How Content Syndication fits in your overall marketing strategy

in Executive Management, Marketing, Sales & Customer Service / by /

According to a recent study by Pipeline360, only 34% of B2B marketers surveyed were using Content Syndication for lead generation.

I find this alarming as CROs and B2B Marketers are leaving good money on the table. 

Content syndication can be a highly effective strategy for B2B marketing, offering several advantages over paid search, social media, digital display advertising and other marketing channels. Here’s a breakdown of how it stacks up:

1. Cost Efficiency:

  • Paid Search, Digital Display Advertising and Social Ads often require significant budgets, especially in competitive B2B sectors. The cost-per-click (CPC) for keywords in B2B can be very high, and ROI isn’t always guaranteed.
  • Content Syndication, on the other hand, typically involves a pure performance-based model in which you only pay-per-lead, which can often result in more predictable and cost-effective lead generation, especially when targeting niche markets. 

2. Longer Shelf Life:

  • Paid Search and Social Ads often have short lifespans. Once the budget runs out or the campaign ends, the traffic ceases.
  • Content Syndication extends the lifespan of your content. Articles, blogs, or white papers that are syndicated across industry publications, partner sites, or content platforms continue to attract traffic and leads long after the initial distribution. This means a sustained return on investment (ROI).

3. Credibility and Trust:

  • Paid Ads can sometimes be perceived as intrusive or untrustworthy by certain audiences, especially in B2B, where decision-makers prefer thorough, credible information to help them make informed decisions.
  • Content Syndication, however, often places your content on well-respected third-party platforms or industry-specific sites. This adds a layer of credibility and trust to your message, as prospects are more likely to engage with content they find on authoritative websites in their sector.

4. Expanded Reach and Targeting:

  • Paid Ads is highly effective for reaching users who are actively searching for specific solutions. However, it can be limited by keyword targeting, meaning you might miss out on prospects who aren’t yet searching for your solution but could benefit from your content.
  • Content Syndication can help you cast a wider net by getting your content in front of a larger, more diverse audience. By syndicating content to multiple platforms or leveraging partner networks, you can engage new prospects who might not be actively searching for solutions but are open to discovering relevant insights and solutions.

5. Lead Nurturing and Educational Value:

  • Paid Ads usually focus on immediate conversions (e.g., filling out a form, making a purchase), which can be effective but doesn’t always nurture long-term relationships.
  • Content Syndication focuses more on providing value through educational, thought-leadership content. This positions your brand as a knowledgeable, trusted partner, which is crucial for B2B decision-making, where the sales cycle can be long and complex. Syndicating educational materials like white papers, case studies, or research reports helps build ongoing engagement and trust, nurturing leads over time.

6. SEO Benefits:

  • Paid Search may give you immediate visibility but doesn’t offer any long-term SEO benefits beyond the duration of the campaign.
  • Content Syndication can significantly improve your SEO efforts. When your content is published on authoritative third-party sites, it can lead to backlinks that improve your own site’s SEO rankings. Over time, this can result in organic traffic growth, as your syndicated content continues to rank in search results and drive traffic back to your website.

7. Targeting the Right Decision-Makers:

  • Paid Ads and Social Media can sometimes have less precise targeting, especially when trying to reach senior-level decision-makers in specific industries.
  • Content Syndication, particularly when distributed through industry-specific platforms or niche networks, allows you to target highly relevant decision-makers and influencers who are actively looking for valuable, in-depth information. These platforms often provide options to segment based on factors like job title, company size, and industry, helping ensure your content reaches the right audience.

8. Scalability:

  • Paid Ads typically require ongoing investment to maintain performance, and scaling can become expensive as competition for key terms increases.
  • Content Syndication offers a scalable way to distribute your content across multiple channels without continuously increasing your ad spend. Once content is created and syndicated, it can reach a much larger audience with minimal additional cost, especially if you’re able to leverage partnerships or use content syndication networks.

9. Improved Brand Visibility:

  • Paid Ads can be very effective for driving clicks, but they don’t always result in lasting brand visibility, especially if the ad isn’t resonating with the audience.
  • Content Syndication increases brand visibility in a more organic way by getting your brand in front of readers in their natural content consumption environment. Because it’s presented as valuable information rather than an advertisement, this kind of exposure can help you build brand recognition and positive associations over time.

Content syndication is ideal when you have high-quality content, want to build long-term relationships with decision-makers, and are looking for organic lead generation and credibility. It complements paid search and social media by nurturing leads over the long term and amplifying your brand’s reach.

Paid search and social ads are often better for immediate results, short-term lead generation, and capturing people who are actively searching for your solution. A balanced marketing strategy that uses a mix of paid search, social media, and content syndication can be highly effective for a B2B organization.

Our stance is not to ask you to choose one marketing channel over another. However, we do not want you to ignore the value proposition of Content Syndication as if used properly, it can create a reliable, scalable and effective long-term channel to reach new paying customers.

Would you like more detail on any of these strategies? Contact TechPRO if you would like to hear how we can help with your lead generation and sales pipeline.