A Complete List of Best Content Distribution Platforms

When you create useful, actionable, unique content, everyone deserves to see it. But how will you get your work seen by most of the audience? This is where content distribution platforms play an important role. So, let’s take a closer look at what these platforms are and how can they help you grow your fan base and traffic.

But before we dig more into the platforms section, let us check,

What is Content Distribution?

As the name suggests, content distribution is promoting your content to the online audiences in multiple formats on various channels like Quora, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Without using these platforms, your content piece might get lost in the chaos of the digital world, no matter how impressive and interesting it is.

Now talking about the content distribution, there are basically three main categories of platforms:

1. Owned – Channels that belong to you and you have control on these platforms.
2. Earned – These are the ones where you depend on shares and likes from your audience.
3. Paid – It is something that you pay for getting more exposure.

No matter which platform you choose for promoting the content, whether it is free or paid, you need to make sure that you reach maximum people. So, let’s take a look at the types of platforms available for content distribution.

Owned Media Content Distribution Platforms

Although owned, many marketers often underutilise these free content distribution options. The best owned media platforms for promoting your content are:

• Website
• Blogs
• Emails

These are the most powerful tools you can utilise you distribute and promote your content. A website can be used when customers are in the research phase wherein, they are looking for more information. Blogs can offer information and knowledge related to your niche, whereas emails can help in promoting the content to your audience.

Tips to use these resources to the fullest:

• Partner with all the departments to build content and share them throughout.
• Improve existing as well as create new content that meets specific departmental needs.
• It is better to indulge in non-promotional emails and use promotional tones only once in a while.

Social Media Content Distribution Platforms

Social media still remains the best platform to promote your content. But before doing that, know where your audience prefers to spend time and the content format, they like to engage in.

The top social media platforms to drive engagements are:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• Snapchat

These platforms are the best when you are targeting mobile users. So, make sure that your content is optimised for mobile phones.

Apart from these, you can also take advantage of groups and communities on social platforms. Some of the examples of such platforms are:

• Reddit (targeted subreddits)
• Quora (questions and answers)
• Yahoo! Answers
• Forums and message boards (targeting niche audience)
• Medium (long-form content)
• Flipboard (news)
• Vimeo (Videos)
• Udemy (learning platform)
• GrowthHackers

Tips to use these resources to the fullest:

• Optimise content and encourage owned media visitors to share your content on a social media platform.
• Schedule your social media shares by using SEO tools.

Search and Search-Related Media Content Distribution Platforms

A search engine is a place where not only free but also paid content plays a huge role. And it isn’t limited just to Google Ads  and Bing Ads. Some of the other platforms that you can use are:

• Voice search
• Amazon and other review websites
• Coupon, discounts, and comparison websites
• iTunes and other audio content options
• Maps and similar services

Tips to use these resources to the fullest:

• Optimise content marketing to keep the content visible for the maximum term.
• Make the content searchable on YouTube, Google Images, Pinterest, Maps, etc.
• Update your content regularly to keep it relevant and visible on the search engines.

Third-Party Media Content Distribution Platforms

This category includes all the other remaining content platforms. Some of the ways of promoting content on third-party platforms include:

• A Featured Column in a Third-party Publication

This involves thinking beyond simple marketing. You can ask your experts to write for the columns on specific sites. This will not only promote your content but also will help to drive traffic to your website. One can also mark it as a quality backlinks option.

• Look for Secondary Opportunities on Major Websites

If you cannot appear on the main blog page of major sites, you can use the secondary options. For example, you can try the Content Marketing World space on the CMI website.

• Guest Blogging

Write guest blogs for other sites that will help you in reaching a wider audience.

• Cross-Promotion of Content

Approach someone who deals with similar content as yours and cross-promote the content either in your blogs or emails. This is useful and drives referral traffic to your website and a great way to find a larger audience base.

Here are a few third-party platforms to promote your content:

• Pocket Ads
• Outbrain
• Taboola
• Sharethrough
• ArcaMax 
• NewsMax
• Slack List 
• Product Hunt
• HARO
• Quuu Promote
• BuySellAds
• Chamber Of Commerce
• BuzzFeed

Tips to use these resources to the fullest:

• Save budget and test third-party content placement and advertising options.
• Build relationships to expand your content visibility.

Conclusion

The secret to the best content marketing strategy is to keep your content alive for the longest time. When your content is visible, only then you can reap any benefit from creating and curating any content piece.

But that doesn’t mean just sharing your content on distribution platforms is enough. You need to understand a few things to take the maximum advantage of this strategy like:

• Understanding where your audience spends most of their time and consumes the content.
• Using a mix of different content distribution options.
• Improving and updating your content from time to time to offer fresh and relevant information.
• Adapting to the content formats as per the latest trends.

Always remember that your objective isn’t to create maximum content, but to create effective and relevant content that stays evergreen over time.