Content distribution is a crucial step in any marketing strategy. Content marketing can be highly effective; however, without clear goals, quality content, and a distribution plan, you are investing in the activity with a very low payoff.
According to a report conducted by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs, 88% of businesses use content marketing. But only 55% of them say that the distribution methods they use are effective. This is a big issue.
Fortunately, there are certain reasons why your content marketing strategy does not work. In this article, I diagnose some of the biggest mistakes marketers make when implementing their distribution plan, and advise how to avoid them.
Mistake #1—You Are Not Diversifying Distribution
A classic content marketing funnel focuses on leads and works this way:
- The content is published on a website.
- The content is distributed through various channels including social media, ads, landing pages, infographics, etc.
- The published link leads potential customers back to your website.
According to this scheme, everything should work perfectly. But what if it does not? This traditional model is missing one important factor: people who read content on Twitter or Facebook prefer not to leave these platforms.
The fix: Stop focusing on attracting people to your website. Instead, publish meaningful content on those platforms and engage users right there. Modify your content into the full-length posts or video graphics (in the case of Twitter), adapting the new model to get more views and engagement outside your website.
Mistake #2—You Are Using the Wrong Platforms
According to the aforementioned report, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube remain the top social media platforms. Instagram use went up from 24% to 29%, whereas Google+ has decreased slightly.
With this in mind, it’s imperative that you find your audience. Who are your potential customers, and where do they spend most of their time?
The fix: Look at your competitors and identify the platforms where they have social media accounts. If you have a busy audience, explore Twitter and get the most out of it by tweeting at least twice a day.
Here are some numbers in an article from HubSpot, which I expand on:
*25% of adult internet users, the majority of them are age 30–49, use LinkedIn. Therefore, this platform is best for B2B companies and those that are targeting qualified professionals, especially freelancers.
*72% of adult internet users have a Facebook account; 70% of Facebook users check their accounts at least once a day. Therefore, this platform is a must-have channel for any business.
*71% of all Pinterest users are women, who usually spend about 50% more when making online purchases. Therefore, this is the perfect platform for ecommerce promotion.
*500 million people log into their Instagram accounts monthly. It’s a great platform for keeping your customers informed on any news and general brand promotion.
Mistake #3 —You Don’t Reuse Content
If you only create new content and forget about the old stuff, you are throwing your time and money away. Reusing or re-optimizing your content is an important part of content distribution; you give it a new life and save money.
The fix: Add images, videos, and infographics to your old content; re-optimize it to improve your ranking in search, and optimize it for mobile phones to reach out to more readers. Take note that one in 10 blog posts is compounding, and it’s those posts that generate up to 38% of website traffic, according to HubSpot. Analyzing your website visitors’ behaviors will allow you to identify those most successful posts that you need to boost.
Mistake #4—Incorrect Timing
Making posts or sending emails at the wrong time can ruin your entire content marketing campaign. According to one study from GetResponse, 23.63% of all email opens occur within an hour after delivery. Within the second hour, the results drop by half.
The fix: Start researching the best time to post on social media and time when your audience is most active. If you are located in Europe but target Americans, take that into account when planning your distribution campaign. In addition, consider your audience’s occupation and daily schedule by researching work hours in the targeted regions.
Mistake #5—You’re Not Using Paid Campaigns
According to CMI research, only 52% of marketers use them to promote and distribute content. However, it can be difficult to achieve high results by relying only on organic traffic.
The fix: Start using paid distribution platforms, place your articles and advertise on high authority websites. Don’t worry about the extra money you should spend on ads; it will cost you only cents per click and give you more predictable results.
Mistake #6—You’re Not Using Guest Posting
Guest posting has become one of the most efficient content distribution techniques in 2017. However, many people still disregard it in the wake of Matt Cutts, who was on the Google’s spam-fighting team, declaring the “decay and fall of guest posting.” It might be interesting for those concerned to consider that Cutts published his piece on guest posting in 2014 and went on to take leave from Google the same year. Meanwhile, guest posting lives and thrives. In fact, more than 62% of people consider blogs with multiple authors to be more credible.
Therefore, inviting guest posts from experts is widely encouraged.
The fix: To make good use of the marketing opportunities offered by guest posting you should not only distribute your content this way. You should encourage other niche-relevant experts and influencers to post on your own blog. Work out mutually-beneficial agreements with the most authoritative blogs in your niche. Note that guest posting will be effective only if the following are true:
- You post your content on relevant blogs.
- The quality of your content is high.
- Your content is not spam; it’s valuable to the readers.
- Keep in mind that articles with more than 1,500 words generate 68.1% more tweets and 22.6% more Facebook Likes.
Final Thoughts
A successful content distribution strategy requires investments of your time and money. In the age of top-notch branded content, it has become harder to break through the noise and reach your customer. If you are not delivering quality content on time and through the right channels, then your readers may eventually leave you. That’s why you must think about your current content marketing strategy, and examine the list above. If you make the same mistakes, ask yourself, if they are costing you money.
