for knowledge. You can do so by:
- Researching what information your target audience is seeking
- Choosing the right 3rd-party platforms that already serve your target audience
- Requesting a republish of your content in those 3rd-party networks
- Regularly publishing your content on these platforms depending on your audience's needs
This way, you can become your audience's go-to source of relevant expertise. Further, it builds trust, and TRUST, as we all know, is invaluable in the tech world.
Expanding Your Reach
Suppose you have a groundbreaking article about the latest AI advancements. But it's sitting on your blog, waiting to be discovered. Content syndication opens the door to countless news for readers and potential customers. It's like having your tech insights featured in the tech sections of multiple places where your audience is, all at once.
But how does content syndication do it for you?
Let's learn:
- This marketing tactic puts your content in front of the existing, engaged audience you want to target.
- Your content is displayed on multiple websites, increasing its visibility.
- Your content published across multiple 3rd party platforms reaches people who may not have discovered your content otherwise.
- High-quality backlinks boost your website's SEO, helping it rank higher in search engine results.
- Publishing websites often share your syndicated content on social media networks. Hence, your content reaches a new audience through social sharing.
- Different syndication partners may have varying audience demographics. By syndicating across a range of platforms, you can tailor your content to appeal to various segments of your target audience, ensuring a broader appeal.
Yet, if picking content syndication isn't convincing for you, then let us show you some real-world examples:
A Case Study Of Successful Content Syndication In The Tech Industry
IBM's "Smarter Planet" Campaign
Background: IBM, a global technology giant, launched its "Smarter Planet" campaign to highlight how technology could address complex global challenges. They created a series of thought leadership articles, whitepapers, and videos – focused on topics like smart cities, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.
Content Syndication Strategy: IBM partnered with Ogilvy & Mather NY to create posters for the Smarter Planet campaign, addressing topics like energy, food, and banking. These bold illustrations inspired by Paul Rand's vision align with IBM's mission to tackle global challenges. Also, IBM partnered with established tech and business publications like Wired, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.
Results: IBM's content syndication efforts significantly expanded its reach. The campaign reached millions of readers and generated widespread discussions on the role of technology in solving global issues. It helped position IBM as a leader in tech innovation and sparked meaningful conversations in both tech and non-tech circles.
Crafting a Content Syndication Strategy for Thought Leadership
Become a trusted voice by showing your thought leadership in the tech industry. Here are the ways to do it:
Creating Content Strategy Tailored for Tech
Your syndicated content must focus on your niche tech solution. Thus, you can address your target audience's specific needs and interests. Ensure to publish content that speaks directly to their:
- Pain points
- Challenges
- Aspirations
For instance, create in-depth articles on the latest threats and protective measures if you're a cybersecurity company. It will educate your audience and position you as a reliable source of expertise.
Besides tech-focused content, you must choose formats per your audience’s preference.
Know that tech audiences have diverse preferences, so offering a variety of content formats is key. Before choosing your format, consider which of these content syndication methods you’ll use:
- Crafting fresh, niche content for relevant sites
- Repurposing original content prior to publication
- Republishing old content on external websites
- Posting concise excerpts of the original piece
- Investing in paid partnerships to reach the ideal audience
Now, let’s discuss some formats that work exceptionally well with tech audiences.
Content Formats For Your Target Tech Audience
- In-Depth Articles and Guides:
Tech enthusiasts often seek in-depth information. Hence, you must share comprehensive articles and guides on:
- Deep technical details
- Solutions to complex problems
- Video Tutorials and Demonstrations:
Your decision-makers in the tech industry love visual learning. So, provide them with:
- Video tutorials
- Product demos and walkthroughs
-to help them understand complex concepts or your products better.
Pro Tip- Consider YouTube channels like Linus Tech Tips, which excel in this format.
- Infographics:
You can simplify complex concepts of your solutions via visual representations. Thus, infographics are perfect for conveying information quickly and clearly.
- Webinars and Live Streams:
Host live webinars or stream events on platforms like Twitch. Your tech audiences will surely love it as they can have real-time discussions with you. Also, launch Q&A sessions in each webinar.
- Podcasts:
Tech professionals often listen to podcasts during commutes or while multitasking. Thus, make the most of the opportunity to dive deep into tech topics of their interests. Additionally, you can interview industry experts to show your credibility.
