Understanding Content Syndication And How To Make It Work For You - Semalt Overview
In a nutshell, content syndication can be considered the central pillar of modern-day marketing. It has been in existence for years and has served a very similar role to what it does today. Over the years, its nature had to undergo certain changes to stay relevant. As the elements that defined excellent content changed, content syndication also had to evolve.
Now let's make one important point clear; it isn't true that blogs and articles are the only content types that can be syndicated. There are, in fact, several tools that can help you create and publish extensively, a wide variety of content formats besides blogs and articles.
We have:
- E-Books
- Podcasts
- White papers
- Webinars
- Infographics
In our world today, the scope and quality of content are expanding as well as skyrocketing. Frankly speaking, there has not been a more exciting time to try out content syndication.
With the knowledge we will be providing, you will be able to use account-based marketing, intent-driven marketing, and more as part of your content syndication strategy.
Let's begin!!!
What is content syndication?
Content syndication can be defined as a process of publishing proprietary online content on a third-party platform as a way to reach a much wider audience. Content syndication functions as a growth marketing strategy that can be used to meet up many outreach goals.
With content syndication, you can fundamentally enhance the amount of audience your content is shown to. With content syndication, the key to efficiency is choosing the right platform that connects you with an audience that is ready to make the purchasing decision.
It is at that stage that the true potential of content syndication is seen. It becomes performance marketing.
When syndicating content, there are different approaches platforms employ when syndicating content. These platforms could:
- Republish the work entirely.
- Edit it and make it shorter.
- Post a brief excerpt from the original piece.
In each of these methods, credits are still assigned to the original publishing location. Syndication is a way for both parties to share the spoils of well-written content. The syndicate, on its part, gets new content, and the business that created this content gets an opportunity to be connected to a new set of potential customers.
Who benefits from content syndication?
Almost every business has one or more things to benefit from as a result of content syndication. When done right and to the proper audience, it's simply a better way to advertise. However, there are some businesses that are already creating brilliant and creatively thought leadership content that is best positioned to see immediate benefits.
Many in the B2B technological industry are in the position where they have excellent content but lack the appropriate audience to value such content. In such cases, content syndication can make a significant impact.
Why do websites use content syndication?
Many small and medium scale businesses spend a lot of time and resources in an effort to create amazing content. The problem, however, is that they lack a large audience to show these contents. In such scenarios, they will need to focus more time and effort on improving their audience reach.
Without an audience, content marketing is simply a waste of time and resources. But you can change the tides.
With content syndication, you can rely on a third party to allow you to benefit more from your content by placing it in front of their audience. This means that your content gets to reach a larger number of users who are the type of people you would like to read your content. In the end, you get more traffic and conversions.
There are certain content syndication platforms that help businesses build awareness among a specific core audience, but they also establish themselves as thought leaders.
By using this strategy, businesses have been known to enjoy an increased amount of leads. Businesses can also grow their bottom line through the application of intent and account-based marketing approaches.
Syndicating content on your website is only the first step when you're looking to connect with your potential buyers. There are several other secondary benefits.
Content syndication helps boost organic and referral traffic to web properties. This occurs as links from an authoritative website indicates a high level of quality found in your content.
An example:
If the content is published on a media publication, the links that the primary website gets in return can help boost the domain's authority, which helps the primary website rank higher for organic search terms. In addition to this, brand recognition and online presence will grow. Provided that the website continues publishing consistent and quality content, it is bound to continue attracting and converting leads.
Generally, it will be easier to reach out to other industry experts to discuss and discover future opportunities to distribute and cross-promote your content. When you're competing for attention in a crowded market, publishing your content on several platforms with large and appropriate audience types solidifies your role in your industry. This establishes your authority and making your brand stand out.
On another level, content syndication shows how important contents are within an organization. When content syndication becomes closely aligned with performance, it becomes powerful with the following advantages:
It proves that content drives value
Content syndication can draw a direct line between what is perceived as the worth of content and the actual value of content as a tool for generating leads. It is indeed one of the fastest and most effective ways to demonstrate the business value in thought leadership.
It achieves revenue goals
Content marketers are judged based on their ability to generate revenue for businesses. With content syndication, they can drive tangible revenue through thought leadership. That makes it much easier to attribute revenue to individual campaigns or pieces of content.
Content appears to a larger audience
As a website, the primary drive is to publish content and ensure this content reaches your target audience. The more views a content gets, the better. Content syndication ensures that published content gets seen by those who will derive value from it. By broadening the scope of your reach, syndication can improve the brand's recognition and stickiness for all efforts.
How does content syndication work?
Today, we have over 50 different companies that offer content syndication services. For most of these companies, the process is fundamentally the same.
In order to get the optimal value for services rendered, these companies run a payment system called Cost Per Lead (CPL).
They customize targeting for each of the campaigns they run with an objective to present the content only to the most suitable audience type. Websites that use these companies understand that the more specific the targeting, the higher the CPL, as more readers are bound to become leads.
Many websites test the capabilities of these syndication companies by starting with a small budget and then repeating the process with a better budget if they are impressed by the results. By partnering with a good company, they perform their role adequately by using their experience to minimize your risks and maximize your yields.
Before now, many syndicates did not provide service support, but as the industry is evolving, they are also becoming better at their services.
The growth enabled by content syndication has to evolve beyond publications. It must be able to also bring the prospective audience down the funnel by incorporating precision targeting methods that focus on the prospect, which are either ready to buy, or prospects that are well within targeted businesses.
Types of content syndication
There are other forms of content syndication, such as:
- Earned syndication: there are certain blogs and news outlets which use syndicated contents as the backbone of their editorials. Websites can simply reach out to such publications to see if they are interested.
- Social syndication: here, two companies agree to promote each other's content on their respective social media channels.
- Co-marketing: here, two or more companies join forces in their promotional efforts. All parties agree to promote a piece of content and then share the leads it provides.
Where should you syndicate your content to?
Like every other marketing strategy, your approach determines the success of your content syndication. You could decide to use one or more of the options provided below, depending on your preference.
Types of syndication outlets:
- Multi-author publications
- Blogging platforms
- Syndication networks
- Social networks
Conclusion
Content syndication is one of the fastest ways to make your content work for you. Even at its earliest stages, it provides encouraging results when done right. It also creates longstanding and ongoing equity as it continually elevates your brand. With content syndication, you reward your content investment by showing it to an audience who appreciates its value and generates for your profit.