Last updated on July 12th, 2023
“Content is King”
This popular quote by Bill Gates is often used in the world of content creation and marketing. But what good is a King if he doesn’t have a kingdom?
What we mean is that creating high-quality content is what everyone aims to do, but if it fails to reach the audience, what is it worth? As popularly said, “The only way to win at content marketing is for the reader to say, ‘This was written specifically for me.”
So if the audience does not read the article, does that mean your content has failed? No! This is where content distribution platforms save the day!
What is Content Distribution?
Picture this: you’ve done your research and written an informative and engaging blog. Does that mean your work is done and your content is a success? No. What you are missing here is the final step in your marketing strategy, which is content distribution.
Content distribution is the process of promoting and publishing your content to ensure it reaches its target audience. It uses diverse media formats and channels to ensure your content gets maximum reach and traffic.
The primary goal of any content is to get a high ROI and conversions. And the best way to go about this is with the help of content distribution platforms. With the importance of content distribution platforms being recognized, there is a rise in the number of platforms that can be a medium to distribute content.
But before we dive into the various platforms, let’s understand why you should promote your content.
Why Is Content Distribution Important?
Keywords and SEO are essential, but content distribution’s role in creating high-quality content can not be ignored. Here are some ways content distribution platforms are important for your business:
- Creates brand awareness: Visibility and creating brand awareness are a necessity for any business. So if your content is not bringing you traffic, it will not benefit your brand.
The effort you have put behind creating your content then becomes futile. This is why focusing on content distribution platforms is important, as it will give your content the final push it needs.
- Interact with the target audience: Today, consumers no longer prefer traditional in-your-face marketing methods. Your audience wants you to interact with them. They want to see the personality your brand can bring to the table. To convince your audience, you will have to create engaging content that will hold their attention.
Your content and business lose value if you can’t be relevant. This is where content distribution platforms can help businesses ensure that their content is relevant. This will also help you set a benchmark for future content that you will create.
- Builds trust: Remember that time you were struggling to buy something, and an article helped you make the right decision? Such instances will definitely leave a significant impact on your audience.
When you use the right distribution platforms, your content will reach the right audience and attract the right traffic. This loyal traffic will have faith in your content, allowing you to bank on this trust and attract new consumers.
Choose the Right Content Distribution Platforms & Tools
Understanding which distribution platform works for you is super crucial. You start by evaluating where does your target audience hang out, is it email, social media, or a LinkedIn group?
It is often misunderstood that content needs to be everywhere for it to succeed. This is far from the truth. For content to succeed, it needs to be in the right place at the right time. You need to understand the audience you want to target and then focus on the platforms that best suit your needs.
This will ensure your content will give you maximum returns and conversions. Content can be published on various platforms. These platforms are best classified into three broad categories – owned media, paid media, and earned media.
- Owned Media
Owned media is like your in-house channel. You can use it to grow your owned audience and leverage traffic from other platforms. It consists of platforms and channels that are owned by your company or brand. A few examples of owned media are landing pages, blogs, newsletters, mobile apps, gated content, and social media profiles.
- Paid Media
Paid media is more transactional in nature, as you pay a platform to publish or promote your content. It would be wise to use this for your most essential pieces of content. A few examples of paid media include Pay-Per-Click ads, social media ads, sponsored content, and influencer content.
- Earned Media
Earned media is also known as shared media, where a third-party platform shares your content. The success of content on these platforms depends on how well-written and attractive they are. It would be best to put lots of effort into creating viral and shareable content.
Some examples of earned media are mentions, shares, reviews, guest posts, and forums. Quora and Reddit are a few platforms that come under this category.
Top 20+ Content Distribution Platforms and Tools
Let us look at some of the best content distribution platforms and tools that can help your content drive traffic.
- Missinglettr
Missinglettr is an all-in-one smart content distribution tool that allows you to grow your social presence and achieve maximum reach on social media. The platform has various features that will automate how you share quality content on social media, saving you time and effort. The platform also provides data insights and performance analytics about the content to ensure you are at the top of your game.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- Storychief
Storychief is a platform that will help your business align and distribute content. It is responsible for creating, publishing, and planning content while enhancing your distribution channels.
Though the platform is only supported on the web, it has various support options like chat, knowledge base, and helpdesk. Storycheif also offers in-person training or via online videos, webinars, and live videos.
G2 Rating : 4.6/5
- AddThis
AddThis is the world’s largest online content-sharing platform aiming to make sharing content seamless. The platform equips its users with free tools like link promotion, list builder, and recommended posts.
These tools increase traffic, share high-quality content across the social web, and provide in-depth analytics for its users to better understand their content and its future. Over 15 million sites trust tools by AddThis. This platform makes sharing content extremely convenient with the help of its simple share buttons that can be customized.
G2 Rating : 3.8/5
- Emma
Emma is a digital marketing platform that solely focuses on emails. The platform offers personalized solutions to ensure you make the most of your email marketing. Its offerings include email automation, mobile-ready design templates, dynamic content, and audience segmentation.
