Long gone are the times when publishing directly from Microsoft Word to your website was enough to gain traction and build online audiences. The days of publish-and-pray are severely outdated when it comes to modern content distribution.
These days, marketers need to think beyond simply sharing content on social media, to find new channels that get their content out there in the open, on centre stage, in front of their target audiences. Content distribution is as critical to your marketing strategy as creating the content itself. The old phrase “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”, rings far too true in this scenario.
Before you post your stellar content on the likes of LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and call it a day – consider the possibility that there may be hundreds of content distribution avenues you may be overlooking. But don’t worry, Wordsmith is here to help you see the forest for the trees, and channel your content to where it needs to be. So, take a seat, buckle up and get ready to check out 5 different content distribution methods for your next piece of content.
1. Personalised emails
One of the best ways to promote your content is through targeted email marketing campaigns. However, this fast, flexible and cost-effective way of reaching new customers and retaining existing customers isn’t exactly re-inventing the wheel when it comes to content distribution. With recent studies showing that only 21% of customers say they’ve received a memorable email over the past two months, marketers really have to up the ante when it comes to standing apart from generic customer retention emails.
To boost open rates and click throughs, many marketers are turning to personalisation as a strategy for creating more engaging email experiences – that feel less like a cold call via the internet, and more like a chat with an old friend. First, segment your email list down to the exact audience that you feel would benefit most from a particular piece of content. Write a customised email for each list and add a smidge of personal brand sparkle to your message. With personalised emails achieving a 6.2% higher open rate than those that aren’t, it’s time you got on the band wagon.
American low-cost airline Jet Blue decided to make things official with their existing customers by sending them out a personalised “anniversary shout out” email. Exactly one year from the customer’s account creation date, they celebrate “emailing for 365 days now.”
Providing a standout email experience, Jet Blue’s playful and witty content engages consumers in a new and refreshing way, but also encouraging them to clickthrough and check out their trips online – because anniversaries are meant to be celebrated, right?
2. Guest posting
Another great way to promote your content, apart from social sharing, is guest posting on other brand’s blogs. It’s surprising that more businesses aren’t utilising this type of content distribution method, as there are multiple benefits: instant exposure to targeted traffic, improving your online authority as a thought leader in your field, expanding your personal business network and generating qualified leads. However, the key to guest posting isn’t to promote your own businesses agenda, it’s to share newsworthy information, key findings or new insights into a topic that benefit both your audience, as well as the company you’re collaborating with.
Intuitive social media platform software Buffer is a tool that’s designed to manage, schedule posts and analyse social network accounts, effectively streamlining businesses’ social media workload. With over US$16 million in annual revenue and more than 4.5 million registered users, side hustle turned business leader, Leo Widrich – Buffer’s Co-Founder, said that guest posting contributed a lot to his success by raising awareness of the brand across multiple platforms. “The amazing thing about guest posting really is the amount of people you will meet through it. This means either in the comments of your posts, or simply the relationship with the person owning the blog. It will allow you to hit these people up more easily with exclusive product updates in the future to feature your service. Or, you get referred to other, bigger blogs where you are able to do a new write-up.”
When Buffer was first launched, Widrich wrote over 150 guest posts – with great results. In the space of just 9 months, he managed to grow his customer base from 0 to 100,000! Starting on smaller blogs that didn’t necessarily provide a ton of traffic, he steadily climbed the blog ladder – posting on domains with bigger audiences as time went by - thereby increasing his online reputation and readership.
3. Influencer outreach
Over the last couple of years, influencer marketing has skyrocketed due to the growth of media consumption online and on mobile devices. According to recent research from marketers across a wide variety of different industries, 94% said influencer marketing was an effective campaign strategy.
If you’re looking to really connect with customers, it may be time to reach out to relevant influencers within your industry to collaborate on content. Collaborations with influencers will likely deliver a massive increase in followers’ engagement, organic traffic, brand awareness and customer loyalty. Whether you want a quote from an influencer to add authenticity and credibility to your article, or are asking them to partake in social media video/commercial to spread the word for your brand, it’s hard to deny the tangible benefits of influencer marketing.
