What is B2B Content Distribution?
B2B content distribution involves sharing content across multiple channels to reach and engage more businesses.
Unlike B2C distribution, which targets individual consumers, B2B distribution aims to connect with decision-makers in other companies. The goal is to build brand awareness, generate leads, and foster long-term business relationships.
Effective content distribution ensures that your content reaches the right audience at the right time. This process not only amplifies your content’s visibility but also drives engagement and conversions by positioning your brand as a thought leader in your industry.
What Is an Example of a B2B Distribution Channel?
Various channels are used in B2B content distribution, including:
- Email newsletters
- Social media platforms
- Paid promotions
Each channel offers unique benefits, and you can tailor it to meet specific marketing objectives.
Say you published a deep-dive blog post. Here’s how you would use multiple channels of distribution:
You could start by repurposing the blog post to LinkedIn posts to reach professionals in your industry.
💡 Pro-Tip: Include a CTA in the comments to read the original blog post.
Then, you could create an email newsletter to send to your subscriber list. Here, you could include a few more personal insights about the topic to build thought leadership and connection with the readers.
Again, use a CTA to drive traffic back to your website.
Finally, you could use paid promotions on platforms like Facebook or Google Ads to target decision-makers and drive conversions.
This ensures a comprehensive and robust distribution strategy and multiplies the touchpoints between your brand and your customers:
See how each touchpoint stems from one core piece of content you created (blog post). With a proper content distribution strategy, you can squeeze out more efficiency per each long-form content piece you publish – instead of just… publishing more.
Here are a few good examples of B2B Content Distribution and a quick breakdown to get your creative juices flowing:
Email Marketing for B2B Content Distribution: Examples
Email for B2B is still one of the most effective channels for distribution because of two things – it’s direct and personalized.
No other channel allows you to have that kind of 1:1 conversation with your audience. So, if you’re team “Email marketing is dead,” you might rethink your approach after seeing the examples below.
Commsor: in-depth resource launch
Commsor created a 23-page guide about the benefits of networking for sales development representatives (SDRs).
Then, they distributed it in their newsletter using both insights from the guide and some personal insights from the Founder, Mac:
Because the message comes from the Founder, not “Team Commsor,” the person reading it may feel like it’s the start of a conversation between them and Mac.
Not just a shameless promo for yet another B2B company.
Breakcold: YouTube video promotion
Breakcold’s Founder, Arnaud Belinga, is the absolute GOAT of authentic, founder-led content creation for SaaS.
He’s dominating one channel after another – distributing the new content across formats.
This time, he sends a brief but exciting email, promoting his latest YouTube video:
Examples of B2B Content Distribution on Social Media
Social media is another powerful channel for B2B content distribution, allowing you to reach a wide audience and engage with potential leads.
Here are some examples of effective B2B content distribution on social media:
VeryCreatives: Founder-led Social Content
Okay, full transparency: We help Ferenc with creating and distributing his content on socials.
But I guess that just proves I’m walking the talk 😎
Here, we opted for effective repurposing of the most in-depth blog posts to LinkedIn posts:
At the end of each post, Ferenc adds a CTA to read the full guide on VeryCreatives’ blog and adds the link in the first comment:
The post itself is a summary of the most crucial aspects about user flows. Once the reader gets hooked by it, they can gain more context by reading the full article.
Using Ads to Distribute Content: Examples
Ads can be a great way to distribute content to a targeted audience. Here are some examples of effective B2B content distribution using ads:
Gong: promoting content as assets
Gong does a smart thing in their ads. Instead of saying:
“We wrote a blog post – now, read.”
They are promoting the content their create as something the person scrolling can immediately grab and apply to their workflow.
This lowers the barrier to entry for the audience. They expect something short and sweet, not a 5000-word dissertation.
Ezcater:
Ezcater is an example of poking the right pain of their audience – in this case, the struggle of motivating employees to come back to the office.
This ad creative leads the reader to a comprehensive report. But do you see a word “report” anywhere here?
Again, they don’t ask the reader for “reading a report.” Instead, they’re sparking their curiosity and inviting them to learn more.
This, again, lowers the barrier to entry and hooks the reader without overwhelming them.
💡Pro-Tip: While promoting your content with ads, ensure the ask you make in the ad is as low as possible. You have only seconds to get the person to give your content a chance. Asking them to marry you on the first date will weird them out.
You might wonder which out of all those distribution methods is the most effective for your business.