The platform allows you to plan, design, optimize, analyze, and engage with the content you share via emails. The software also allows integration with third-party CRM solutions, social networks, and ecommerce platforms. This easy-to-use platform is always up to date to ensure you can stay on top of your email marketing game.
G2 Rating : 4.0/5
- Constant Contact
Constant Contact is a digital content distribution platform trusted by millions for over 25 years. This platform helps small businesses grow via their digital marketing efforts. Be it email marketing, social media, ecommerce, or CRM, Constant Connect is equipped with all the necessary tools to ensure the steady and effective growth of businesses.
The platform offers analytics to ensure optimum control of your content. The platform aims to strengthen customer relationships, simplify social media, and grow audience and traffic with the help of its intuitive UI.
G2 Rating : 4.0/5
- HARO
HARO, also known as Helping A Reporter Out, is a sourcing service that helps journalists who want certain expertise connect with the right contributors. It aims to connect journalists and bloggers to help them write more and focus less on the sources.
The expert contributors can push forward their content without seeking a journalist.
It aims to create a win-win situation where businesses tell their stories without harming the kind of content journalists wish to publish. It acts as a self-service site that allows control over the kind of content and coverage the brand will receive.
G2 Rating : 4.4/5
- Nativo
Nativo is an advertising platform that helps distributors and publishers optimize, distribute, and measure the content they advertise. It equips businesses with one of the world’s most advanced technology giving the ultimate content advertising platform experience while increasing the revenue earned.
It combines automation and insights with the highest-quality reach so publishers can meet and excel in their branding strategies. This is a game-changer in how brands sell, deploy and optimize their native ads across platforms.
G2 Rating : 4.4/5
- Product Hunt
Product Hunt is a website that allows marketers and creators to introduce their products to an audience that loves technology. They will receive reviews, feedback, and votes when they post their products. The mechanics of the website is similar to Reddit, as you can comment on a product post and upvote it.
This distribution website is ideal in the starting stages of your product as it will ensure that your content reaches the right audience and help you determine an honest response. The website will also introduce you to newer products and help you find new and innovative ways you can distribute your products.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- Slideshare
Slideshare is one of the most popular free content-sharing websites that aid in content distribution. The distribution website lets you share content that can be kept private or public.
The kind of content uploaded on this content-sharing site includes slides, infographics, videos, documents, and presentations. The biggest advantage of Slideshare is that it is easily available on the internet due to its visibility on multiple platforms. You can bank on this visibility by uploading your content in the right formats.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- The Juice
The Juice is a content curation platform and content distributor for B2B brands. It aims to place your content in the right place with the right target audience. Customers have experienced a 330% ROI when they partnered with The Juice.
With over 10,000 sales and marketing professionals, the platform aims to ensure that the brands reach their target audience without doing extra work. The platform provides you with unique data to strengthen the quality and quantity of your traffic. The Juice focuses on not only the audience but also growth and revenue.
- Outbrain
Outbrain is an AI-based performance platform and a content distribution solution that enables you to put your sponsored content in front of many prospects. The platforms show content to the audience in a non-intrusive manner while ensuring it is featured on leading platforms or channels.
Outbrain analyses your content in terms of pictures and headlines to ensure optimum reach can be attained. This way, the platform can help your content cater to newer audiences. Outbrain is easy-to-use and ensures that your content will reach a wide audience and help you gain massive page impressions.
G2 Rating : 3.4/5
- DNN
DNN is a content management system that has been downloaded more than 8 million times and has powered over 750,000 websites globally. The system builds professional and seamless social intranets, commercial websites, community portals, or partner extranets.
DNN maintains the right balance between security, scalability, and ease of use. The system is flexible and can adapt to a larger development base and extension ecosystem. It is ideal for anyone looking to start easy with their content but aiming to excel with a long-road plan.
G2 Rating : 4.2/5
- Mail Chimp
Mail Chimp is an all-inclusive marketing platform for small businesses. The platform focuses on the audience so users can start selling online. The user can send marketing emails and automated messages, build landing pages, create targeted ad campaigns, and facilitate reporting and analytics.
With more than 12 Million customers worldwide, Mail Chimp connects and grows with the target audience and effortlessly creates effective multi channel content distribution channels. The platform’s interactive UI has helped customers grow their database and reach by using targeted distribution.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- Buffer
Buffer is a streamlined social media management platform that aims to drive meaningful engagement and results on social media. With Buffer, you can share your content on social media platforms or let the platform take care of it.
The distribution platform has many automated publishing tools that simplify how content is posted on social media and the return it brings. Buffer gives your content peak visualization on social media and ensures that the traffic your content receives is quality and quantity.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
One of the leading social media platforms, Instagram is undoubtedly a great channel for content distribution platforms. Instagram has a lot to offer when it comes to content. With various ways of presenting content available on the platform, there is something for everyone.
You can take advantage of the various channels Instagram provides to its users.
With Instagram stories, posts, live videos, or Reels taking over the internet, your content can reach millions of users in a heartbeat if you use it correctly. The trick here is understanding what kind of channel best suits your content.
Using the platform’s visual nature can transform your content to ensure it reaches the target audience. Instagram will also help your content attract loyal consumers and new consumers.
