How to Boost B2B Marketing Efforts with Content Syndication
Ever heard of “digital recycling”? Well, you can ‘recycle’ your online content by syndicating it. Essentially, it’s the same as all kinds of recycling – extending the life of the material and getting more value from it. If done well, content syndication can go a long way to promoting your online presence and authority, by driving traffic back to your website, helping you get exposure among a wider audience, and hopefully converting some of the readers into leads too.
Recycling is all the rage. Why should content be any different?
What is Content Syndication?
Content syndication is digital content re-published by a third-party website. Any kind of digital content can be syndicated, including blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, and more. Think of it as a kind of barter arrangement. The third-party website gets free, relevant content. The content creator gets free exposure and publicity, and backlinks to their own website, which in turn boosts their organic traffic.
Syndication in the media industry is not new. Before the internet, newspapers and magazines with large circulation and readership sometimes printed syndicated content provided by smaller publications and freelance writers. Both benefitted. The small player got to reach a much wider audience and hopefully attain a measure of fame; the large publication got more content – without having to invest resources in creating it.
B2B Content Syndication = More Leads
In the B2B industry, content syndication is a core lead generation tactic. Here’s how it works:
1. Content creation: B2B companies create high-quality and valuable content that is relevant to their target audience. This content is original, insightful, and addresses the pain points or challenges faced by their potential customers.
2. Selection of syndication partners: B2B companies identify and partner with reputable content syndication networks, industry publications, or other platforms that have a substantial audience within their target market. These partners agree to feature the B2B company’s content on their platforms.
3. Content distribution: The selected content is then distributed across the syndication network. This can involve republishing articles, featuring blog posts, or sharing links to downloadable resources. The content retains attribution to the original B2B company, driving brand visibility.
4. Lead capture mechanism: To convert the increased visibility into leads, B2B companies often incorporate lead capture mechanisms within the syndicated content. This can include forms, calls-to-action, or links that direct interested readers back to the company’s own website or landing pages.
5. Lead nurturing: Once leads are captured, B2B companies implement lead nurturing strategies. This involves engaging with the leads through targeted email campaigns, providing additional valuable content, and gradually guiding them through the sales funnel.
6. Performance measurement: To assess the effectiveness of the content syndication strategy, B2B companies employ analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and the overall impact on lead generation.
What does content syndication have to do with SEO?
Syndicated content is duplicated content. And this can wreak havoc with your SEO.
When ranking for SEO, Google doesn’t like multiple versions of the same content. It will only index one, and it is more likely to choose the version that appears on a larger, high-traffic website. For the typical content creator, that would be the third-party website.
There’s no point in gaining exposure by syndicating content, only to lose it in reduced organic traffic to your website.
No need to panic though – you can make your syndicated content SEO-friendly by ensuring it is indexed correctly, on your site and on your syndication partner’s site.
3 Tips for Great Content Syndication
Find relevant partners
If you’re going to re-publish your content, make sure it is featured on popular, high-ranking websites that reach your target audience. Research potential syndication partners, and reach out to them. If your content is a good match, they may be interested.
Take note that the content industry is extremely saturated and competitive. Good syndication partners are likely swamped with pitches. Only offer content that is original and top-notch, and reach out with a friendly message to potential syndication partners on LinkedIn to get them to notice your request.
Work out the best way to syndicate
Sometimes, it’s best to syndicate an entire article or blog post to a third-party website. Other times, it’s better to syndicate just the headline with a link back to your website. It all depends on the website, the audience, and the type of content. Wherever possible and appropriate, include links to your landing page or website, and – even better – a call to action to encourage conversions from your syndicated content.
Plan ahead
Like all marketing activities, content syndication will be most effective if you’re working with a solid strategy. A good strategy begins with great content. Next, define your business goals, identify suitable syndication partners, create winning pitches, and map out your short and long-term content syndication plan. Happy syndicating!
