No exact formula is present for promoting blog content organically, which can make things difficult for marketers. The most common methods for increasing blog traffic include guest blogging and social media. But, another variable exists that hasn’t gained much positive traction over the years: syndication.
Syndication refers to the republishing of content on another website without giving the original author credit. The benefit to syndication is simple: you’re able to create less content and reach more people. Even though syndication allows you to do more with less, it shouldn’t be overused.
So why does syndication have a bad rap in the first place? Syndication doesn’t sit well with webmasters mainly because they fear being penalized for publishing duplicate content and a potential decrease in author status. But, when used correctly, syndication can lead to the following:
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More readers and blog traffic
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More sharing of your content
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Exposure to new audiences
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Quality links from reputable sites
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Improved search rankings
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Ability to do more with your content
Below are a few pointers to keep in mind when using syndication.
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Select blog posts that are engaging, informative and valuable.
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Choose quality sites to syndicate your blog posts on. The best sites are those that review the blog posts instead of relying on RSS feeds.
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Blog content should be a good fit for the network and apply to several categories.
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Prior to offering your content to a syndication network, have a consistent publishing schedule for three months. Quality syndication sites like to see this consistency.
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Good syndication networks also like to see consistency in your theme and writing ability, so work on producing a high standard of writing before offering your content.
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Include internal links in your content so that when it goes viral, readers have a motive to click back to your website.
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To convert new readers, include a lead magnet on your blog.
Don’t go overboard with syndication, as original content is still the best way to go. But, when you want to increase traffic and get your content out to a larger audience, choosing a syndication network isn’t a bad idea. Stick to quality syndication networks such as Social Media Today, Reddit, Outbrain or Huffington Post and run an analytics report to see the difference this move can make.
