Content promotion is a huge pain in the butt.
You run (or are) a small business. Haven’t you got enough to do?
You need to constantly dream up new ideas for content. You have to actually create the damn thing. And now, you’ve got to put in more work to make sure people even see it?
Source: GIPHY
If you’re spinning a lot of plates, you may not have time for certain content marketing strategies.
That’s why we’ve covered 3 of the best content promotion strategies for busy small businesses.
These are:
- An automated tool for guaranteed social media shares
- Using the power of email marketing (plus how to teach an old blog new tricks)
- Leverage influencers with outreach marketing
Hey, you’re busy. Let’s get going!
Use this automated tool for guaranteed social media shares
If you’re really short on time, this is the strategy to start with.
Content promotion is all about visibility, right? Which means lots of people sharing and engaging with it.
And where does the sharing of content happen most?
Social media platforms.
Here’s how to guarantee those shares.
Why Social Shares Are Important for Content Promotion
Now, we’d love to include a few tools in this section. But the truth is – there’s no other tool out there like Quuu Promote.
Firstly, let us tell you why social shares are so important.
Inbound marketing connects you with potential customers through stuff they actually find useful.
This is why blogs and social media marketing have blown up.
Check out this diagram from Buffer:
Source: Buffer
One piece of content could potentially reach 2.7 million people.
And these days, people have a lot more than 140 friends.
But first of all, people have to want to share it. That’s your first task.
Social media algorithms have destroyed reach for organic content. So, how do you stand out from all the mediocre stuff out there?
Make sure anything you’re promoting is worth sharing.
We’re talking about your best content that’s:
- High-quality
- Understandable
- Educational
- Inspiring
- Entertaining
If it’s none of the above (or at least the first two), you need to fix that first.
There’s also a link between social shares and SEO. It’s all to do with great content, visibility and backlinks.
If that doesn’t get you interested, nothing will!
Quuu Promote – The Must-Have Content Promotion Tool
Quuu Promote is a must-have for marketers. Here’s how it works.
We have a content curation tool called Quuu.
People sign up to categories related to their niche. There are over 500 of them, including:
- Email marketing
- Cryptocurrencies
- Business Management
- Health & Fitness
- Coding
Users connect their Quuu accounts to their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.
Every day, they’re sent high-quality, relevant content to share. Where does it come from?
You guessed it. Quuu Promote users!
Simply add your site’s RSS feed, and we’ll do the rest.
Include your Twitter handle, and you can track all mentions. Start conversations with sharers. Engaging on social media leads to more engagement on your own content.
Use the calculator on the home page to work out how many shares you could get.
Compare that to the effort in setting up PPC (pay-per-click) Facebook Ads. Not to mention tracking CPCs (cost-per-clicks).
It’s as easy as 1, Quuu, 3. (Yes, I just made that up.)
Social Sharing Buttons Can Make Promoting Your Content Easier
Ok, so these don’t guarantee shares like Quuu Promote.
But they do make it way easier for people to share your content organically.
It’s a simple concept. Plus, people can be pretty lazy nowadays. Make it easy for them.
Before – readers would have to copy the URL, open Twitter, open a new tweet, and paste it.
That’s 15 seconds of your life, gone!
Now, one click of a button next to your blog post gets you to that final stage. Genius!
Source: ShareThis
The two biggest (very similar) names are AddThis and ShareThis. Pick whichever you like because both are free!
Promote new content by sending to your email list
Now, this one only works if you have an email list to begin with. But most small businesses do.
You don’t have to go searching for your target audience here. You’ve already found them!
If you don’t, you might want to think about building one.
Here’s why.
Email Marketing for Content Promotion
By 2023, the number of global email users is set to grow to 4.3 billion of us.
Source: Oberlo
That’s a lot of inboxes your promotion efforts could be sliding into.
Of course, only a percentage of this will be your target demographic. But this graph shows that even that percentage will be growing!
Email is also the 3rd most popular content distribution channel.
Source: Content Marketing Institute
Content marketers – jump on this bandwagon!
So, how do you use it for content marketing? It’s simple.
After you share content to your social channels, ping it out in an email.
Many people check their emails first thing in the morning. Your quality content could be digested with breakfast.
Make sure you include a strong CTA (call-to-action).
Source: Campaign Monitor
Now, don’t think this only applies to new content.
How about giving those older posts some love? Digital marketing is all about working smarter, not harder.
Repurpose and Re-Promote Content
Content creation takes time. But it can take much, much longer to rank on search engines.
According to Single Grain,
“The short answer is six months to one year. The long answer is: it depends.”
Instead of trying to create new pieces of content to drive traffic, why not try repurposing?
Repurposing involves changing the format of older content.
Source: Renderforest
Some examples would be:
- Creating infographics from video content
- Discussing articles in webinars
- Multiple infographics could become a slideshow
- A series of podcasts could be a list of takeaways
Just like that – new content with half the effort.
Once you’re happy with it, send it out to your email list.
As Search Engine Watch put it,
Source: Buffer
It’s one of the simplest content promotion tactics. But by repurposing content and emailing it out, you’re appealing to a new audience each time.