- Case Studies:
Tech audiences appreciate real-world examples of how your solutions have solved specific challenges. So, publish relevant case studies as your syndicated content.
- News and Updates:
Regularly publish industry updates across news outlets. Thus, you will become a source of information on your niche's latest trends and developments.
Building Trust and Authority
Your syndicated content must make your brand truthful in front of your target audience. To achieve this, you must:
- Show thought leadership through syndicated content.
- Become a tech industry influencer.
Here are some tips for the same:
- Regularly produce high-quality, insightful content that showcases your expertise. When syndicating, ensure the content maintains its quality across all platforms.
- Tech audiences love data. So, back your arguments with relevant data, statistics, and case studies.
- Don't just publish and forget. Engage with your audience in the comments section or on social media. Respond to questions and feedback promptly to build a rapport.
- Tech evolves rapidly. Stay on top of industry news, trends, and emerging technologies. Update your syndicated content to reflect the latest information, showcasing your commitment to staying current.
- Share your personal experiences, challenges, and successes. Authenticity can make you relatable and memorable to your audience.
- Offer educational content, webinars, or workshops. Mentorship programs or online courses can help you establish yourself as a go-to resource in your niche.
- Attend tech conferences and webinars and join relevant online communities. Networking with peers and sharing your knowledge can elevate your profile and open doors to collaboration.
The Technology Behind Effective Content Syndication
What technology you use to manage your content syndication matters. It can accelerate your desired marketing outcome.
Let's explore what technologies you must involve to make your syndication better:
Automation and Personalization
You have multiple options for marketing automation tools, such as MailChimp, HubSpot, and Salesforce. They enable you to reach prospects at the right moment in their buying journey.
Further, these tools help you optimize your content syndication process, which can do wonders.
- Marketing tools let you create your own flow structure. You can:
- Tailor your workflow to align with the preferences of your distributors.
- Customize it entirely to meet your specific requirements.
- Modify your content syndication strategy by selectively showcasing or omitting products on each partner platform (marketplaces, price comparison sites, resellers, etc.).
- Streamline the syndication process through the segmentation of your product catalog.
- You can easily reference your products on marketplaces via marketing automation platforms. It happens when you:
- Ensure your product is categorized accurately, utilizing tools like smart category suggestions. It ensures users can locate your product in the correct category when they apply search filters.
- Access consolidated error reports provided by broadcasters. Opt for a platform that provides solutions by clearly specifying necessary content adjustments or actions for your feeds. It enables you to rectify errors and present high-quality product information promptly.
Data Analytics and Insights
Data isn't just numbers; it's the beacon that guides your content syndication ship. It's about understanding your tech audience, their preferences, and the impact of your content on them. With data analytics, you can fine-tune your syndication strategies, ensuring your message lands where it matters most.
Moreover, insights gleaned from data allow you to measure the pulse of tech buyers, enabling you to adapt and optimize your syndicated content for maximum impact.
Overcoming Challenges in Tech Content Syndication
You must understand that challenges aren't roadblocks but opportunities to sharpen your syndication strategy.
You can enjoy its benefits once you pass the significant challenges of this marketing tactic. Let's explore syndication challenges and how to overcome them:
Data Privacy and Compliance
In the era of stringent data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, navigating the labyrinth of legalities is paramount. You must respect user data rights and adhere to the rules. You can do so by:
- Navigating data privacy regulations:
- Ensuring compliance in syndication efforts
Tips To Navigate Data Privacy Regulations:
- Stay Informed:
Regularly review GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant laws to ensure your practices align with the latest updates.
- Take Consent:
Obtain explicit consent for data collection. Clearly communicate how user data will be used, giving them the choice to opt in or out.
- Ensure Data Security:
Implement robust security measures to protect user data. Encrypt sensitive information and follow best practices for data storage.
Tips To Ensure Compliance In Syndication:
- Audit Your Partners:
Vet syndication partners thoroughly. Ensure they adhere to the same data privacy standards as your organization.
- Check For Transparent Data Handling:
Clearly define how data is handled throughout the syndication process. Establish procedures to monitor and rectify any breaches promptly.
- Keep Documentation and Reports:
Maintain detailed records of data handling practices. Be prepared to provide evidence of compliance if required by regulatory authorities.
Content Quality and Relevance
Your tech audience demands accuracy, depth, and value in every piece they consume. Simultaneously, ensuring your content stays relevant is a constant challenge. You can overcome it by:
- Providing premium content to your audience.
