The difference between promotion and distribution is that promotion is all about generating a buzz around your content and distribution is a matter of finding a lot of different ways to get your content to appear in search results.
To maximize your ability to distribute content, diversify or repurpose it so that you can reach a variety of new channels. If you have a diverse distribution strategy, you could potentially fill multiple slots on the search results page with your content. Here are my favorite ways to both distribute and repurpose existing content for easy content marketing success.
If you conduct case studies or other research, Slideshare is an excellent distribution channel for informative, credible content that will provide great value to readers. Slideshare helps establish your industry knowledge and authority by hosting top-quality content and presentations.
The bulk of content shared on SlideShare and other presentation sharing sites is the traditional PowerPoint presentation. However, I’ve seen some very creative uses for slideshows that go beyond presentations. For example, travelogues are finding their way into the slideshow format; they work well because the traveler can post pictures from a trip and add text descriptions of the experience. Some people have repurposed entire eBooks, white papers and even product comparisons as slideshows.
Have you taken or designed some really cool, original photos? Start sharing them! Photo-sharing is a great way to keep people engaged with what’s happening in and around your industry. Pinterest centers on the concept of the photo album by using Pinterest “Boards”. Photos and images are extremely shareable. When you take advantage of photo distribution channels, you not only raise the visibility of your content but also encourage it to be shared.
One of the biggest rules on Pinterest that will help you gain followers and keep them coming back for more is to distribute your content evenly. Be sure that your Pinterest profile is filled with not only brand related boards but industry related boards from other contributors. You might have a lot of company photos that you can repurpose and share, but distributing your company’s infographics, logos, or products related to your industry can really boost engagement.
Although Flickr hasn’t grown in popularity like Pinterest, it’s a vital marketing tool for brands across all industries. Flickr is perfect for content distribution; its entire design is about creating unique visual content and sharing it. And in my opinion, Flickr does a better job of displaying images when compared to Pinterest. Their well-designed, user-friendly interface makes uploading and editing photos very easy. And the one terabyte of online storage is enough room to make most people’s head spin.
Flickr has many active users that take their community seriously. It’s important to note that selling your products on Flickr is strictly forbidden. However, their community guidelines are designed to help businesses stay within the Flickr terms of service and utilize Flickr for content distribution.
These community guidelines are very clear: “Flickr accounts are intended for members to share original photos and video that they themselves have created.” As long as you are publishing relevant, valuable, visual content, the Flickr audience is one to tap into. As seen with Reddit and other sites with strong communities, content is more likely to find viral success within these highly-engaged networks.
YouTube offers the ability for users to create branded channels where they can upload endless video content. YouTube is one of the most popular distribution channels for content marketers because so many types of content can be reused or repurposed and still provide value. For example, if you frequently host webinars or interviews, you can record and post that awesome content on YouTube to reach a larger audience. How about a slideshow video of your latest presentation?
If you haven’t done so already, set up a branded profile. You can set up background images to show your brand logo and coordinate the color theme to match your brand style. When posting video on YouTube, make sure to link back to your website in the description, engage with the commenters, and encourage them to follow your brand’s channel.
One of the easiest ways to repurpose and distribute great content is updating and refreshing articles from your blog. Now I know what you’re thinking – “Isn’t that considered duplicate content?” Publishing updated and revitalized content is very different than copying and pasting old content onto a new site. If you have blog posts that were successful on your blog, why not post it on other sites to get more exposure?
For example: LinkedIn, the popular social network for business professionals, allows you to post new content on your profile. Share your great content among industry leaders and tap into their audience for maximum exposure.
When repurposing blog posts or outdated articles, make sure that the URL’s included in the post are still working and up to date. Any referenced statistics or images should be updated in order to provide the most value to the readers. And most importantly, ensure that the talking points or industry insights are still relevant for the readers in your field.
The core message for distribution is, “Find ways to get it out there!” The more your company can capitalize on the many distribution channels online, the more you will put great content in the hands of potential clients. Distribution is where you get to establish your brand’s industry knowledge and trustworthy insight.
The more you create content for distribution, or repurpose content for distribution on multiple channels, the more your brand will show up in search, and the more opportunities you’ll create for sharing.
