6 Ways You Can Refine Your Content Distribution Strategy
So you’ve audited your content strategy, and you suspect that distribution might be less than perfectly optimized? We’ve been there. A content distribution strategy gone haywire can look like a few things (no judgment):
Posting on the wrong platform
Over-reliance on one or two channels
Inconsistent messaging
Under-leveraging important channels
Poor timing of content distribution
Content isn’t optimized for its platform (“fit for purpose”)
If you’re in any of the above pickles after auditing your strategy, you have a distribution problem. But don’t sweat it — you can turn things around. Here are six tips that have worked for our clients:
1. Revisit your audience research
To be honest, content distribution strategies often fail because brands are overlooking something crucial about their audience. They’re usually targeting the wrong people or missing key insights about who they really are. Without an accurate, precise understanding of your audience, any distribution strategy is just a shot in the dark. If your content isn’t resonating with your core audience, no amount of tweaking distribution methods will solve the core issue.
For example, imagine you're pushing long-form blog posts to an audience that primarily consumes content via video or infographics. Or maybe you're heavily focused on LinkedIn, but your ideal customers are actually active on niche forums or specific Facebook groups. If you don’t know where your audience truly hangs out or what kind of content they prefer, you’re basically setting yourself up to fail, no matter how many tools you use to "optimize" distribution.
Start by really getting to know your audience. Dive deep into your data, ask questions, and go beyond basic demographics. Tools like Google Analytics can help you understand user behavior—where they come from, what they read, and how they engage with your content. Conduct surveys or interviews with existing customers to get a sense of their pain points, goals, and preferences. Do some social listening across different media platforms to see how people are talking about your industry and what content they’re engaging with.
If your content isn’t resonating with your core audience, no amount of tweaking distribution methods will solve the core issue.
2. Invest in social listening
Social listening is often an underutilized but powerful tool for optimizing content distribution. Sometimes businesses focus so closely on mentions of their own brand, they overlook the crucial conversations happening around their industry, competitors, and trending topics. If you have a content distribution strategy issue, then that’s where your primary focus should go.
You can use tools like Brandwatch, Mention, or even just the platform’s native advanced search features to monitor specific keywords, hashtags, or conversations. In-app monitoring allows you to adjust your content and distribution strategy in real time. It’s like eavesdropping on a focus group that’s already giving you insight into what they’re looking for.
3. Perform an analysis of your competitors’ websites & social media accounts
Some content distribution strategies fail because brands keep repeating the same practices that worked in the past without realizing their competitors (and customers) have left them behind. A fresh audit of your competitors’ search presence and brand reach can help revive a dying strategy. Competitive analysis isn't about copying, but learning from their successes and failures. You can gain a ton of insight into which platforms they’re using, how often they post, and which pieces of content are getting the most engagement.
We’ve done a lot of competitor analysis and were often surprised by the size of the gaps they leave behind. Sometimes the competitors who seem to be doing everything right on paper are missing the boat on certain platforms, which gives you a perfect opportunity to swoop in with your own optimized content. Our audits also highlight where they're excelling—maybe they’re seeing high engagement on LinkedIn while you’re focusing entirely on Instagram.
And here’s a secret ingredient: so many marketers overlook competitors’ employee accounts, especially in the B2B space. Don’t assume that a brand account appearing sluggish in its growth or engagement is failing in their strategy until you’ve taken a look at the people who work for them. It’s why we leave no stone unturned in our own client audits.
4. Upgrade your analytics toolkit
You might already be tracking basic metrics, like page views or social media likes. But if you’re serious about fixing your content distribution strategy, it’s time to level up your analytics. Even if you’re already utilizing tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, AHrefs, or HubSpot, you might not be taking advantage of their full capabilities. For instance, Google Analytics is capable of a wide variety of tasks including
User flow reports (Path Exploration): Maps of how users moved through your website
Content drilldown: Go under the "Behavior" tab to drill down into specific pages. You can see which ones are getting the most engagement, along with metrics like average time on page, bounce rate, and exit rate.
Custom events tracking: Google Analytics allows you to track custom events like downloads, form submissions, video plays, or any other user actions that aren't tracked by default.
Acquisition tracking: You can see how users arrived at your site (organic search, direct, social, referral, etc.) and how each traffic source is performing.
