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Top Content Distribution Strategies to Grow Your Reach

Josh Slone
Friday, 4th Aug 2023
Julia McCoy
5 min read · Jan 11 2022
content distribution strategies

If you’re like most business owners, you want to find ways to get your content seen by more people.

You’ve written articles worthy of attention, that genuinely benefit the target audience. Your site is full of helpful content that answers search intent while building topical authority. Now, how do you get maximum attention?

After all, the whole point of creating great content is to attract new customers and grow your business. But with so many options out there, it can be tough to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the top content distribution strategies that are sure to help you reach a wider audience.

From social media marketing to email campaigns, there’s a method here that will work for you. So read on and start growing your business with these content delivery strategies!

What is Content Distribution?

The purpose behind distributing content is to get it in front of the eyes of your intended audience. Instead of just publishing and praying someone sees it, you can actively distribute, disperse, and share that content across your networks.

Where and how you distribute it will help determine its reach and the overall ROI it brings in.

Here are some common ways to distribute and share content across the web:

  • Social sharing and mentions.
  • SEO.
  • Guest blogging.
  • Email marketing.
  • Paid search.
  • Influencer marketing.

There are a variety of ways to distribute your content to your target audience. Having a solid distribution strategy for distributing and syndicating content is key to success.

Let’s examine some of the benefits of having a content distribution plan in place.

Why Content Distribution Strategies Matter

A content delivery strategy is a plan for how you will get your content seen by your target audience. It takes into account what platforms your audience is using and how often they are using them.

It also looks at what kind of content is most likely to get shared and how you can make sure your content is seen by as many people as possible.

If you’ve invested in creating content, you should be investing just as much in distributing it. After all, if your customers don’t see it, then it won’t be doing you any good.

Content marketing only works if you have a plan for distributing your content.

Types of Content Distribution

Content distribution strategy is a broad term that may encompass many different methods of distributing your content.

There are three main types of content distribution: paid, owned, and earned.

  • Paid reach: This is when you pay to draw attention to your content, via paid ads or promotions. Example: You boost a particular blog post on Facebook to gain reach outside of your followers on that platform.
  • Owned reach: These are people who know about your brand and your content channels, like your blog readers or your Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn followers.
  • Earned reach: The goal here is to get those who already like you (owned reach) to spread the word further by sharing your content with their colleagues/friends (who don’t know about you). You “earn” that reach by impressing those who know about you to send the content to their owned reach.

Screenshot from Outbrain

The first step in promoting your content is having high-quality content. Without good, interesting, and relevant content, you won’t be able to get anyone to read or share it.

If you want your content to really pay off, invest the time in making it top-notch. Once you start promoting it, you’ll see much better results.

How to Grow with Content Distribution Strategies

If no one is seeing your awesome content, then your content strategy, editorial calendar, and content creation efforts are all for nothing. Your final step to creating that amazing piece of content is to distribute it.

Content distribution not only ensures your content is reaching the right audience but also boosts your brand awareness and encourages customers to take action.

Use these tips and tools to help you distribute the content you create.

Promote Your Content on Multiple Channels

When most people think of content distribution strategies and promoting their articles, they immediately think of posting them on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

While social media apps are certainly a great way to distribute your content, they aren’t the only method available.

To succeed in today’s content-heavy world, you need to share your content strategically. This means maximizing traffic, building backlinks effectively, and encouraging social shares from sources outside of your company.

So, if you want to maximize your reach, you’ve got to expand your horizons. This means going beyond your standard social media networks and trying out new distribution channels.

Content promotion tips from Buffer

Choose Which Channel and When

When it comes to distributing your content, you have several options. You can distribute it through paid, organic, and social channels. Let’s break down which channel is best for which type of piece of content.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

HARO is a great way to connect with journalists who are looking for sources within your area of expertise. When you sign up, you’ll be able to browse queries from journalists and respond directly to the ones that interest you.

If you’re looking for backlinks and mentions, responding to a journalist’s query is a great way to open the door for opportunities to be featured in their content.

PR Newswire

If you’re looking for an effective paid-for service to distribute your press releases, consider PR Newswire.

This platform lets you combine your PR and marketing efforts by re-targeting the press release audience with ads. The idea is that the releases will build trust with the audience, who will then convert.

Quora

Your audience has questions and you can use sites like Quora to provide your expertise and point them toward solutions to their problems.

