You already know that quality, original content is essential for success on the internet today, especially following Google’s Panda and Penguin updates. However, exceptional content alone won’t do the job – you have to distribute it around the web so that it gets read by your target audience. While “build it, and they will come,” may have been true a decade ago, the web is a much more competitive landscape today. In order for your target audience to find you, content distribution is critical.
Here are a few ways to ensure your content is visible whether it’s blog posts, stories, articles, videos or photos you want to put in front of your audience:
Display ads. Whether by app-based or web ads, paid advertising drives traffic to your content, particularly when your ad is well-written and enticing. Facebook ads and Google pay-per-click ads can be effective – and they’re also based on context, meaning they’re targeted to the topic of the surrounding page. This allows you to hit those most likely to be interested in your content.
Recommendations. Sure, this is a slow process; getting others to recommend your content isn’t easy, but worth the effort. There are media outlets that automatically “feed” content to relevant publications, putting your content in front of your target audience via RSS links/feeds. Most of them cost, but it’s usually a smart investment.
Social media. Social media is a great way to distribute your content, whether through publishing or sharing links. The great thing about social media is that your followers can “share” content they find entertaining, informative, enlightening or simply unusual. Use sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to drive traffic to your content.
SEO. Yes, good old SEO is still important, as good content that is well-optimized for your keywords can often be found by users through search engines. Know what your target audience is searching for, and tailor your content to meet their needs.
Content distribution is just as important as creating great content. Today, it’s not enough to simply write and publish – you have to spread the word!
