5 Ways To Spread Content, Whatever It Is

Whether it’s a blog post, a funny video on your site or your product itself, you need to come up with a plan for spreading that content. As much as want to believe that a good blog post or product “sells itself”, that’s very often not the case. Someone has to get the ball rolling, the buzz buzzing — and that typically means creating some type of content promotion strategy.

Here are the five methods I most often use to make sure that my content is getting in front of the right people.

Twitter

For the past few months, Twitter has been one of the most effective ways for many businesses to drive traffic and exposure to their content. It’s also really easy. You use the network you’ve already created on Twitter and then time tweets to come out during the periods of the day when you know your audience will be on Twitter (typically when they’re supposed to be working). By using combining a strong call to action with a little bit of snark, you can even help increase the effectiveness of your tweets. You also want to make sure that you leave enough room so that someone can retweet your message without having to edit it and to include the twitter handles of the people or companies mentioned in your post. If someone sees you’re talking about them, you increase the chances that they’ll help promote the piece for you.

Other Social Media Outlets

Depending on who your audience is there may be other social media outlets that are just as, if not more, effective for you than Twitter. For example, if you sell products or produce content geared toward women, you may want to spread it via Kirtsy. If you’re in the financial sector, Tip’d will be your social network of choice. If it’s business related or you have a new product you want feedback on, LinkedIn may be a viable alternative. And of course, some people just use their Facebook status message or notes to push content to their network that way. Find where your fish are, and throw the line in accordingly.

Guest posting

Part of your content promotion strategy should be finding ways to build buzz before you need it. If you know you’re going to be producing a killer blog post, that you’ll be starting a new blog or launching a new product, you need to be working the pavement the weeks prior to help get people excited about what you’re going to bring to the table. One of the best ways to do that is to guest blog on other authoritative blogs in your niche. Reach out to other blogs, let them know you have something awesome cooking, and offer to write a guest post for them. The post may be about whatever it is you’re launching or it could be about something different but tied to that blog’s audience. The point is to get people seeing your name and put you in your top of mind for later. Build buzz early.

Newsletter

You know that email newsletter you send out religiously? Start really using it! Include a section to help customers find you on the various social media sites and start using it to feature your content. Reprint articles in full, use it to tease and build buzz for what’s coming in the weeks ahead on your site, put links to the week’s top blog posts, etc. Most of the newsletters and emailings I receive from small business owners do little to grab my interest. Start rewriting them to help you promote your content, new offerings, etc, so that you’re left better able to meet your goals.

Form partnerships

It takes a village to raise a child and it takes an even bigger village to help content go viral. Form partnerships with others in your niche or town and make arrangements to help one another out when it makes sense. By forming your own little promotional army, you not only remove the strain of having to do everything yourself, but you also lend credibility to what you’re trying to promote. You can tell me how your product is. That’s great. I believe it more when someone else tells me. These types of strategic partnerships can be very effective when leverage correctly.

Whatever type of content strategy you decide to use, make sure you make it easy for people to share your content and distribute it for you. The more obstacles you put in their way, the less likely it will be that your content gains traction.

From Small Business Trends

5 Ways To Spread Content, Whatever It Is