Because users on Quora can post questions or answers about a specific industry, it’s easier for people to ask questions or answer them.

Buffer

With tools like Buffer, you can schedule your posts for times when you know your fans are online. You can also customize your posting times based on when your target audience is most active.

You can also reshare content with Buffer.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a great option for those looking to schedule social media posts in advance. The platform makes it easy to manage multiple networks and track campaign results.

Email Marketing (i.e. MailChimp, Convertkit)

MailChimp is a user-friendly email marketing tool that allows you to reach and distribute your content to your email subscriber list. You can create your own email campaigns or set automated emails that go out every time you post new content.

HubSpot

Small businesses can save time and money by using an all-in-one marketing tool like HubSpot. The marketing automation platform has tools for social media, email, and analytics.

Sponsored (Paid) Content

Promoted tweets are a great way to get more eyes on your content. By promoting your tweets, you can reach a larger audience and get more people engaging with your brand. You can promote your tweets by clicking the “promote” button underneath the tweet or by activating promotions from the Twitter ads dashboard.

Keyword Research (Both Free and Paid Reach)

As a paid advertising platform, research platforms like Semrush are indispensable tools for any content marketer. If you’re looking to fine-tune an ad campaign or find low-competition keywords to quickly rank, a tool like this one is the best option. The interface provides users with a plethora of analytics, including pay-per-click (PPC) reporting, tracking, and optimization.

Repurposing High-Performing Content Assets

You’ve got successful blog posts? Great. Now what if you could give them another lease on life by republishing them or turning those resources into new formats?

This way, not only do these materials continue banking on their previous success, but also reach audiences who prefer consuming other types of media formats. That’s killing two birds with one stone.

Repurposing high-performing content assets is a great way to extend their lifespan, reach new audiences, and maximize their value.

Here are some steps to do it effectively:

Identify High-Performing Content: Analyze your website analytics, social media insights, or any other relevant data to identify content pieces that have performed exceptionally well. Look for content with high engagement, shares, comments, and traffic.

Understand Your Audience: Before repurposing content, it’s essential to understand your target audience. Identify their preferences, pain points, interests, and where they hang out online to tailor the repurposed content to their needs.

Choose Suitable Formats: Repurpose the content into different formats to cater to different learning preferences and platforms. Some popular content formats include:

  • Blog posts
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Slide decks
  • eBooks
  • Social media posts
  • Webinars

Update and Refresh: Review the high-performing content and update it with the latest information, statistics, or insights. This keeps the content relevant and ensures it stays up-to-date.

Create Series or Sequels: If the high-performing content is in the form of a blog post or article, consider expanding it into a series or creating a sequel. This encourages readers to explore related content and spend more time engaging with your brand.

Republish on Different Platforms: Take your successful content and publish it on various platforms where your target audience is active. For instance, convert a blog post into a video and upload it to YouTube or social media channels.

Turn Data into Infographics: If your high-performing content contains statistics or data, transform it into visually appealing infographics. Infographics are highly shareable and can attract new audiences.

Create Visual Content: Break down written content into bite-sized visual pieces such as quote cards, images, or memes. These can be shared on social media to generate interest in the full piece of content.

Convert Text to Audio: If you have written content that performs well, consider converting it into audio format, such as a podcast episode. This allows you to reach people who prefer consuming content while on the go.

Bundle Content into Guides or eBooks: If you have multiple related pieces of high-performing content, compile them into comprehensive guides or eBooks that offer more value to your audience.

Host Webinars or Live Sessions: You can also take your high-ranking content and turn it into a webinar or live session. This provides an opportunity for real-time interaction and engagement with your audience.

Experiment with Interactive Content: Turn your content into quizzes, surveys, polls, or interactive tools. This encourages active participation from your audience.

Infographic from CMI

A/B Test and Optimize: When repurposing content, track its performance and make adjustments as necessary. A/B test different formats and platforms to find what resonates best with your audience.

Promote Your Repurposed Content: Don’t forget to promote the repurposed content just as you would promote new content. Share it on social media, through newsletters, and on relevant platforms to reach a wider audience.

By repurposing high-performing content assets, you can leverage their success to attract new audiences, reinforce your brand message, and drive more traffic to your website or other channels.

Conclusion

Having content distribution strategies in place is crucial to the success of your content marketing. These tools will help you reach a wider audience and grow your business. So what are you waiting for? Start implementing these methods today and see how much your traffic increases.

Written by Josh Slone

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