The answer (especially if you’re starting out) is using a mix of tactics and channels. This approach lets you quickly identify how each method contributes to more opportunities from content.
There’s one caveat here. If you don’t know what metrics to track when you’re using content distribution, you might end up making judgements instead of decisions.
So, let me explain what to measure when you’re distributing your B2B content:
Measuring and Optimizing Content Distribution Performance
To ensure your B2B content distribution efforts are effective, it’s crucial to track and optimize performance regularly. Here’s how to do it:
Key Metrics to Monitor
- Engagement: Track metrics like click-through rates (CTR), social shares, comments, and time spent on content. High engagement indicates that your content resonates with your audience.
- Reach: Measure how many people your content reaches across different channels. This includes metrics such as impressions, views, and email open rates.
- Conversions: Monitor actions taken by your audience that align with your goals, such as form submissions, downloads, or purchases. Conversion rates help you understand the effectiveness of your content in driving desired actions.
- Bounce Rate: This metric shows the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate that your content is not engaging or relevant to your audience.
Tools and Platforms for Tracking Content Performance
Several tools can help you monitor and analyze the performance of your content distribution:
- Google Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion tracking.
- HubSpot: Offers integrated analytics for tracking email campaigns, social media engagement, and lead generation.
- Hootsuite: A social media management tool that tracks engagement metrics across various platforms.
- BuzzSumo: Analyzes content performance and identifies the most engaging content on social media.
Analyzing Data to Refine and Improve Distribution Strategies
Regularly analyze the data collected from these tools to identify trends and patterns. Look for content types and distribution channels that perform well and replicate their success.
Of course, don’t forget to Identify underperforming areas and experiment with different formats, topics, or channels to improve results.
For instance, you might notice through Google Analytics that your blog posts on industry trends receive higher engagement than other topics.
By focusing more on these types of posts and promoting them via LinkedIn, where their target audience is most active, you can increase your reach and engagement.
Pro-Tips for Effective B2B Content Distribution
I’ve discovered a few distribution hacks over the years. Here are the most significant:
Always Personalize Your Distribution Strategy
Just because you read a post on LinkedIn about a tactic that provided someone with massive growth, doesn’t mean it will work the same for you.
Usually, it’s the other way around.
Tailor your content to the specific needs and interests of your target audience. This will increase engagement and drive more conversions.
Never stop experimenting
The hardest part of content distribution is trying to keep up with the changes within the platforms or channels we pick.
They are always evolving. Sometimes, those changes to algorithms and trends can slip through the cracks.
Because of this, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one distribution channel. Test out different platforms and tactics to see what works best for your business.
Cross-distribute your content formats
Why not using a newsletter to promote your podcast – and vice versa?
Let the distribution happen between formats and further multiply your touchpoints with your customers.
Altar.io promotes their podcast in their newsletter:
In this case, they could let their listeners know about their newsletter as well, motivating them to subscribe not to miss the latest episodes.
Data is your friend
While your content’s quality will ultimately decide between your content’s success (or its flop), you can catch any signs of moving in the right direction from the numbers.
The good news is: All social media tools, platforms, and email marketing services give you tons of data.
The bad news is: All social media tools, platforms, and email marketing services give you tons of data.
This data overload will confuse any beginner (it sometimes still confuses me), so focus on measuring what matters, as I’ve already covered in the previous section.
Consistency trumps everything
Content is a long-term game. Period.
And content distribution is no different. You have to distribute your content regularly to stay top-of-mind with your audience.
To nail consistency, you should plan for consistency.
This means having a proper content repurposing methodology and scheduling content for multiple platforms in advance.
This will ensure you provide fresh insights to your audience across multiple touchpoints every day and strengthen their awareness of your brand.
By following these pro-tips and utilizing the tools and platforms mentioned above, you can create a successful B2B content distribution strategy that drives results for your business.
Final Thoughts
B2B content distribution is a crucial aspect of any marketing strategy aimed at connecting with other businesses, generating leads, and building long-lasting relationships. By utilizing various distribution channels such as email marketing, social media, and paid promotions, you can effectively reach your target audience and drive engagement and conversions.
Remember to personalize your distribution strategy, consistently experiment with different tactics and channels, and rely on data to guide your decisions.
By staying consistent and focusing on providing value to your audience, you can create a successful B2B content distribution strategy that helps elevate your brand and drive business growth.
And if you need help with your content distribution, I’m always just a click away:
