When I started off as a content marketer, I encountered quite a few roadblocks before I really felt like I achieved something to be proud of. One of the things that used to have me at my wit’s end was content delivery.
My team and I were creating content we were proud of and putting that up on our site. No matter how funny, informative or interesting our content was, though, we weren’t happy with the traffic. It just didn’t justify the work we were putting in.Â
After thinking about this for a little while, I realised something. My content distribution strategy needed to evolve with the internet and where people preferred to hang out online. ????
Like me, have you put your heart and soul into every piece of content you create?Â
Gutted when you publish it and find that the results you expect are nowhere close to fruition?
These are all signs you need to rethink your content distribution strategy. It’s time to look outside your website and take your content to your audience—not the other way around.
Is publishing content only on your blog a good idea?
Publishing content only on your website is based on the assumption that people visit your website to consume content. Personally, I don’t think this is the right approach.Â
Here’s why.
Imagine you’re just a regular person, hanging out at home and for some reason, you feel like you just need to make an origami crane.
Most people will probably head straight to YouTube to look up a step-by-step tutorial. It’s not very likely that they’ll look for static, text-based instructions on how to go about this.
When you create content, you need to really think about your target audience. It’s not just about what they like or don’t like, but also their habits. What do they do when they want to learn something? What platform do they turn to when they’re looking for instructions or inspiration?
The point I’m trying to make is that creating content only for your website will do more harm than good. By all means, maintain a blog. Just don’t let that be the only thing you do to try and connect with your audience.
What do user statistics tell us about content distribution?
There are around 4.6 million internet users in the world.Â
This large user base presents an opportunity for content marketers. Before you do anything, though, you need to know where your target audience is.
For example, Hubspot reports LinkedIn is 2.77 times more effective when it comes to creating leads than Facebook and Twitter. The professional networking site drives 64% of total traffic to B2B websites. What this means to me is that B2B businesses are better off creating and distributing content on LinkedIn itself.
Statistics also reveal that 89% of content marketers have identified video content as having the most potential in terms of reaching out to consumers. The reason for this is that YouTube, alone, is home to over a billion users. Video content is also more of a favourite compared to written content.
Again, Hubspot reports that 81% of consumers use Instagram to research products and services. So if your users spend plenty of time on this platform, look for ways to make your content digestible and IG-friendly. Luckily, there are different ways to publish content on Instagram including posts, stories, IGTV videos and more.Â
These are just a few examples of how and where users are consuming content. Do your research and find what works for you.
Why is it important to identify where your audience is hanging out?
Good content is the foundation of any modern businesses.Â
When done right, it creates trust and awareness among your audience. Just creating high-quality content is not good enough, though.Â
Content distribution is just as important as the content itself.
For example, if you work at a B2B business, your best bet for content distribution might be LinkedIn. The logical reason for this is that LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world. This means there is a high probability that your target audience might be using LinkedIn.
Let’s take the example of an interior designing company.Â
One of the target audiences for this business will be people looking for interior designing ideas. In this scenario, you’d be better off using Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube as your primary content distribution channels.
Think about it. The target audience, here, is likely to look for design inspiration on visual social media platforms or videos like ‘the 10 best home designs in the world’. That’s why when you create your content, think about how your users will be looking for this information in the first place.Â
Once you do that, you know where you need to publish your content to attract more qualified users to your site.
Become a content marketing pro with a powerful content distribution strategy
The main purpose behind a content distribution strategy is to make sure your content does what it’s supposed to: help you build a relationship with the right audience.
Don’t just rely on well-written and well-researched content to achieve this. Where you post your content is just as important in building bridges with the people that matter the most to your business.Â
If you’d like to know other useful strategies for content marketing, check out our post on content clustering or what content marketing means post-COVID-19.