I have used paid content syndication programs for nearly every company I have worked for or with and now I want to share with you how I have got the most return from this channel.
What is content syndication?
Content syndication programs are those in which you pay publishers for leads or CPL programs. There are companies completed dedicated to this type of program alone such as ReachMail and Madison Logic and then there are other publishers who will provide a content syndication, or CPL program, as one offering on their menu.
Marketers have a lot of control using this type of paid media because you define the exact lead you want ie. your target persona. You can usually filter on items such as job title, company size, industry or geographic region. As a caution, the more filters you add, the cost per lead will likely increase and the quantity will decrease.
How do I get qualified leads from content syndication?
Once you have your publisher, lead targets defined and a commitment of how many leads will be delivered to you per month, you now have to consider your content strategy.
If you have not done so already, you will need to perform a content audit so you have complete visibility into what you have available. Now you can promote whitepapers, eBooks, case studies and some publishers will allow video such as an on-demand webcast.
Since your publisher has committed to delivering the leads you want, how do you get your leads to qualify themselves? You can accomplish this very easily by promoting content that is middle or bottom of funnel. Fro example, your paper on 'An Introduction to Cyber Security' is likely going to generate leads that are simply interested in this topic but not necessarily looking for a security solution.
Now consider someone that downloads 'How to Choose the Right Cyber Security Solution'. This lead is already thinking about finding a solution and they are trying to figure out where to start. I would consider this lead middle of funnel and an ideal prospect for your sales team to call upon.
Next steps:
Content syndication programs can take a big chunk of your budget but if you are able to control the content being promoted in such a way that you are allowing the prospect to qualify themselves, you will see a nice return from this channel.
I'd love to hear from you and learn more about how you are using this paid channel. Are you seeing success? Any tips for other marketers?