- Maintaining your content's relevance all the time.
Let's see how to achieve these:
Tips To Maintain High-quality Content
- Do Thorough Research:
Base your content on well-researched data and industry insights. Ensure your piece is factually correct.
- Edit and Proofread:
Hire professional editors to ensure grammatical correctness and readability. Quality content should be error-free.
- Leverage Visual Appeal:
Add visuals like infographics, images, and videos to enhance engagement with your content.
- Keep A Consistent Voice:
Maintain a consistent brand voice and tone throughout your content for a cohesive user experience.
- Take an Audience-Centric Approach:
Craft content that addresses your audience's pain points, needs, and interests directly.
Tips to Ensure Your Content’s Relevance
- Stay Updated:
Subscribe to news sources, attend conferences, and follow thought leaders to stay informed. Update details on your syndicated content.
- Have a Content Calendar:
Develop a content calendar that aligns with industry trends and events. Plan your content in advance to maintain relevance.
- Take Audience Feedback:
Actively seek feedback from your audience. Use surveys, social media polls, and comments to gauge their evolving interests.
- Ensure Adaptability:
Be prepared to pivot quickly. If a new technology or trend emerges, adjust your content strategy accordingly.
Realizing ROI and Measuring Success
The return on investment (ROI) of your content syndication efforts evaluates how much profit or loss you make for each dollar spent on the campaign.
You can measure it using the formula: (Total Campaign Cost - Total Revenue Generated)/ Total Cost
It helps you invest in what works and steer clear of what doesn't in your syndication campaign.
6.1 ROI Metrics for Tech Content Syndication
Here are four key metrics to measure the effectiveness of your tech-focused content syndication campaign:
- Conversion Rate:
This metric evaluates leads percentage that become paying customers or generate revenue. It shows how well your syndicated content convinces and motivates leads to take action. You can monitor this metric with tools like:
-by establishing conversion goals or events on your CRM or website system.
- Cost Per Click (CPC):
It calculates the average cost per lead acquired through your content syndication campaign. Thus, it reveals the efficiency and profitability of your strategy.
Formula: Total Cost of Content Syndication Campaign / Total Number Of Leads Generated
- Lead Quality:
It checks how many leads are really good for your business by categorizing them as marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) or sales-qualified leads (SQLs). You can keep an eye on this with tools like:
To decide if a lead is good or not, you can use factors, such as:
- Who are they?
- What do they do?
- How engaged are they?
- What are they interested in?
- Lead Volume:
Lead volume is the total number of leads generated from your content syndication campaign. It shows how effectively your syndicated content engages your target audience. You can monitor it using any of these tools:
Additionally, you can measure lead volume via tracking codes or UTM parameters on your landing pages/forms.
6.2 Continuous Improvement
The iterative nature of tech content syndication involves an ongoing cycle of:
- Planning
- Execution
- Analysis
- Refinement
Let's take a quick look at them:
- Planning: You select target platforms and audiences.
- Execution: You publish and distribute your content across various channels, such as:
- Tech blogs
- Industry websites
- Social media
- Analysis: Here's where the iteration begins. You gather data on how your content is performing using KPIs. You also collect feedback from your audience.
- Refinement: Based on your analysis, you adjust your syndication strategy. It is where:
- A/B testing
- Optimization
- Staying agile
-come into play:
Here's how you can leverage these methods:
- A/B Testing:
You create variations of your content or syndication methods (A and B) to test which performs better.
- Optimization:
With data in hand, you can optimize your content, syndication channels, and even your targeting parameters.
- Staying Agile:
If you notice a particular trend or a new platform gaining traction, adapt your syndication strategy accordingly.
Pick Your Syndication Partner: Revnew
You, as tech Marketing Head, have a powerful tool at your disposal: content syndication. It's your gateway to expanding reach and influence.
The perks? More website traffic, increased lead generation, and a boost in SEO. Embrace this proactive syndication approach, and you'll witness higher engagement and gain a competitive edge in the tech market.
But you don’t have to do it alone, as Revnew is your content syndication guru. If you connect with our experts, they will help you unlock unlimited reach and engagement via effective syndication. You’ll only need to sit with us and be part of the content plans and strategies we’ll implement.
We’ll hear your concerns, ideas, and thoughts during the process since we really value our clients' opinions.
To learn more about how we can help you, contact us here.