Novices assume that content distribution ends at hitting ‘publish.’ So, at the nucleus of content that doesn’t fall on deaf ears is email marketing.
A close scrutiny of the market will draw out patterns. There’s an astute observation to make- marketers keep on skipping back to traditional marketing channels after sheepishly declaring them dead.
Marketing’s been a constantly swinging pendulum. This frantic to-and-fro has blinded even the savviest marketers to the strategic and foundational value of their frameworks. First, it was cold calling, and now, it’s email marketing.
Even after crafting more and more engaging content, there’s been a hitch. The engagement rate isn’t what marketers presumed it would become. Shouldn’t it be easier to reach your target audience, irrespective of their geography?
That’s well-wishing.
The clutter of digitization has overwhelmed consumers and clamored the market with content that says nothing new. Getting through to your audience is as challenging as ever.
The old content distribution system isn’t getting in as many eyeballs as brands need- especially to stand apart from competitors. It’s been a tough nut to crack. Hitting publish is only part of the overall mechanism; it adds nothing new.
So, how precisely does your brand get content in front of the right eyes?
Content distribution guided by intent, where email marketing could prove to be your secret weapon. But before we jump into how email marketing works as a content distribution channel, let’s first grasp what precisely content distribution is.
What is Content Distribution, precisely?
It’s a strategic framework- one that informs your brand’s awareness and reputation. Because that’s how your audience reaches you through your content.
As Mailchimp defines, content distribution is-
“The process of publishing, sharing, and promoting content on various platforms. It’s all integral components of your brand’s content strategy. And the right content distribution strategy allows creators and brands to bring their content visibility.”
Content distribution guides prospects from the awareness stage to a sales conversation. That’s the objective- to turn content into a dialogue.
Yes, social media also goes all the way. But sometimes it feels like broadcasting messages that don’t really resonate outside of a viral moment. And when that hype dies down?
Virality is honey, but it’s poison too. It also gets quite hectic and expensive to keep on creating social media content. And then adding on regular, consistent posting? That requires a lot of patience and effort. It’s increasingly taxing to remain visible in this digital world.
And for content creators, that’s the bang for their buck (efforts).
But these investments don’t really reap benefits unless your audience knows that your content exists. It’s like throwing darts in the dark without a proper framework.
The right framework that we’re talking about here is a content distribution framework.
And at the nucleus of an effective content distribution strategy is email marketing.
Email Marketing for Strategic Content Distribution: How Does it Work?
Email marketing is a direct chain of communication to your target audience. Given the one-on-one comms line it affords brands, the channel is a market favorite. And its market size is projected to grow by a whopping $24.19 billion in 2033.
The only question now is, why has email become a goldmine for content marketing?
Basically, when your content is delivered through email, there’s no distraction or clutter. Your post isn’t competing with your competitors or hidden amidst social media posts, publications, or only reachable through search engines.
Why is email considered the GOAT in content distribution?
1. Direct Access
Algorithms play favorites, and SEO takes a long while to build traction. But with email, there’s no guesswork or a waitlist. You skip the line to reach your targeted inbox.
And when the receiver opens your emails, there are no pop-up ads or banner ads.
The experience is straightforward, focused, clean, and personalized.
You can share a specific blog piece with accounts that have interacted with similar content before. While you can forward product guides and how-tos to existing customers. You create emails that tactically align with your target audience’s interests, preferences, and demographics.
And the bottom line?
Your emails don’t compete with other formats or channels. It instead works alongside your other campaigns- social media, SEO, or paid ads.
2. Algorithmic Independence
Imagine you wrote a blog on “Key Trends in Marketing Automation.” You can share it on LinkedIn, get it optimized for SEO, and then forward it to your email subscribers.
But why?
Because email gives you control. It gives you ownership of your channel. And relieves you from depending on your algorithms. There are no fleeting trends you must consider. This makes email marketing a highly reliable and measurable mode of reaching your audience and building trust.
It’s personal and it’s direct. And it’s strategic. There are no blasting messages.
The entire process is guided by automation and segmentation tools. Those who ensure that the message offers value, the timing is tactical, and the recipient is right.
You aren’t spamming inboxes. You are developing a more intelligent system to engage with your audiences.
3. Easy Measurement and Trackability
AI-powered platforms and analytics today offer tremendous opportunities to keep a detailed eye on your email campaigns. Nothing’s a mystery with email.
All the tangible data is transparent- email opens, CTRs, unsubscribes, sign-ups, and downloads. And how these link to the bottom line.
And you can tweak and optimize the campaigns. Experimentation- A/B or multivariate, and split testing is easy with email marketing. You can gauge which content actually works and what you can improve upon.
4. Integration Capabilities with Other Distribution Channels
To elevate the effectiveness of your content distribution, try mixing and matching. Integrate other channels alongside emails in an omnichannel content distribution strategy.
Email goes well with any other channel, whether it’s LinkedIn, blogs, or podcasts. Such multichannel strategies extend your reach three times that of a single channel. That’s why platforms such as LinkedIn newsletters are directly tied to emails.
It boosts visibility and drives engagement. And one channel complements the other.
Your email can lead a prospect to your blog post. Meanwhile, a social media piece can encourage the prospect to sign up for your email newsletter for exclusive information.
Emails have the potential. You must merely recognize it.
For example, take cross-platform content promotions. And tie them together like:
- Embed podcast snippets and teasers to instill interest and build demand. Remember to maintain CTRs throughout campaigns that lead to tailored landers.
- Offer incentives to encourage active engagement, such as first-looks and early access to live events.
Email Marketing is A Treasure Trove, But Only When Done Right.
The experience and ROI from email marketing are unmatched. You get $36 for every dollar spent on your email campaign. That’s how consistently emails outperform other channels.
But accessibility and convenience it affords aren’t without their own challenges.
Most often, it’s email deliverability. Your content ends up in spam. And open rates don’t really convert into interest.
Here, rethinking age-old email marketing strategies is a requisite. Your brand needs a revamp.
And that’s what differentiates emails that actually hit the mark from those in spam folders. Every step is imperative- from content development to delivery optimization.
You focus on the nitty-gritty. It’s an amalgamation of granularity and a bird’s-eye view of why email marketing matters in the first place.
And the thing is that we can outline a list of rules you must follow to master effective, ROI-churning email marketing practices.
But it won’t cut it.
There Are No Rules to Email Marketing.
Just a few basics you must follow- from the subject line and CTAs to the design and clear messaging. Email is still content after all. The only two fundamentals you have to polish are email list segmentation and delivery optimization.
Remember, Buzzfeed’s Dog A Day newsletter? It’s one of the popular email marketing playbooks- one that got Buzzfeed an impressive CTR of 20-30%. All because it was light-hearted and simple.
That’s what the future of email marketing demands- simplicity to bypass the content chaos.
Honestly, that’s where it’s heading: interactive email marketing that’s personalized. And transforms the mundane and passive process of reading emails into an immersive experience.
And this is what’ll help marketing remain on its tippy toes with its content distribution.
To proactively ensure that any of the content pieces doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
