How to Distribute Your Blog Content to Increase Impact

5 minute read

We all know it: attention spans are spread thin. Even if you write the most engaging, informative, and value-rich blog post, you may struggle to attract readers. Hitting the “publish” button isn’t enough for connecting with your target audiences.

Remember that you’re reaching out to tired eyes who rely on social feeds and search engines to find information. These platforms are competitive and often require marketers to invest in some form of paid advertising to gain attention. Sometimes, paid channels ignite visibility and a direct funnel into a sales process.

But often, awareness-building efforts have little connection to the transactional outcome that you’re looking to steer forward.

One way to gain efficiency with content distribution is to look beneath the surface for opportunities. At the end of the day, content marketing is a way for companies to build relationships with people at scale. The text that you type into a Google doc (or content marketing platform like Kapost) is valuable knowledge. You’re educating and inspiring your readers with information that enriches their lives.

Blog Distribution Techniques

Think back to how human interactions happen in real life. How many times have you:

  • Discussed something interesting you’ve read when going to lunch, coffee, or drinks with a friend?
  • Asked for reading material or suggestions?
  • Talked about something new you’ve learned?
  • Shared information that your companion may enjoy?

These conversations happen every day, beyond friendships. They’re part of everyday interactions at the office. And let’s say that your company relies on a B2B sales model. Relationship-building is an important outcome of every conversation. Content fuels human bonds in a way that makes conversations more meaningful.

Here are six ways to continue your blog distribution after you hit publish:

1. Email Outreach Campaigns

With outbound campaigns, sales reps often feel pressure to close deals. This crunch can result in messaging that leaves your prospect feeling less than enthusiastic. Time is valuable, and nobody wants to spend their minutes reading sales pitches. Instead, share a blog post, case study, or eBook that’s educational. Seek to initiate a positive, engaging relationship that outlasts the transactional value of the sale you’re looking to push.

2. Follow-Up to Sales Conversations

For your company’s sales reps, timely and consistent follow-ups are essential. But it’s tough to initiate conversations that “feel right.” There are only so many times that prospect-facing teams can say, “I know you’re busy but I was wondering if you’d like to touch base.” Make your company’s follow-ups more interesting and informative by sharing interesting content. Add value to your prospect’s day.

3. In Industry Groups

Membership-based industry groups are springing up in all corners of the internet. Some of these platforms are part of a publisher network (i.e., Skift, Innovation Leader). You might have also come across these communities as groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. These networks create space for people to ask questions and seek answers.

Chances are, many people in your company are part of their own groups. Equip them with blog content that’s relevant to these conversations. Blog posts provide a natural way to participate in online conversations while adding value. This distribution technique connects question-askers with feedback and answers.

4. On Team Member LinkedIn Profiles

As a content marketing leader, one of the most important roles you can take on is facilitator. There may be a group of people within your company who are interested in sharing knowledge and educating their own networks.

One example blog to reference is Dun and Bradstreet’s. Team members from various departments participate in company dialogue by sharing insights. Even team members who don’t write can support their peers by sharing this content.

5. In Email Signatures

Brighten up any message in any email with a link to recent conversations. This gesture shows that your company cares about educating and maintaining genuine relationships with every interaction—something that blogging supports. Find unexpected ways to spark dialogue.

6. Integrate into Your Product and Support Platforms

If you’re selling a digital product such as software, and your company offers online support, there may be ways—from a user experience perspective—to incorporate content. Product experiences, especially for customers that rely on your company, can feel status quo. Customer support can often be a frustrating experience. One way to shift the tone of the experience is to share knowledge from your blog.

Long-Term Business Value

The benefits to these methods are that they have compounding value. As more people discover your content, even in a grassroots way, you’ll begin to build a follower base. More eyeballs eventually amplify into even more attention. The more your audience cares about your content, the more you’ll increase your orbit of people who are likely to become your best customers.

While paid advertising is a valuable part of your marketing mix, it may not be as efficient as a direct referral network. Blogging helps people-to-people relationships grow. This evolution translates into sales.

The Content Marketer’s Role

To make these techniques successful, content marketers need to think beyond writing and editing as core job responsibilities. You’re a coach too, teaching non-marketers in your business the value of creating content. You need to be encouraging, structured, and available to answer questions. You’ll also want to create feedback loops that highlight your customers’ success.

Final Thoughts

The distribution process is a jigsaw puzzle. As with any marketing initiative, it’s important to go through a process of testing and validation. You’ll get a sense of how interactions translate into long-term value for your business. This perspective provides fuel back to your content strategy in terms of idea generation and finding ways to expand upon core marketing initiatives. Get creative, be precise in the guidance that you give, and get your entire team on board to support sharing.

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