A strategic approach to content creation and distribution

45% of content online is never seen by the intended audience. Here’s how to make sure yours is seen:

 

• Build a content creation process
• Develop a content distribution strategy
• Manage and optimize your content efforts

Building your content creation process

Your content strategy starts with the content creation process. This isn’t just about writing; it’s about producing valuable content that resonates. So, let’s start there:

Understand your target audience

Before you create content, make sure you understand your target audience deeply. What are their pain points? What information are they looking for? What will they find real value in and remember your client’s brand for? This insight guides your entire content strategy and helps when distributing content.

Conduct keyword research to see where opportunities exist

Use keyword research tools, like Ahrefs or Semrush, to identify relevant topics and phrases your target audience is searching for. Tools like Google Analytics can also provide valuable insights into existing search trends. Focus on keywords with decent monthly search volume and low competition to increase your chances of appearing in search engines.

Generate content ideas

Brainstorm content ideas that align with your keyword research and audience needs. This could include how-to guides, industry insights, or answers to common questions. A great example of this type is Ahrefs’ beginners’ guide to SEO, which generates over 50,000 views a month. Or HubSpot’s yearly state of marketing report, which is referenced by industry professionals and publications year-round.

 

This shows that not everything needs to be a blog post. In fact, thinking outside the box a little bit can generate some interesting and impactful results and be hyper-relevant to your target audience.

Content formats

Consider various content formats beyond just blog posts. Think about video, infographics, podcasts, or even interactive tools. Different formats can engage your target audience in new ways. Remember, search is changing. Google isn’t the be-all and end-all of search any more. If you aren’t experimenting with new content formats and platforms, you are probably leaving money on the table for your clients.

Produce high-quality content

Regardless of format, your goal is to create high-quality content. This means well-researched, accurate, and engaging material that establishes your authority and helps you stand out.

Developing your content distribution strategy

Once your content is ready, the next step is getting it in front of your target audience. This is where a strong distribution strategy comes in. This distribution strategy will change from client to client and campaign to campaign, but here are some tips to help get you started thinking about where best to post content:

Owned channels

Start with your client’s own site and channels. Their company website is a primary hub for digital content, so build a strong collection of assets here and ensure that it all links together and to their money pages. Promote new blog posts and other materials on their website, too, so that their social media presence links back to your site.

Social media platforms

Social media platforms are essential distribution channels. Tailor your social media posts to each platform, using relevant hashtags and visuals. Also, tailor the wording of your assets for each platform. People expect different wording on different social media platforms, so adjust things accordingly. Develop a social media strategy that aligns with your overall marketing strategy.

Email marketing

44% of marketers say that email is their most effective marketing channel, with 35% of companies seeing $10-$36 for every $1 spent. Whether you’re promoting new products, blog posts or a Black Friday sale, email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to drive website traffic and customer engagement.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

If you want your content to be seen organically, your client’s websites need a solid foundation of technical SEO, and you need to be optimizing your existing content and new blog posts. When done correctly, SEO can have an ROI of 748% over 3 years. This involves technical SEO, on-page optimization, and building quality backlinks, among many other things.

Paid content distribution

SEO can take 3-6 months to start generating traffic. A paid ads campaign, on the other hand, can start bringing traffic to your website instantly. Using a paid channel means you can take your ideas to where your audience is. Paid distribution channels include Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest. Each of these platforms has different audiences, looking for different things. So, make sure you know which paid channels your audience uses. Otherwise, paid distribution strategies can be costly, and you may not see the results you’re looking for.

Content syndication

Explore syndicating your blog posts or other digital assets on other websites or industry publications. This expands your reach and can drive referral website traffic. This can also increase your authority on a topic, which is great for beating the competition to the top spots on search engines.

Repurpose content

Don’t let your high-quality assets go to waste. Repurpose content into different formats. For example, a successful blog post could become a series of social media posts, an infographic, or even a short video. Review your material regularly; if something’s working well on one channel, it might just work well on another.

User-generated content

Encourage user-generated content to boost authenticity and extend your reach. This can be powerful for social proof and engagement. It creates trust in your client’s brand, boosts their exposure and keeps them in the conversation.

Managing and optimizing your content efforts

As an agency, balancing multiple projects is challenging, but a strategic approach to content creation and distribution isn’t a one-and-done task. It requires ongoing management and optimization to reap real rewards. Here’s how to get the best result:

Create a content calendar

Use a content calendar (or editorial calendar) to plan your assets, production schedule, and distribution dates. This ensures consistency and helps your marketing teams stay organized. If your clients have in-house marketing teams, you can sync calendars to ensure you’re all working towards a common goal. Effective team collaboration causes fewer headaches and maximizes results.

Content velocity

The velocity at which you produce content is important and should factor into your planning stage. Aim for about 10 articles per month. However, if you have to decide between producing more assets or quality, research-backed assets, go for quality. Quality assets will always perform better with search engines and your audience.

Conduct regular content audits

Regularly conduct audits of your existing content. Identify what’s performing well, what needs updating, and what can be removed. This helps you refine your content strategy framework and formulate a plan for the months ahead.

Analytics and performance

Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics to track the performance of your content marketing strategy. Monitor key metrics like website traffic, organic traffic, audience engagement, and lead generation. This data analysis is vital for understanding what works and refining your distribution strategies. It also helps you identify content decay. If organic traffic to certain assets is dropping, it’s time for a review and refresh.

Collaboration

Foster strong collaboration between your content marketing team and your client’s sales team, and other departments. The sales team can provide valuable insights into common customer questions, directly informing your content ideas. Other departments can offer key insights into products and services that allow for more accurate information on the website. All of this reduces friction, enhances the user experience on the site and builds better client relationships.

Iterate and improve

Based on your analytics tools and performance data, continuously iterate and improve your creation process and distribution efforts. This iterative approach is key to a truly successful content strategy that helps you generate leads and achieve your digital marketing goals. Don’t forget to look at what your competitors are doing, either. Don’t copy them, analyse and ask “how can we do better”?

Your content distribution efforts make a big difference

By embracing a strategic approach to content creation and distribution, your agency can consistently deliver valuable content, build authority, and effectively connect with your clients’ target audiences across all relevant online platforms.

 

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What’s one new distribution channel you’ll explore this week for your content marketing strategy?