And look, if you don’t have anyone on your team that can help you get the most out of your toolkits, it could be time to call in an expert! You can hire a freelancer or an agency (like The Content Docs, nudge nudge) to help you stand up an advanced analytics platform.
What we found super helpful was setting up customized reports that allow us to track distribution performance across different content formats and channels. Are blog posts getting more traction than videos? Are X threads performing better than Instagram carousels? The more data you collect, the easier it is to refine your distribution plan and optimize where you spend your time.
5. A/B testing rarely fails
When your marketing team is small or overbooked, A/B testing starts to sound like a lot of work. But trust us, if you think the issue is with content optimization, there’s no better way to diagnose and treat the problem. You probably already know that the beauty of A/B testing is how it removes the guesswork. Instead of wondering whether your content is hitting the mark, you can test variations of your approach to see which one delivers the best results.
But where some marketers go wrong is overcomplicating what should be a very narrow test. Keep in mind that the best A/B tests don’t involve vastly different content creation. For example, you can try testing different posting times on social media or using two different headlines for your email campaign. Over time, these tests will give you concrete data on what works best for your audience, and you can start applying those insights to your broader distribution strategy. Keep your tests focused on one or two elements, like calls-to-action or top-level copy, ensuring that you are able to track the impact of your changes effectively.
Remember, the goal isn’t to figure out all the variables all at once, but to build the best performing content distribution strategy element by element, test by test. Marketers love to say “fail fast,” but that’s only because the real ones know that slow and steady wins the race.
6. Real-world examples and FOMO can convince leadership to try new things
Sometimes what you really need to do to improve your content distribution strategy is get leadership on board with trying something new. In our experience, success in this area isn’t about presenting numbers or data alone. It can take a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) and showing them real-world examples of success from other companies or even competitors who have taken similar risks and seen great results.
For example, let’s say you want to experiment with a content distribution platform like TikTok. Maybe your leadership is hesitant because they think it's only for Gen Z influencers. Here’s where you can leverage real-world case studies: show them examples of B2B content from brands like HubSpot or Microsoft successfully using TikTok to connect with their audience. When leadership sees that others in your industry are already getting great results, it can create a sense of urgency—like, “Hey, if they’re doing it and succeeding, why aren’t we?”
FOMO is a powerful thing. If you present data showing how your competitors are excelling with a particular strategy (whether it's content partnerships, influencer collaborations, or leveraging specific channels), leadership might be more inclined to act. Nobody wants to fall behind, especially when it’s clear that doing something new could open up new avenues for growth.
Sometimes what you really need to do to improve your content distribution strategy is get leadership on board with trying something new.
Example content distribution strategy: A hospital wants to hire more workers
We’ve worked with many healthcare organizations that faced staffing issues, and we’ve used our experience to construct this hypothetical example of an “ideal” content distribution strategy. As you read, look for ways that our recommendations reflect knowledge of both the audience for healthcare careers as well as the platforms they use:
1. SEO for Job Posting
Many candidates start their job search by Googling specific roles, healthcare organizations, or general terms like "healthcare jobs near me." By optimizing your career page and job descriptions for search engines, you can make sure your job postings are visible to candidates actively searching for opportunities.
Choose the right keywords: Use relevant keywords (e.g., "Registered Nurse," "Medical Technologist," "Hospital Administrator") in the job title, meta descriptions, and throughout the content. This will help your job postings rank in Google’s search results when candidates are looking for healthcare-specific roles.
Utilize jobs schema: Google serves special results related to jobs posting via structured data. You can use SEO plugins like Yoast and RankMath (on WordPress) to create schema that will allow your jobs to appear at the top of Google search results.
Location-Based SEO: Add location-specific keywords like “nurse jobs in [city]” or “healthcare positions near [hospital name]” to attract local talent. Search engines will serve these results to individuals in your area. If you’re using job schema, make sure to input your city and state into the “Locality” and “Region” fields.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure that your career pages are mobile-friendly, as many candidates will apply from their phones. Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in search rankings.
2. Job Boards
Job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and niche platforms like Health eCareers or HospitalCareers are the go-to places for job seekers. They offer a large pool of candidates and are easy for hospitals to use to post their openings.
