The Key Steps of Content Distribution
Developing high-quality original content is the first step to developing a loyal following on your blog or web site. But building content isn’t enough – the distribution methods involved are the difference between attracting well-targeted new visitors and letting the content age unnoticed. Here are some of the key ways to start accessing ever-elusive traffic.
Promote Content Through Social Media
Social media is rapidly becoming an important way for users to discover content, and in many respects it’s easier to push this content to your social networks than battle for first page placement on social engines. Adding your post’s URL to StumbleUpon, Digg or Reddit is a one-click effort with their toolbars, and creating promotional Tweets and Facebook status entries take seconds. Of course, your content should be relevant for the audience, and sometimes a posting will have more traction with LinkedIn than Facebook – or vice verse.
Use the Blogger Network
There are hundreds of blogs on almost any subject, and you need to develop and nurture relationships with other bloggers in your field of expertise. This means you have to invest time in commenting on other people’s articles rather than simply pushing out content, and constantly search for new blogs on your chosen subject. Most established bloggers will reciprocate the effort, and will sometimes trade links after you have established your credibility.
Use Press Releases
Don’t fear press releases! There are many free PR services, such as WebWire, that can help promote interest in your content. Many content managers consider press releases to be too formal for their news, but once you get used to the style of a press release, it becomes a natural part of your distribution strategy. If you believe your content isn’t important enough for a press release, then it probably isn’t valuable enough as a blog post. Anything you produce should be of a high enough quality to warrant wider promotion. The reason why press releases are so important is that they often get picked up by bigger news sources – I’ve seen many instances of blog receiving several thousands additional visits.
Use Additional Channels
Your blog or website is only one channel, but there are also many reputable article databases to consider, as well as blog syndication networks. And don’t forget that text is only the beginning – consider video and audio versions of your content, since video is now nearly 50% of all search. Many other sites from Amazon to LinkedIn will publish an RSS feed of your content, offering your articles to an even broader audience.
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