Content syndication can turn your social story into a powerful lead-generation machine

Here's one of my favorite tools for high-performance social selling: content syndication. In the simplest terms, content syndication gives your social stories maximum exposure by using paid third-party publishers, like distribution partners, blogs, and industry influencers, to repost them on appropriate websites, blogs, or other digital media.

Here's an example of a company that's a content syndication engine.

Not only can content syndication promote you as an expert outside of your current social channels, it can also be seen by literally millions of people. This is a big win for you and your company in terms of thought leadership. And, with the proper SEO strategy, it can also increase your company's search ranking.

More importantly, we've found nothing that offers better value for immediate customer engagement and lead-generation opportunities. With the right customer journey in place, many of these "conversions" can end up in your lead funnel.

If you want to try social syndication, you'll need the appropriate content assets.

Eric Murphy, from the content promotion agency, Relevance, makes the same case in his new article, "7 Top Content Marketing Assets You Need to Promote". Referencing an earlier work by Relevance co-founder Aaron Aders, both encourage sharing the following types of "promotable" syndication content:

1. eBooks: Book-length publications (typically 15,000 words or more) in digital form that are intended to enlighten or teach a concept or practice.

2. Guides and handbooks: More concise than e-books, these content assets are intended to help someone make a decision, form an opinion, or execute a strategy or tactic.

3. Apps: Self-contained programs or software designed to solve unique problems or serve particular purposes.

4. Studies: Based on credible research and expert knowledge, studies publish results from detailed investigations and analyses of subjects or situations.

5. Cheat sheets: Reference tools that provide brief, simple instructions for making decisions, forming opinions, or executing strategies or tactics. A cheat sheet should be shorter than a guide or handbook, but more in-depth than an infographic.

6. Videos: Web-based video with the intent to solve problems and/or entertain — this one is pretty obvious.

7. Mixed-media posts: This format may incorporate a variety of media types (e.g., video, audio, social) with the intent to solve the problems of or entertain a specific audience.

How to turn content clicks and views into sales

Enter CTAs.

CTAs are calls to action at the end of your content or within a social media post. These should give your audience a specific item or directions that will land them in your sales funnel, if they're interested.

Here are a few examples of strong CTAs:

• Sign up

• View demo

• Learn more

• Subscribe

• Schedule a call

The content you share should also help spark two-way conversations on social media with prospects and customers. It should be shareable and encourage people to comment. This will bring value to your target audience and give you an organic reason to engage.

It's important to remember that content syndication is more science than art. I'd recommend using two or three syndication companies so you can compare conversion and engagement performance.

(If you don't have a social marketing agency, here's a great list to start with. And don't forget check out the other resources below.)

Let the Internet work for you in social selling. Because really — if you've just written a channel masterpiece, why shouldn't the rest of the world get to read it?

Want to dig a little deeper? Check out these conversations and resources below and come back here for part 6 in our social selling blog series.

• Is Content Syndication Still an Effective Marketing Strategy? — Marketing Insider Group

• Which Content Syndication Networks Are Right for You? — PureB2B

• A Guide to Content Syndication Networks For Bloggers — QuickSprout

• Content Syndication: 10 Tools and Strategies to Try Today to Drive Major Content Success — Louder.ONLINE

• What Content Really Engages? The Inside Scoop From 30 Marketers — Content Marketing Institute