If 2016 was the year that a wave of B2B companies became convinced of the importance of content marketing, 2017 will be marked by a search to squeeze more value out of the content they are producing.
“You can create the best blog posts the world has ever seen, and produce branded videos that inspire uncontrolled tears of joy, but all of that’s irrelevant if that blog post musters only 41 hits, or if that video inspires a measly 28 views,” states Jonathan Crowl in a blog post for Skyword (skyword.com), a Boston-based content marketing services provider.
Email is a valuable distribution channel, but true content distribution success going forward will take more than a quality e-newsletter, Crowl says. Marketing departments must embrace multipronged distribution strategies that combine their in-house expertise with some of the more understated approaches to content distribution that will set them apart. Crowl suggests:
Content sharing communities – Social media is an obvious distribution channel that every sensible brand will pour its energy into cultivating. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn will remain big-time players for enterprise marketers everywhere. But brands will also need to move beyond social media and seek out niche communities where content sharing is a cornerstone of engagement and interaction.
“Even communities with a few thousand or even a few hundred users might be worth your brand’s time and effort,” Crowl states. “If the community aligns closely with the target audience you’re seeking, the quality of exposure to this audience could be significant, and those users might help distribute your content and brand message beyond their immediate circles. Keep an eye out for online message boards, discussion threads and even subgroups on social networks that have banded together an audience you’ll want to court.”
Narrative-driven organic distribution – Online individuals are inherently drawn to good content, and their own personal investment into a storyline can override even obvious associations between that story and the brand itself. Emotionally gripping content can garner significant organic sharing and distribution just by virtue of its broad appeal. Telling a compelling story is its own form of content distribution. If the narrative resonates with viewers, they won’t care that your brand’s logo is slapped on a video.
