Content syndication is an excellent tool for demand generation campaigns, as it generates inbound leads. As with all things, you should ensure that you’re maximizing your results by fine tuning the process and the elements involved. Consider the following tips to get the most out of your content syndication efforts.
1. Test your publishing partners on a continual basis. Different publishing partners will vary in scope, asset types, prospect personas, geographies, etc. Experimentation will give you laser-like focus in custom tailoring your B2B content syndication initiatives with the most appropriate publishing partner.
2. Be sure to allocate your B2B content syndication strategy among various publishing partners. Do not fall victim to publishing only on a limited number of sites. Although it may take a bit longer to collect data and analyze results among a larger pool of publishers, your due diligence will pay major dividends in the long run.
3. Make sure your content includes valuable information for your various target audiences. Content that is syndicated across a variety of publishing sites should not take the form of a product infomercial. Get your prospects to your site and let them discover your products and services that way.
4. Repurpose your content across multiple media channels. The information contained in your white papers, blogs, videos, tweets, etc. can be edited, recrafted or simply republished to gain maximum result with much less effort.
5. Nurture the leads you’ve received from your third-party publishing partners before handing them off to your sales or call team members. Not all of these leads will become MQLs or SQLs. Save your sales closers time and effort by vetting your leads and being sure of their place in the funnel.
6. Test, test and test. Did we mention the word “test” in evaluating your content syndication programs and publishing partners? Things evolve and change over time. Don’t assume that if a content syndication program worked once, it will work again and again.
7. On a related note to the above tip, make sure to balance your content via a variety of channel outreach mediums, i.e. direct mail, emails, white papers, collateral pieces, etc. It’s always a good idea to hit your target with the type of information they prefer receiving.
8. You would be well advised to structure your B2B content syndication programs with a long-term perspective rather than a series of short-term campaigns. Plus, you never know where your potential prospects are in their buyer’s journey. Better safe than sorry in capturing leads at whatever point your prospects are in their buying cycle.
9. Never sit on leads that are derived from your B2B content syndication programs. Whether it be for demand generation programs, branding efforts, thought leadership pieces, etc., get your content out as soon as possible to the relevant audiences derived from your publishing partners.
10. Tap into the marketing automation programs that are widely available whether you need a system to handle smaller or much larger lead generation programs. Your time is valuable, and if you can access the amazing technological advances that content syndication and lead generation provide, you are well ahead of the game.
Finally, make sure you leverage your intent data in your content marketing and syndication programs. Build a direct and seamless B2B content syndication strategy that matches the intent signals your targeted prospects put forth when they conduct searches related to their specific pain points or purchasing criteria. Not only will this strategy help you generate better quality leads, it will strengthen your place as an industry leader and thought leadership advocate.
While syndicating your content, don’t forget to include a call-to-action, as well as links back to your website or social media efforts. But whatever you do, don’t forget to incorporate content marketing initiatives into your ROI analysis.
