What Is Content Syndication?
In the past, distributing content on your own website may have been enough to attract leads. However, in recent years, the competition has been heating up, and you need more tactics and strategies to reach your target audience. Content syndication platforms allow you to republish your content, including articles, eBooks, webinars, podcasts, case studies, and infographics. Syndicated content is among the top B2B lead generation strategies, as it helps you take advantage of other publications’ targeted audiences and promote your products and overall brand. Many marketers think that you can syndicate only articles. However, this is one of the richest content marketing ideas, where you can republish pretty much all the content you create for your own platforms.
Before you decide to invest in B2B content syndication, ask yourself, “What are the best niche platforms, and how can they help me?” Check how your collaborators scale their distribution efforts and how they measure results.
Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of marketing content syndication? After reading this article, you’ll have a deep knowledge regarding the benefits and applications of this content promotion strategy.
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Benefits Of Leveraging Content Syndication Platforms
1. Qualified Leads
Any company’s main goal is to generate qualified leads with high purchase intent. Advertising online and on social media may bring you low-intent prospects, too. This is why syndicating your content through niche and industry-specific platforms is crucial. Targeted buyers are already present on these platforms and are more likely to purchase something a trusted figure or website is promoting or simply featuring.
2. Brand Awareness
Content syndication platforms aren’t only great for SaaS lead generation but also for improving your SERP rankings and domain authority. For starters, your content appears on trustworthy websites and receives good publicity. Additionally, you generate backlinks, something that improves your search engine rankings immensely.
3. Backlinks
Backlink building is one of the most known SEO tricks that improve your website’s and specific content’s visibility. The more platforms republish your content, the more backlinks you receive. Is buying backlinks good, though? It may be easy to find sellers that promise wonderful results, but the reality is that it’s a very dangerous and ineffective tactic. Why? Simply because these links may derive from black-hat techniques and Google might deem them as spam.
4. Cost-Effectiveness
Can you find free content syndication platforms? Definitely. Is it worth it? Sure. Do you also have paid options that may be even more worth the effort and investment? Absolutely. Let’s take pre-recorded webinars, for example. You may be able to publish them for free on YouTube, but you won’t get the targeted exposure you will if you republish them on niche websites. You may spend more money than you expected to, but the results will most probably make it worth it.
Ways To Expand Visibility With Content Syndication Platforms
1. Gated Content
Gated content isn’t exclusively connected to content syndication strategies. In fact, around 80% of marketing assets are gated, meaning most companies implement this tactic to attract qualified leads. For anyone to access a gated piece of content, they have to fill out a form and give out their personal information to companies. Only then can they download the free content. While prospects gain valuable and top-quality information, you enrich your email list and can cater your content to even more potential buyers based on their preferences. What types of content should you syndicate? Let’s start with republished eBooks. They are even more descriptive than articles, and professionals are willing to divulge their details if they can access them for free.
How about pre-recorded demonars? SaaS content marketing takes more effort than other B2B initiatives, as clients must experience your product before buying a subscription. Promoting your service’s demo on industry-specific content syndication platforms attracts qualified leads who are ready to make a purchase.
2. Republish On Niche Platforms
When you begin the content syndication process, check your available options. There are many mass-market platforms that are not necessarily experts in your industry. Their reach may be bigger, but they won’t bring that many qualified leads. That’s why you should pick a niche publishing platform with deep knowledge and expertise in your industry. They understand your business‘s challenges and needs and know what the market looks like. Therefore, they can distribute your content effectively and target high-intent buyers by speaking their language. This is the approach you need when you apply lead generation techniques. You want to avoid generic platforms that publish every niche and genre. For instance, eLearning Industry has deep experience in the eLearning and HR fields, helping businesses amplify their reach and increase brand awareness.
3. Easily Digestible Content
Choosing a content syndication platform based on their niche and social media strategy is only the first step. You also have to produce easy-to-consume content that isn’t too long and is shared easily. Audiences don’t have too much free time on their hands to read super-long articles and watch endless videos. That’s why case study articles are so popular when it comes to content syndication examples. They are usually on point, explaining what the prior issue was, how you approached it, and what the end result was. This way, you show that you are not only great at sharing knowledge but also at producing results.
For your content to be memorable, though, you must make it engaging and visually pleasing. If you’re using video, make sure it lasts a good few seconds and mentions only absolutely necessary information. eBook ideas for lead generation must also be quite short and full of interactive elements. For example, if you’re sharing statistics in your eBook, you may add them in an infographic to make them understandable.
4. Guest Posts
What if you guest posted on a larger or more authoritative content syndication platform first and then published it on your website? Building a lead generation website can be hard, and you may want to leverage the authority of another publication. Many websites, like LinkedIn, are always looking for guest posts to fill out their editorial calendar. Therefore, you allow your thought-leading content to reach larger audiences that you would have a hard time reaching through your website. After a while, you can republish the same content on your website.
So, why is LinkedIn such a popular option for B2B content marketing? Basically, this is where business owners, professionals from every field, and thought leaders are present. Now, it’s easier than ever to publish your content on the platform. To be successful, though, your articles must be informative, credible, and top quality. B2B audiences are demanding, and they will quickly exit your article if they find it useless.
