Business Bedrock

10 tips to successfully distribute content

 

By Jill Riddiford, B2B Marketing Consultant at Carpe Diem Consulting.

 

Producing quality content on a regular basis is vital in marketing today but you need to make sure it’s reaching the right people.

 So after all the hard work you put in to ensure your content is relevant and interesting to your target audience, consider how to make your content work for you.

1. Find your niche
Reaching a smaller number of the right people for your content is generally a more effective strategy than broadcasting your message out to the widest possible audience.

The good thing about niches is that a greater proportion of members are likely to be active and therefore the more impact your content will have. From there it’s easier to engage and build a reputation as an authority within your space.

For super sharp targeting, know your buyer personas (a representation of your ideal customer) – where are they hanging out and getting their content from? Make use of online communities such as LinkedIn groups and Facebook groups to help locate your best targets.

2. Share it
To start with, publish the content on your website blog and then share it in social media channels:
• Post on LinkedIn – be mindful of the best times – generally late morning is good
• Use Twitter to tweet a snippet of your content and link back to the blog
• Add a link to your blog in your email signature

3. Recycling is in
If you have great content to start with it can be reused and repurposed many times across various mediums. (It’s a good idea to aim for evergreen content that can be used for months or even years.)

For example, maybe you’ve invested a significant amount of time into creating a whitepaper that includes the results of research you’ve conducted into your customer base. Think about other places where you can reuse that content.

You could prepare a summary of it and turn it into a slideshare presentation. Or maybe some of the statistics would work well in an Infographic.

A good principle to keep in mind is that different people prefer to consume content in different ways. Some people are more visual and enjoy video presentations, others prefer text, and for those who spend a lot of time commuting, podcasts can be ideal. There’s also the time factor; for example, personally I usually prefer reading as I can quickly scan the article to find relevant information, which is not so easy with a video.

Why not include a question about preferred content consumption in your next customer newsletter or survey.

4. Quote sources and experts
Mentioning expert sources in your content increases credibility and the authorities you cite may also reshare in their network. Look for experts in topics that complement your area of specialty.

5. Media and other influencers
Think about the wider media sphere when preparing your content. Who are the influencers in your industry that carry weight – perhaps a journalist in your trade media or mainstream media, or an influential blogger? Remember these people are always looking for good content – keep a list of story ideas and build relationships with these influencers.

6. Email marketing
Content marketing involves more than social media channels. Make sure that you leverage the people who already have a connection to your business – your database of customers and others you have built a relationship with. These people have “bought in” to your messages so include carefully targeted email campaigns or newsletters as part of your content marketing program.

7. Getting real
We may live in a digital world but live events are a powerful marketing strategy as you can share content and interact directly with your audience. People remember experiences longer than what they recall from reading on social media. And of course you can continue to engage your customers with content after the event is over.

8. It’s all about the journey
Ideally your content should lead the buyer on a journey, perhaps starting by reading a post on LinkedIn, clicking through to read your blog and then downloading a whitepaper. From there you need to have the processes in place to contact your readers and stay in touch.

Keep in mind how the type of content maps to the buyer journey. For example, to reach customers who are unaware of a problem, use a piece of content that will shock them out of their comfort zone e.g. a webinar or video, but if you want to reach them when they’re searching around the problem, perhaps a ‘How to’ guide is best. See the guide below for how different types of content can work at different stages of the buyer journey.

9. Measuring
With a distribution plan in place, you need to set objectives and measure the effectiveness of your content marketing. Start with basic free tools such as Google Analytics for your website and HootSuite for social media.

10. Do you have content confidence?
Not sure where to start with a content marketing strategy? Complete this content self-assessment to see how you rate:

What content marketing is and why you need it

 

How do social and PR fit together for B2B marketers?

Social Media and Public Relations: “connecting the dots” 

By Jill Riddiford, B2B Marketing Consultant at Carpe Diem Consulting.

We often hear the question: what is the difference between social media and PR?

Social media is the new kid on the block compared to public relations, but both are part of the same brush in your marketing palette.

Both social media and PR - when done effectively - are about people saying good things about your business or your products and services, and spreading the word to other people.

Both PR and social can also build your brand and reputation over time. However, social media allows you to amplify your reach in ways that marketing via the traditional media can’t do.

Public Relations specialists typically work with editors / journalists rather than your actual target market. Social media specialists, on the other hand, are the ones who (should) know the insides of your business and be out there in your prospect base talking to real people.

A good social media consultant will be a natural networker and have their eye on what’s happening in your industry and community - they are not there to sell your product or service per se. They also build relations with less traditional industry influencers such as bloggers who can have a significant impact on your ability to generate awareness.

Also, with social, while you may ‘own’ the messages, you have limited control over how responses to your messaging will be reposted or circulated. On the other hand, traditional ‘earned’ PR allows some degree of control - in the context of the media relationships you have fostered. PR can also provide valuable third-party endorsement and credibility.

Here’s an outline of some more similarities and differences:

• Relationship building is key to both:

PR – you may only need a few key media targets, but these need to be cultivated carefully

Social – relationship is with many and allows you to have a two-way conversation with your actual customers/prospects

• You need to have something to say:

PR – usually have a ‘hook’ or particular event, i.e. something that is newsworthy that you can shout about for a short period of time

Social –You need constant ‘hooks’ and messages to take to your community on regular basis in order to maintain engagement and a cohesive image over time 

• Understand that your audience is different:

PR – your job is to pitch your story to the writer for your target media outlet, so you need to ask what will interest their readers?

Social – you are speaking directly to your customer/prospect so need to know their world inside out. You will need to repurpose content – e.g. don’t post in a press release format – use words that speak to them in their language

• Everyone is time poor:

PR - journalists like business owners are time poor these days, media fragmentation has disrupted the industry – which means your approach must be sharply honed

Social - need to take into account where your potential customers are on their buyer journey and package up your content/messages to get their attention at each stage

• It’s a two-way street:

PR- it is possible for marketers to coexist happily with the media - journalists value reliable contributors and having experts on hand they can call on

Social – use the 80/20 rule as a guide to your ratio of providing content around your customers’ issues vs directly promoting your business or services

B2B companies with an active social presence have a greater chance of attracting the broader media, as industry influencers such as journalists increasingly rely on content such as blogs to find story ideas.

Researching and nurturing the best media contacts for your business can be time consuming, so having a specialist PR consultant can be valuable. And it is always a good idea to have a PR on hand to help manage any adverse issues that may arise around your business. Of course any PR expert or social media specialist you appoint should have a thorough knowledge of your company.

You don’t have to be a big business to benefit from using PR as well as social – so don’t miss opportunities to make a mark in your niche – think about how particular insights from your customers could gain traction in the wider media arena.

If you would like to learn how to implement a successful PR & Social Media strategy, get in touch to register for a 1 hour consultation with one of our experts (limited number available per month).