How to get your content seen and shared

Ryan
February 26, 2018
How to get your content seen and shared Featured Image

You’re in the throes of producing a great piece of content. Maybe it’s a well-researched article outlining the meaning of life, or maybe it’s just an infographic detailing the best donut toppings. Either way, this content is going to change the game for your organization. But, how do you get it seen?

You need to establish a bangin’ distribution plan. So, let’s get started.

STEP 1: Tap your Connections

I think everyone knows someone that is just always in the know. Someone well-connected and always up on the latest trends. Someone who gets countless comments on social posts and has created quite the loyal following. Let’s refer to this friend as Jane Connected.

So, imagine you’re throwing a party and you invite your good friend Jane Connected. I mean, she’s cool and would definitely elevate the vibe of the party. Even better, she might share the deets of your swingin’ soiree within her ever-expanding social circle—guaranteeing you a great group of people to throw down with. Well, she might share the deets.

The Power of Quid Pro Quote

Though you have a great relationship with Jane, she may not see a reason to spread the word about your shindig. After all, it’s not her affair to share! But, what if you gave her control of the music selection? You already know Jane loves posting her favorite new music finds and her Spotify playlists have tons of monthly listeners. So how about letting Jane Connected control the music at your party?

With just one post, Jane easily lines up a stellar guest list for you. The result: party was a success. Definitely dope. And the best part? Jane says she had so much fun, she’d love to DJ again, meaning your new fans and followers are sure to keep rollin’ in.

The next time you’re producing a piece of content, ask yourself these three things:

  1. Who do you know that could contribute a quote, paragraph, or original data to add noncompetitive expertise on this topic?
  2. If we touted their expertise within this content and included a link to their website, would they be willing to share the asset in their networks?
  3. If they shared it within their networks, would they be reaching a substantial number of the right audience for your publication?

For example…

Let’s say you’ve built into your editorial calendar a thought leadership piece on 2018 marketing trends. You could do a bunch of research on the topic and find some really great stuff to write about.

However, the content could end up sounding very one-dimensional. Could you reach out to one of your organization’s connections to provide an anecdote of something they’ve instituted to elevate productivity within their company? Would this partner deem this arrangement mutually beneficial and share this piece within their networks?

People love being quoted. Think about it. When upper-level management is quoted in the media, don’t you always share that story within your channels? “Check out what our very own [Employee Name] had to say about XYZ!” Adding expertise to your original piece doesn’t take the glory away from your own thought-leaders, it actually amplifies it.

STEP 2: Check this Checklist

So, tapping your connections is a great way to get your content seen (and validated). But, there’s some low-hangin’ fruit stuff at your disposal that you should always leverage to help distribute your content.

For all of the amazing content your organization creates, do you…

Leverage your owned channels

  • Share on all of your social channels (if it works within your channel strategy)
    • Tag all relative quoted sources’ social accounts
    • Don’t forget LinkedIn! Share and discuss in groups
    • “I let my loyal Instagram followers know about new content by promoting new articles using fun Instagram Stories. And, I always use #linkinbio to drive them to my blog.” – Margaret Nam, Polished ‘n’ Retro blogger
    • Leverage tools like Linktree to feature more than one article in your Instagram #linkinbio
  • Include a link in your email newsletter and emails (if you think it adds support to sales correspondence, e.g., “Thought this article was interesting and related to what we were discussing the other day”)
    • Make it a feature within relative email segments
    • Ask employees to share with their contacts/networks (You can’t really force them)
  • Add a link on your website(s), blog, newsroom
    • Does it deserve higher visibility…like a homepage callout?
    • Could it be cross-linked within your site to support evergreen content?
    • Could you add a promotional link in your site’s “mega-menu” navigation?
    • Do you use any tools like Sumo to drive more internal linking?

When it comes to brand publishing and content marketing, sometimes you gotta pay-to-play.

  • Leverage social ads or boosted posts to pinpoint perfect targets
    • Test different assets to promote the content
  • Use paid search site link extensions. If you’re running paid search campaigns (if visibility to this content is critical), leverage site link extensions to maximize exposure within the SERPs
  • Run banner ads promoting your content. Maybe…just maybe…a warm lead is more critical to raise awareness for your organization than an immediate sale. Drive users to a landing page that requires them to add their information to gain access to this content
  • Test native ad placements. Unlike a traditional banner ad, native ads seamlessly blend into a publisher’s existing web content. To the user, your paid native ad is just more great content from the web for them to consume

Work your PR magic

  • Can you pitch the topic to other publishers and media (become their quoted thought leader)?
  • Can you request a backlink to the content or your site (great SEO tactic) if this tactic pans out?

Man, that seems like a lot of work. I’m sweating just writing it all out. Well, no one said content marketing was easy! The more you and your team establish a process for the ideation, creation, and distribution of your content, the more successful you’ll be.