Update the Main Body and Published Date to Re-Promote Content
Growth hackers love this easy tip. All bloggers should try it.
When you’re searching for something on Google, what makes you choose the links you click?
According to Search Engine Journal:
“Date updates increase CTR [click-through rate], one of the essential SEO metrics.”
Most humans are biased towards things that are ‘new’.
Now, this part is way easier than repurposing as you’re keeping the format the same.
Basically, you want to head to WordPress and update the main body of your piece.
Try:
- Swapping some older stats for new studies
- Fixing any broken images
- Changing any time-sensitive language (e.g. “This year…)
Once you’ve done that, change the published date to today’s date.
Source: WordPress
Once it’s updated, send it out to your email list. (Told you it was easy!)
Your old blog post will now appear as if you’d just published it.
After that, why not try reposting it on Quora?
You might not get a ton of traffic, but you could ask for some feedback on the quality of your content.
You can also do this on Twitter or LinkedIn groups.
In the long run, this could prove way more valuable.
Leverage influencers with outreach marketing
This strategy takes a little longer than the others. But, it’s still a small effort for the potential results you could see.
Outreach marketing is all about building relationships with others – especially those that can help your business.
It doesn’t just have to be those with large audiences. (Micro-influencers tend to have smaller audiences but higher engagement.)
Source: Marketing Charts
Having your content shared with many followers or subscribers can do so much for brand visibility.
But like any kind of networking, you’ve got to think before you approach people.
Sliding into someone’s DMs saying, “please retweet my amazing article” won’t get you far.
Anything you ask has to benefit both of you. If you help someone out or give positive feedback, they usually want to do it back.
Here’s how to do it the right way.
Reach Out to Influencers for a Quote
Of course, all outreach is because you want something from someone.
They know it too. They’ve probably been there!
Stand out from the crowd by being genuine.
How? One way of doing this is to include them in the content you’re creating.
First, write a list of the most relevant influencers/thought leaders in your industry.
Then, narrow down your list depending on your content topic. Do some digging into each person. Find out who would be a valuable source.
Then it’s time to contact them.
For this example, I’ve used Adam Connell. The OG Blogging Wizard.
Here’s how I would reach out to him:
It can be short and sweet, and you don’t have to be a kiss ass. (Ok, a little is allowed!)
Don’t send the same templates all the time, either. Be human. Mix up what you’re saying.
If days roll by and you hear crickets, give it one more try.
A third if you’re feeling bold.
That’s it, though.
Source: GIPHY
After that, cut your losses and move on. Don’t be spammy.
Make sure to email them again once it’s published if they do agree.
As it’s high-quality content (duh!), there’s a good chance they’ll share it with their audience.
If not, don’t worry. You’re on your way to building a relationship with them. Way more important.
Let Someone Know You’ve Mentioned Them (and Hope They Promote It!)
So, this is pretty similar to the above method. Except you’re getting in touch after quoting someone.
You’ll come across them when researching. We’ve used them throughout this blog.
There are plenty of ways to quote others in your piece to strengthen your message.
It also doesn’t have to be a line of speech.
Try sourcing an article from their site or maybe an infographic they created.
Then when it’s published, get in touch and let them know.
This is an old example from Buffer, but it shows how to do it well:
Source: Buffer
Keep it focused on them. Keep it positive. Pray they’ll share it.
If not (as always), you’re still building relationships.
Not great at crafting emails? Check out this influencer outreach roundup from Mention. (We especially loved the clever email for Neil Patel.)
Guest Posting Opportunities for Content Promotion
Having a post published on someone else’s site can do wonders for SEO.
But (and it’s a big but) only if it’s a trusted site with a higher DR (domain rating) than you.
Yes, it takes a while to create great content. But you’re going to be doing that anyway.
Source: MyBlogGuest
Here are some of the benefits of guest posting:
- Organic advertising – access a wider target audience from other businesses
- Build your Domain Authority – raise your DR by writing for trusted sites
- Link-building – an SEO must-have
- Build relationships – keep in touch for more opportunities
- Increase brand visibility – expand your digital reach
As always, valuable content is key.
Some of the most common dos and don’ts when writing guest posts are:
| Dos | Don’ts |
| Read and follow the site’s guidelines | Use too many links or keywords |
| Write like you’re explaining to an 8th grader | Contact low-quality sites |
| Create original content | Ask for guest spots on 100s of blogs at once |
| Use only high-quality links | Be too self-promotional |
| Show your expertise | Reuse an old article |
Some sites have a specific section for guest post submissions. Otherwise, research the site and send an email.
Don’t ask, don’t get.
Now, get out there and share the magic!
Conclusion
For super busy small businesses, time is precious.
But for marketing success, content promotion is essential.
You’ve got to do it. So, do it wisely.
To roundup:
- Use Quuu Promote for guaranteed social shares
- Send content to your email list (new and repurposed)
- Mention influencers in content, then let them know
Each also included some bonus ideas. If you scrolled past, check them out.
These 3 strategies will take less time than many you’ll read about. But they could produce some of the best results.
Which strategies do you use when you publish content? Have you had success with any we’ve mentioned? Let us know!
