[VIDEO] THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

There's only one step left in the content generation process: distribution. Let's see what it's all about.

Distribution is the third step of the content creation process. Your content is only as good as its distribution. Distribution makes your content relevant. You can't limit yourself to just creating content; you have to make sure the world can see it.

There's a big misunderstanding around content creation. Most people believe that after creating a piece of content (whether it's a blog post or a downloadable offer), once they hit the publish button, visits and leads will pour in on their own.

If you're lucky, that might be the case. But you can't assume people will find your content instantly; you'll need to "promote" or "distribute" that content.

While a piece of content is finite, the promotion of that content is infinite. Think of it this way: You've invested a lot of time and resources in producing that great piece of valuable content, so also invest the time it deserves in promoting that content.

You'll notice that even with all that content, it is much harder to capture your prospect's ATTENTION. Remember, the point is to fight for ATTENTION, not for space.

People have very short attention spans, so you need that valuable content to be able to attract them for real, and that content has to be distributed in a way that helps meet your company's goals.

Several Ways to Deliver Content Through Distribution

The right distribution technique ensures that the right content is placed in front of the right person at the right time.

Your content can be a powerful tool to attract visitors, convert leads, and so on, but you have to distribute it to help it actually reach those goals.

"Use your website pages and your blog not only for content, but also to host the different content offers you have created. Landing pages will act as the gatekeepers of your content offers."

Social media is a fantastic tool for promoting your content. There are many social channels you can use, so always keep your buyer persona in mind and think about which sites they may be spending their time on. Use a social media scheduling tool to help you save time.

Calls to action can be placed on your website to encourage your visitors to download or request different offers. And use email to let your prospects know about the exciting pieces of content you have created.

All of these methods work; you just have to be constantly promoting them. If that eBook is still relevant 6 months after you created it, promote it again!

Think of distribution as a way to maximize the shelf life of your content. Amplify that content. Don't make the mistake of getting less interest than you should for the time you're investing in creating that content.

From Distribution to Analysis

Like any other aspect of a good Inbound strategy, you need to analyze the effectiveness of your content so you can make better use of it:

• Are you creating content on the right topics?
• Is it in the best formats?
• Is it being distributed through the right channels?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help you be more effective in the future. Before starting the process again, make sure that what you're doing is working.

Why did it work? Why didn't it work? Use that knowledge to create better content in the future.

• What are the different metrics that can be used to measure content effectiveness?
• Number of views: How many times was your content viewed?
• Leads generated: Did it generate leads? How many? Did you reach your goal?
• Informational social influence: Did anyone share your content on social media? How many times? Is it being retweeted or reposted?
• Inbound links: Are external sites linking to your content? This can help build authority for your website and your content.
• Content performance by author: Is one of your content authors performing better than another? Should that person be creating most of your content in the future? Or are there some tips they could share with the rest of your content creators?
• Content performance by topic: Do your buyer personas prefer a specific topic among the ones you're writing about? Keep writing about that content!
• Content performance by format: Is one format getting better results than another? This can also help you learn more about your buyer persona. If they don't seem to be attending webinars, maybe that isn't the best content for your persona and you should try another strategy.

What Is the Value of Repeating the Content Process?

Last but not least, don't forget to repeat! Repeat what's working and stop using strategies that aren't producing results.

One important thing to remember about Inbound marketing is that it's all about testing strategies to see which ones work for you. Every industry is different!

Taking in what you learn from each piece of content helps you create more effective content in the future. Constantly repeat this content process and keep learning more about the content your buyer personas find valuable.

Quite a content creation process, right? Remember, creating a plan for your content creation takes time, but it will pay off in the end with the momentum you'll gain over time.

Don't miss our next video, where we'll look at the importance of having an active blog on your website for your Inbound Marketing strategy. In the meantime, subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel!