By Dana Harder, Vice President of Strategy
Content syndication is a reliable method for B2B marketers striving to amplify their messaging and boost lead gen efforts. In fact, 65% of B2B marketers use content syndication as a core lead gen tactic, according to research from Salesbox.
Because syndication is so widely used, however, marketers must think critically about what existing content to use for campaigns and, moreover, how to create net-new content that is syndication-friendly. Although the Salesbox survey notes that most companies use white papers (85%) and webcasts (60%) for their syndication efforts, we don’t believe format dictates success. Instead, it’s about designing content messaging and experiences that are optimized for syndication campaigns and most of all, new audiences.
So, what makes content syndication-friendly? It must be…
Robust and Valuable. How many times have you downloaded a piece of content only to find it wasn’t as robust as you wanted? If you’re sharing content through a third-party source – be it a publishing partner or other channel – you want to ensure that it illustrates your brand’s unique knowledge and thought leadership on a topic. Promoting a robust (static or interactive) piece such as a research report or big rock asset also shows the audience that they’ll get a lot of value for their information, which increases the likelihood that they’ll fill out a lead gen form. We’re in a world where brands are making short-form content easier to access and in some cases, eliminating forms altogether. So, if you’re gating your content, make sure there’s a clear value exchange. You’d be annoyed if you filled out a form only to find “meh” content, so why would you expect a different reaction from your buyers?
Relevant. Audience-centricity is key to standing out in this highly competitive content landscape. That means promoting the right message and the right content to the right audience. As you develop your strategy and identify syndication partners, make sure you’re marrying them to the right content topics and assets. Having a basic understanding of key buyer pain points, top-of-mind trends and watering holes will get you on the right track. If the content is relevant, you’re more likely to generate a steady stream of leads, boosting the ROI on your syndication investments.
High Quality. Let’s be clear: a brand should always focus on creating high-quality content, but it is especially important in syndication. Why? Because the people who see your content may not be familiar with your brand. Do you have vague content that doesn’t really say anything new or different? Is it riddled with design flaws, typos and other distracting errors? Keep them out of your syndication circle (or better yet, get rid of them altogether), because they will be the first thing potential buyers will see. If you don’t? You’ll certainly leave a lasting impression, but it won’t be a good one.
I’ll be chatting more about content syndication trends and best practices during an upcoming web panel discussion hosted by our friends at PathFactory. I can’t wait to share more of the things we’ve learned working with our clients. Click here to register. And if you want to have a more detailed conversation about creating syndication-friendly content, you can reach out to me directly here.