Sprite, the world-famous citrusy-flavoured soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company, banked on just that, aiming to create a long-lasting impact with their young target audience. Launching at the height of NBA season, Sprite unveiled its refreshingly new #wannasprite campaign, collaborating with 2 major influencers, American professional basketball player LeBron James and famous rapper Lil Yachty, in their tongue in cheek commercial.
Literally poking fun at influencer marketing techniques with the board prompter in the commercial, LeBron James brings out the playful and authentic reputation of the brand in this commercial. The advert also features a twist cameo with Lil Yachty, who performs a parody of his hit song “Minnesota”, changing the “cold like Minnesota” to “cold like Sprite soda” that really hits home with younger generations.
Duane Stanford, Beverage-Digest Editor, claims that, "The brand has used music and sports effectively to reach multicultural millennials who otherwise may have dismissed Sprite as their grandfather's soda." Over the course of LeBron James’ 13-year relationship with Sprite, it’s evident that when searching for an influencer, marketers need to find someone who truly compliments the brand and believes in their company values, so they can continue to be a valuable content asset for the company going forward. Bobby Oliver, Director for Sprite and Citrus Brands at Coca-Cola North America, was quick to comment, “He’s very comfortable with us and what our brand stands for”, while James stated, "From the beginning, this partnership with Sprite has always focused on being authentic. And I like that we got to have a little fun with that in these spots".
4. Customer drip campaigns
If you believe your content is relevant to your existing customers’ experience with your products and services, it may be beneficial to share this information using a “customer drip campaign” to enhance repeat purchasing and further nurture customers’ relationships with your brand.
You should see your drip email marketing campaign as a way of becoming a valued resource that educates and engages your consumers long after they’ve purchased your products. Keeping the lines of communication open will not only increase the likelihood of friend referrals and positive reviews online, but also encourages future purchases.
Drip email marketing campaigns are also called “behavioural email marketing campaigns”, as emails are often triggered, for example, by the direct response of a customer’s browsing history, previous purchases, abandoned carts and other important touchpoints across the purchasing journey. The results of this type of content distribution speak for themselves. Research has proven that pairing marketing automation with email drip campaigns can prompt up to 20% more sales opportunities.
Fitbit, an activity tracker and wearable technology company, successfully created a drip campaign to encourage both existing and potential customers who may want to track more than their steps and health, to also try their new sleep tools.
Fitbit knows that a balanced, healthy lifestyle begins with exercise, diet and a regular bedtime routine. Suggesting an upgrade for those that are already wanting to be in more control of their active lifestyles, is a great way to cross-market with other tools that may enhance the user’s Fitbit experience. By targeting existing customers, it gives them an incentive to upgrade their current offering, and for new customers it’s a fantastic up-sell opportunity, to buy the newest versions of the Fitbit product.
5. Recruitment
One often underutilised content distribution channel is the recruitment page of a company’s website. If the eyes are the window to the soul, then career pages are the door to your company’s culture. In order to recruit, nurture and retain talented professionals, you should think about consistently revising the types of educational content that surrounds your company’s culture, mission statement, and what benefits potential employees would receive if they were to work with your company.
With 75% of job seekers researching company’s branding, social media presence and online reviews before applying for jobs, it’s more crucial than ever to convey that your company is an exciting and innovative place to work, where employees can build their careers.
Holiday rental company Airbnb’s core values reside in bringing the world closer together through unforgettable adventures in unique homestays across the globe. In the same way that Airbnb entices global travellers to find their perfect “home away from home”, they lure potential employees with a beautifully compelling narrative of company values, clear mission statements and company benefits – making potential candidates feel included and welcome. With a clean aesthetic and great use of visual content, prospects can also click on “Gallery Tours” to view offices around the world from Tokyo to New Delhi, giving them a real insiders’ look into what it’s like to work for Airbnb.
Ultimately, you want your content to reach your key audiences. Finding new and unique channels to promote your content will not only help bolster your SEO value and online presence, but also help to further extend your content’s reach to a wider audience. Need a hand to get started? Your friendly neighbourhood copywriters would be happy to help!