G2 Rating : 4.4/5
LinkedIn is a social media platform that has a high-value audience. The platform aims to create a space that encourages users to interact with each other or interact with a common interest. The platform encourages interaction between users by promoting content and achievements.
The quantity of audience you receive from LinkedIn might be less than the other social media platforms, but the audience’s loyalty makes up for the lack. LinkedIn consists of a network of professionals or executives who are on the lookout for niche content. By aligning your content with your target audience, you will receive authentic traffic, which will be long-lasting and not fleeting.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
Twitter is a micro-blogging website that was founded in 2014. Almost a decade has passed, but the relevance of Twitter has not seen a downfall. Twitter is one of the most effective ways of content distribution, as all you need are some hashtags and the right time. As Twitter is a direct way of communicating between brands and consumers, using it as a content distribution platform will earn you a significant response that is received in real-time.
B2B businesses can also use Twitter as it is up-to-date with the latest trends. You can also add appropriate pictures and relevant hashtags to boost your existing content and reuse the same content piece with a twist. You can present the old content in a different tweet and manner to get better visibility.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- Quora
Quora is a social media platform that follows the format of a question and answers to share information. Quora is an excellent choice for content distribution, especially when it comes to B2B content. The content posted on Quora is often understood to be from an expert and is taken seriously.
Due to its nature of questions and answers, Quora has a wide reach, and any kind of content posted on it will receive engagement. Sharing your content on Quora will also help you build an online presence that will lead to conversions and loyal consumers. As long as your content is of value to the question being asked, your content will be relevant and highly ranked.
G2 Rating : 4.1/5
Reddit can be an ideal content distribution platform since it functions on user-generated content. As long as you customize your content to match the audience you plan to target, your content will be a hit on Reddit.
It is in the platform’s nature for users to want niche content. This will benefit your content distribution strategy as the need for your content already exists. All that is left now is for your content to cater to it.
G2 Rating : 4.3/5
- Medium
Medium is a distribution platform that the co-founder of Twitter created. The platform is home to a large amount of content. Medium is different from the other platforms mentioned above as it focuses on creating high-quality, in-depth content that caters to the needs of the writers.
As a result, the content created is engaging and informative. The platform also allows users to collaborate with other writers and use the various tools available to understand the ranking of their content and how they can improve. Medium can be used along with your traditional blog distribution methods.
G2 Rating : 5.0/5
- BuzzStream
BuzzStream is a free content distribution platform that focuses on influencer marketing. The platform hosts many services that can assist in link building. For maximum reach, you can find influencers interested in your niche and who wish to share your content. This will help you gain visibility, traffic, and coverage. It will help you grow your PR and organize outreach from list-building to measuring responses.
G2 Rating : 4.1/5
Saving the best for the last! Facebook has to be the primary source of content distribution for any business. With the various free and paid features available on Facebook, content distribution is easy.
You need to decide what kind of feature will best suit your content and add a catchy caption and hashtags, and you are good to go. The beauty of using Facebook for content distribution platform is that you can post any content. Your content will receive maximum engagement if the information you post is relevant and shared via the right channels.
G2 Rating : 4.2/5
Pinterest is a social media platform that allows you to pin, save and explore all kinds of content. While the platform is used for personal use, businesses use it as an effective method of marketing as well. Pinterest is often used to find new inspiration for products and services, because of which the platform attracts a lot of traffic.
Finding your target audience on the platform will help you understand the kind of content you can distribute. Pinterest is a slow social media platform compared to Facebook or Instagram, which is why you must be patient with your content. The content might take time to grow, but the growth will be long-term and sustain quality traffic to your content.
G2 Rating : 4.5/5
Conclusion
Now that you know what content distribution is and what platforms and tools you can use, don’t wait for your target audience to find you. Get out there and find them yourself! Content distribution platforms will help you have maximum reach and engagement but remember that there is no one-size-fits-all model here.
You will have to put in the effort to form a strategy and make tactical and smart choices. In a day and age where so much content is being created daily, do not be afraid to make new decisions and experiment. Only then will content distribution platforms get you the results you desire.
So what are you waiting for? Put these platforms/tools to use and reach new heights with your content!
FAQs
1. Why has content marketing become so relevant in recent times?
Every business aims to generate better leads, more conversions, and sales. Content marketing is a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient method of achieving the desired outcome. This is why content marketing has become relevant in recent times.
2. What is a content distribution platforms, and what are some examples?
Content distribution is the final step in your marketing strategy after the content has been created. It is the process of promoting your content by publishing it via diverse media formats and channels. Some examples of content distribution are Facebook, Pinterest, HARO, DNN, and Outbrain.
3. How to come up with a content marketing and distribution strategy?
There are various ways to develop a content marketing and distribution strategy, but a few pointers to keep in mind are:
- Determine your target audience
- Select the content
- Select content distribution channels
- Evaluate the kind of content you can use for each of the channels
4. How to increase organic reach through owned media and content distribution?
Some of the ways you can increase organic reach through owned media and content distribution are:
- Develop a content strategy
- Focus on engagement
- Optimize content
- Promote your content
