Creating content is essential these days for keeping your target audience informed about your company’s activities. But once that content is created, you need to distribute it. And that is, in fact, just as important as producing your stories.
Multiple channels
There are countless channels for sharing your content. Examples include a blog on your website, a tweet on Twitter, or an email to colleagues. In Content Playbook, media coach Carolien Vader categorizes these channels into four types: print, online, newsletters, and social media. You can choose to focus on one of these channels, but to reach more people, it’s better to publish your content across multiple channels.
Imagine that your company is participating in a major (online) event. You can post a message on your website a few days in advance to let visitors know you’ll be there. On the day of the event, take a nice photo of the venue and post it on Instagram. You can also choose to tweet updates, for example, when you’ve had a good conversation with a visitor or another business owner. Finally, in your monthly newsletter, you can write a piece about the success of the event.
Channel Properties
Each channel has certain characteristics, and with them, advantages and disadvantages. For example, distributing content via print is no longer always the most effective way to get your content noticed. Still, people still view reading a magazine, for instance, as a moment of indulgence, explains Carolien Vader in *Content Playbook* (Vader, 2019). It’s also important to find out what your target audience thinks of print.
From the NOM Print and Target Audience Monitor 2020 It turns out that 86% of people aged 65 and older read print magazines. The study also shows that, on average, 72% of Dutch people over the age of 13 read print magazines. So don’t be too quick to dismiss this channel. Print might actually be a good way to convey your content to your target audience.
Online channels such as your website, social media channels, or newsletters have different characteristics. The amount of online content available today is enormous, so it will be more difficult to hold your readers’ attention. A good user experience, such as a website that loads quickly, can ensure that your visitors return to the platform (Vader, 2019). Through a newsletter, you keep existing and new customers informed about your company’s activities, making them feel connected and engaged. Make sure you know exactly what your visitors and customers value.
Social media
A study by the Content Marketing Institute A study in North America shows that social media, at 93%, is the most widely used channel for distributing content (B2B Content Marketing: 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends). Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube can be very effective in helping you reach your target audience. Each of these platforms is used differently. For example, LinkedIn is more suited for business messages and news, while Instagram focuses on photography. You can effectively tailor your content to these platforms, as we demonstrated in the event example.
To effectively organize when and where you want to post your content, it’s important to have a clear content plan. This plan specifies exactly which channels you’ll use and what your content will entail. It’s also helpful to automate the posting process, for example using Hootsuite.
Developing a content strategy
After reading this article, you’ll be ready to start developing your content strategy. Decide which channels you’ll use and what kind of content you’ll post on them.
Need help creating content, such as blog posts for your website? We’d be happy to assist you. Contact us to see how we can help you and your business with content creation.
Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our news and receive helpful tips and interesting articles on your feed from time to time.