5. Set Filters
A B2B content marketing strategy must be highly targeted based on your audience’s demographics, interests, and online behaviors. So, speak to your content syndication provider and offer them your target buyers’ characteristics, including age, location, job titles, and industry. This way, syndicated content can reach only qualified leads and not get lost in a pool with unqualified prospects. Before you pick a content syndication service, ask them if and how they segment audiences. You might find potential suitors that do not filter your audience. Avoid these vendors, as their nonexistent targeting will make you waste your money. On the other hand, when you use filters, you target only people and companies who have increased interest in your offerings.
6. Manage Your Lead List And Nurture
Before you even proceed to look into syndication services, you may take a look at your current lead list. Chances are many of them are old, disconnected users who are no longer viewing your content. If you don’t have the time or resources to do this yourself, your content syndication platform will perform this task for you. They can clean up your current list and update it with newly generated prospects. Effective lead nurturing strategies offer you usable potential buyers you can target through your marketing efforts.
Once your list is updated, you can start nurturing your ideal buyer personas, as the vast majority of them will initially enjoy your gated content but won’t make a purchase instantly. This is a pivotal step in creating intrigue and piquing people’s interest. SaaS and B2B products have a longer sales cycle, and you may need to nurture prospects for weeks before converting them. You might have to offer them a free trial or a freemium and arrange email drip campaigns to promote relevant content.
7. Set KPIs
Let’s start with your goals. What are your content syndication strategy’s goals? You may want to promote a new product, boost brand awareness, or accelerate business growth. Once you set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), you should link each goal with specific KPIs and analytics. You must decide how you will measure content marketing performance and what your ideal results would be. Some of the most popular and valuable KPIs are Return On Investment (ROI), the quality of leads, website traffic, brand visibility, and engagement rates. These data help you analyze your strategy’s performance and modify it accordingly. If you feel that your current content syndication platform’s techniques aren’t worth the money, you can end your collaboration and move to a different vendor.
Content Syndication And SEO
Is content syndication bad for SEO? Google dislikes duplicate content and does everything in its power to get rid of it while also penalizing websites that feature it. However, content syndication isn’t considered duplicated. That is if you approach the content syndication process carefully by making it clear to search engines that a published piece of content is syndicated. How do you do that? You simply include a link to the original content and ask the syndication vendor to add a canonical link, something that indicates copied content. The tremendously positive aspect of article syndication is reference links. Most platforms allow you to add links that redirect to your website. So, not only do you generate new leads, but you also create referral traffic, improving your search engine rankings.
But how can you be sure that Google won’t perceive your content as duplicated and hurt your ranking? The large conglomerate uses advanced analytics to check URLs and determine whether the intent behind copied content was to abuse the algorithm. Their tools leverage the benefits of AI in marketing and identify whether the syndicated content is contextually relevant and high quality. Also, they focus on User Experience, analyzing site speed, interactivity, and visual stability. So, if you have done all that, you won’t have to worry about Google’s penalties.
Sites You Can Leverage For B2B Visibility
Free
We already mentioned LinkedIn as one of the top content syndication platforms that helps you reach B2B niche audiences. Quora, Reddit, Tumblr, and Pinterest are also good options if utilized properly. Your goal in all four of them is to answer relevant questions, offer valuable information, and maximize exposure with engaging infographics and short videos. Medium is another free platform that lets you upload any article you want. Substack is also wonderful if you want to build an audience through email. It’s ideal for sharing long-form content consistently. Lastly, SlideShare is perfect for short-form, bite-sized content, like videos, images, and infographics.
Paid
Outbrain and Taboola are probably the most well-known and popular paid content syndication providers. Outbrain has a massive reach and works with premium publishers and applications. Taboola, on the other hand, focuses on display ads based on the cost-per-thousand (CPM) model, meaning that you pay a flat fee for every one thousand views. Scoop is another option that lets you choose your target audience so they can reach your ideal buyers. ViB Syndication is one of the very few tools that promotes your content and lets audience members download it instead of just viewing it.
Content Syndication And Top Lists
Content syndication is your gateway to amplified visibility and credibility. As an industry leader in niche topics, you have the chance to be featured on top-tier lists that highlight the best in the business. Showcasing your expertise not only positions you as a trusted authority but also connects your brand with decision-makers actively seeking innovative solutions. Don’t miss the opportunity to shine where it matters most. Here’s how you can apply for eLearning Industry’s awards and top lists. Winning an acknowledgment or award in relevant top lists helps you maximize exposure while increasing conversions. This is a tactic you may want to add to your content marketing strategy template and propel your brand’s reach to new heights.
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Key Takeaway
We all know how hard it is to have a business, trying to get it off the ground and keep it at a high level or even boost it. One of the best demand generation practices is content syndication, and the various platforms existing make it easy for you to do it cost-free or paid. Gated content is still at the top of the marketing lead generation ladder. However, syndicated content is a marvelous option, especially when you republish on reputable services. Make sure to use easily digestible and engaging content that leverages your SEO skills to rank highly in SERPs. Before choosing a content syndication vendor, ensure they let you filter your segments and clean up your lead list once it’s ready. It’s crucial you keep only prospects who are engaging with your content.
But not all content syndication platforms are created equal. Some won’t take necessary precautions, mentioning your content is syndicated, meaning you might end up with a hefty fine. To avoid this SEO nightmare, collaborate only with reputable sources, free or paid. LinkedIn, Quora, Medium, and Taboola are all marvelous solutions for boosting your content to targeted audiences.
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