This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Brian Clark
Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Brian built three successful offline businesses using online marketing techniques before switching to a producer model that involves building, monetizing, and occasionally selling online media properties. With Copyblogger Media, Brian seeks to empower online writers and content producers to command attention, create engagement, and influence people as powerful players in the new media revolution.
Okay, I’m Creating Content How Do I Get Someone to Read It 3
Ever heard the saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?”
Well, when it comes to creating effective online content, it’s not what you know, it’s what you know that you can teach others.
After that, it’s right back to who you know, same as always.
People Distribute Content
If you’re creating online content, you’ve got to get the word out about it for people to share it far and wide with others. And that process starts with good old-fashioned relationships.
It’s not called social media for nothing. Beyond the creation of content itself, online content distribution begins with key relationships with others in your subject matter arena.
It’s easier to establish these relationships than ever, thanks to social networks. And since social networks are where content sharing happens, it makes sense to begin making those relationships early on.
Help to be Helped
The key is to follow and be useful to people who are also producing content in your niche. Share their content and provide meaningful comments on their blog posts.
Your next step might be to offer to guest post for them, which provides them with vital content and provides you with exposure to their audience. You’ve now just gone from anonymous to a contributor with access – and that’s the beginning of a real world relationship that drives the virtual world as well.
Don’t view those who create content on the same topic as competitors. This is zero-sum thinking that usually has very little application in the wide-open marketplace of online ideas.
Complement, Don’t Compete
Think of your work as a complement to the content others create. You won’t be seen as a subject matter authority or a thought leader in your industry if you jealously guard your ideas from the so-called competition.
Be generous with your ideas and the relationships you form. You’ll find that your content spreads much farther and wider than it would otherwise.
And that’s the idea, right?
