How To Create a Content Distribution Strategy for Your Website

  • 6 minute read
Header image for a blog post about content distribution

“Content isn’t king, it’s the kingdom.” This quote from TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden made a splash in the marketing world after it was published in his 2012 book,Optimize. But if content represents the wondrous world you’ve built, how do you, as a business owner, promote access to your kingdom?

High-quality content creation requires time and effort; if your content doesn’t reach its intended audience, all your hard work may be wasted. Whether you sell information, products, or services, promoting your ideas online is one of the best ways to grow your audience—i.e., open the doors to your kingdom—and increase sales. Here’s how to make it happen.

Table of Contents

What is content distribution?

Content distribution is promoting and sharing your content through various channels and platforms online. It includes publicizing your ads, websites, social media pages, blogs, newsletters, videos, and other multimedia offerings.

Regardless of the size of your ecommerce business, you can create content and use diverse paid media (where you pay to get your content to consumers) and owned media (where you distribute it for free) to ensure that your content reaches its full potential and maximizes thereturn on your investment (ROI).

Types of content

Valuable content comes in many forms. Before thinking about distribution, start by identifying the type of content you can share with your audience. Here are a few options to consider, depending on your industry and your offerings.

  • Videos.Does your company have video explainers for products? Video ads? Or video overviews of your company as a whole? There are nearly 250 million potentialviewersin the US—a lot of eyeballs (and potential customers) your business can reach with high-quality video content.
  • Email newsletters.No longer confined to the news media world, newsletters—regularly distributed emails with news, information, or updates—are a popular content format you can use to promote your brand. For example, a retail shop can email subscribers a weekly or monthly newsletter to promote new products, sales, or events. WithShopify email, you can create, send, and manage your email marketing in the same system you use to run your business.
  • Podcasts.Over 460 million peoplelistento podcasts worldwide, and your business can use podcasts to tap into that massive market. Investment in sound quality and production elements like guest speakers can help you build an engaged listenership.
  • Blog posts.博客是一个拘谨的e content source that you can use to drive website traffic, increasesearch engine optimization (SEO), and educate and engage customers. Fitness apparel supplierGymsharkuses blog posts, such as “5 of the Best Workouts Hats To Wear During Your Next Training Session,” to promote its goods while answering common customer questions.
  • White papers andpress releases.White papers (long-form written pieces that explain products or promote solutions) and press releases (official statements issued to news media outlets announcing something you want to publicize) can help explain the functionality of a product or service or keep your audience up to date on releases and events—key components ofcustomer successthat can encourage loyalty.

Content distribution strategies

Your business can share its online media in many ways, depending on the type of content, your business size, and your industry. There are two main umbrellas, paid and organic distribution, under which distribution techniques fall.

Organic distribution

Organic content distribution means pushing content through various owned distribution channels without paying for advertising. This approach requires more effort, including identifying the right audience, selecting distribution platforms, creating social media posts, and tracking the impact of your distribution efforts through data analysis.

The upside is that consumers often perceive organic distribution as more authentic and less intrusive than paid advertising, and they’re therefore more likely to engage with it. Organic distribution is more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods, making it an attractive option for smaller businesses.

Here are two common organic distribution strategies:

  • Social media.Social media platforms are mighty channels through which you can promote your content and engage with your audience by responding to comments, direct messages, and reviews, which fosters a sense of community and trust. Popular platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok are free to use and let you reach existing and potential customers. WithShopify Inbox你可以联系更多的客户,无论they are, with integrations to Facebook, Instagram, the Shop app, and more.
  • Email marketing.网上百分之九十二的人年龄在of 15 use email, representing a massive potential market for your content, whether it’s video clips or newsletters. Several ecommerce tools, such as Mailchimp, Moosend, and MailerLite, can help you automatically send scheduled emails. The downside to email marketing is it requires customer email addresses, but if you learnhow to build an email list, you’ll be well on your way to capturing subscribers.

Paid distribution

Paid content distribution is a content marketing method where you pay to push content through various social channels. Paid content can be highly targeted, increasing your business’s potential return on investment (ROI) and helping you grow your reach with specific customer demographics.

Here are three paid content distribution tools to consider:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC) ads.WithPPC ads, you pay based on the number of times customers click on your content.
  • Sponsored content.With sponsored content, you pay to funnel your content through other trusted publishers, like social media platforms.
  • Influencer marketing.Influencer marketingis where you pay online influencers (popular online personalities) to represent or sell your products or services.Shopify Collabsmakes it easy for merchants to find and manage a community of influencers who love their brand and can drive sales.

How to create a content distribution strategy

  1. Set your goals and key performance indicators (KPIs)
  2. Understand your target audience
  3. Choose your distribution channels
  4. Create your content
  5. Analyze your results and refine your strategy

Here are the first steps to consider when crafting a strong content distribution strategy.

1. Set your goals and key performance indicators (KPIs)

What do you want from your content? More views on your website? Increased sales figures? More positive engagement in the form of reviews, likes, and shares? Identifying these goals off the bat helps you set expectations as well as measure and judge the success of your content strategy.

2. Understand your target audience

Your audience depends on your business. For example, if you sell baby toys, your audience is likely new parents, impacting both the content you distribute and the channels you deliver it through. Understand where your target audience is most active and what type of content they’re most likely to engage with.

3. Choose your distribution channels

Based on your target audience, choose the channels that are most effective in reaching them. Popular channels include social media platforms, email newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and video-sharing platforms. Understand your staff, time, and budget limits to avoid spreading your resources too thin.

4. Create your content

Create content that’s engaging and relevant to your target audience and that aligns with your brand message and values. Record videos, write blog posts, or develop white papers, infographics, or case studies, then start pushing them through your chosen content distribution platforms. As every platform has unique characteristics, tailor your content to the specific channel’s strengths—e.g., Instagram posts should be visually appealing, while email newsletters should include a clearcall to action (CTA).

5. Analyze your results and refine your strategy

After distributing your content, study metrics like engagement rate, reach, and conversion rate to understand which channels perform best and where to improve. With this data, you can refine your strategy by experimenting with different channels, content types, and distribution schedules until you find the most effective method for your business.

Content distribution FAQ

Can content distribution be automated?

Yes. Content management systems like WordPress, social media management systems like ContentStudio, and third-party tools like Mailchimp can automate content distribution through various channels. These systems help cut money, time, and resources spent pushing your content.

Can a website distribute content without using social media?

Yes. While social media channels are powerful tools with broad reach, your website can push content without them. Strategies like using search engine optimization (SEO) or collecting customer data with plug-ins like Google Analytics can help draw eyeballs to your content. Robust web design—intuitive navigation, mobile interface, and well-incorporated images and videos—can engage customers with your content as they browse your site and direct them to other channels like your email newsletter or social media pages.

Should a website always focus on paid distribution to maximize reach?

Not necessarily. Provided you have the time and resources, organic content distribution can work as effectively as paid media. The primary downside of organic distribution is that you can’t always control your audience, while paid distribution can target specific demographics or individuals.

Is it necessary to have a large budget for paid distribution?

No. With the rise of nano- and micro-influencers—social media users with fewer than 100,000 followers—and precision-targeted pay-per-click (PPC) marketing campaigns and promoted content, paid distribution is more affordable than ever. If your goals are reasonable, you can create a content distribution effort that fits your budget.

Can a website distribute content without any help from external agencies or tools?

Yes. Web content management systems like Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, and GoDaddy provide effective tools for directing and distributing content, like landing pages—pages specifically designed for marketing or advertising—and prioritized content, which helps to filter the most relevant items to the forefront of the user experience.
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