Use Targeted Keywords: Optimize job titles and descriptions with job-specific terms (e.g., “Emergency Room Nurse,” “ICU Staff,” “Pediatrician”) so that your listings show up in the right search results.
Highlight Benefits: Job seekers in healthcare are definitely interested in salary, but they also want to hear about work-life balance, healthcare benefits, and career growth. Make sure your job descriptions include these perks upfront.
Post on Niche Platforms: Don’t just stick to general job boards. Post on healthcare-specific boards like Nurse.com, MedJobCafe, or Health eCareers for more specialized visibility.
Paid Listings for Visibility: If the budget allows, invest in premium listings on these boards to give your jobs top placement and increase visibility.
3. Google Ads
Google Ads can be a very effective way to target specific job seekers based on search behavior. By running paid search ads, you can reach individuals actively searching for jobs in your area, and those specifically interested in healthcare roles.
Target by Role: Set up separate campaigns for different roles (e.g., "RN jobs," "Medical Assistant openings," "Healthcare Administrator job in [location]"). This will help improve your ad relevance and click-through rate (CTR).
Conversion optimization: Take advantage of Google Ads’ powerful tools for conversion tracking and optimization. Once you have enough conversions, instruct Google Ads to use attracting conversions as the basis for selecting your ad audience.
Remarketing: Use remarketing to target users who have visited your career page but didn’t apply. This is a great way to stay top-of-mind and encourage them to complete their application.
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an essential platform for professional networking, and it’s increasingly being used for recruitment. Healthcare professionals, from nurses to administrators, use LinkedIn to explore new career opportunities and network with colleagues.
Post Job Openings: Use LinkedIn’s job posting feature to advertise open roles. You can target candidates by specific skills, job titles, and location. It’s a great way to ensure you reach the right type of professional.
Leverage Employee Networks: Encourage your employees to share job postings and refer candidates via LinkedIn’s referral system. Employee recommendations often yield better-qualified candidates.
Engage with Content: Share content that highlights your hospital’s culture—success stories, employee testimonials, or even posts about hospital events and initiatives. This humanizes the organization and attracts candidates who resonate with your values.
Join Relevant Groups: There are numerous LinkedIn groups dedicated to healthcare professionals. Join and engage in these communities to share job opportunities and connect directly with candidates.
5. Facebook Groups & Reddit threads
Many healthcare professionals join Facebook Groups or participate in Reddit threads related to their industry. These platforms allow for a more community-focused, peer-to-peer way of sharing job openings and connecting with candidates.
Facebook Groups: Look for groups related to healthcare careers, nursing, or local job search communities. If they’ll allow you in, join as many of these groups as you can and share your job postings there. Make sure to respect their rules for job postings, and be sure to engage with the group rather than just posting ads—ask for feedback, share helpful resources, and be active in discussions to build credibility.
Reddit: Subreddits like r/travelnursingjobs, r/HealthITjobs, or local forums like r/LAjobs are full of professionals who might be interested in a new opportunity. Post your jobs and interact in a helpful way. Always read and follow the rules of the community (don’t spam), and contribute useful insights or advice to the discussion.
How do you measure the success of a content marketing strategy?
Success starts with defining clear goals. Are you aiming to increase website traffic, generate leads, or grow your audience? If you’re aiming for all of the above (i.e. a full funnel strategy), then you’ll need to set up a clear content roadmap — and budget — for each stage and its KPIs. Metrics like organic reach, click-through rates, engagement, and conversions will guide you as you execute on your strategy, letting you know when to pivot or double down. Use tools like Google Analytics to track performance, and don't forget to factor in qualitative feedback, like customer testimonials or direct engagement on your content.
An adaptable, data-driven mindset that keeps real humans in mind is a delicate balance, but if you work to strike it, you’ll have a sharp, high-performing content strategy.
Need help with your content distribution strategy?
The right distribution strategy can take your content from overlooked to outstanding. Our Content Docs specialize in diagnosing your content problems and prescribing the right course of treatment for your digital marketing. Whether you need a complete strategic overhaul, actionable advice, or help elevating your content, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s connect and start brainstorming on how to boost your content’s reach and impact. Our first consultations are always 100% free.
