By Kelsey Meyer

You spend hours writing, rewriting, editing, and perfecting your content brainchild. Once you finally click publish, you sit back, let out a deep sigh, and wait for people to start commenting on its brilliance without a thought to content distribution. 

But wait…your job has just begun. Now you must put your content distribution strategy into action.

Without taking distribution measures into your own hands, your content will live and die without reaching its full potential.

Here are four of our time-tested tips.

Consider the Audience Before You Write

If you’re doing content marketing right (and avoiding ghostwriting pitfalls), you’re writing for an audience. So you need to strategize ways to cut through readers’ well-guarded attention.

Before putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), consider the following:

• Where will this be published?
• What types of articles perform best on this site?
• What other publication guidelines do I need to follow?
• Is there an influential expert I could reference who would appeal to this audience and potentially help with distribution?

Always write with your readers and the publication in mind. This is the best way to improve your shot at getting published and actually produce something your audience wants to read.

Make a Content Distribution To-Do List

Simply letting your article live the web is like tacking it to the community board at your neighborhood coffee shop. It might get some engagement, but it won’t find its way into the hands of everyone who needs it.

To boost your article’s exposure:

• Share it on social media platforms and Reddit at different times for a few weeks.
• Start conversations on social channels with other influencers who are talking about similar topics, and link to your article.
• Add it to the “contributor to” section of your company Google+ profile and to your social media and speaking opportunity bios.  
• Reach out to organizations and colleagues on platforms such as LinkedIn, and start a discussion in a LinkedIn Group.
• Put a note in your email signature that includes a link to your article.
• Send it to employees and potential hires so they can learn more about your company and share it with their networks.

Publishing content isn’t a one-and-done task. You need to consistently distribute it for more people to see. Keep a content bank, and regularly share and repurpose old articles to continue driving return-on-investment.

Fifty-nine percent of marketers repurpose content two to five times. Make your investment in content creation worthwhile by sharing articles often and recycling them in other marketing assets.

Leverage Content in the Sales Process

Don’t concede to dry, lifeless follow-up emails. Instead, re-engage your prospects by offering them something valuable: Your content.

You can also develop content around common objections and send those to leads or customers who express those concerns. Imagine if a prospect received an email saying, “Are you interested in reading an article about our solution to your problem?”

How could he or she not click through?

Prospects need the right information to make educated purchase decisions. Incorporating relevant content in your email marketing campaigns and sales calls will give your content new life and capitalize on its sales potential by letting leads start the education process on their own terms.

Use as a Talent Recruitment Tool

Today’s job seekers factor culture into their career moves, and culture fit plays a huge role in hiring decisions. Sharing your ideas and personality through written content not only gives readers a taste of your organization’s culture, but also attracts candidates who fit the bill.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Include articles about your company culture in job descriptions.
• Write for sites that job seekers visit, such as the Monster blog or the Muse.
• Position content to build your authority while showcasing the impressive leadership of your company, making it a credible prospect to top talent.

Quality candidates always have options, so give them a reason to choose your company by sharing its values and culture and positioning it as a desirable place to work.

Your content has an incredible amount of untapped potential; don’t let it go to waste. Give it the opportunities it deserves to show the world what you—and your company—are really made of.

photo credit: Flickr