Just as a farmer plants seeds across his fields, in the hopes that they’ll flourish into plants that produce flowers and food, so do marketers distribute content across the web, in the hopes that it will increase brand awareness and turn viewers into customers. Known as “content seeding”, this process is part of an overall inbound marketing strategy in which marketers “plant” their content across multiple platforms, in order to strengthen their reach to their target audience.

For content seeding to be effective, the content being promoted needs to be well-written, engaging, and highly relevant to the campaign’s target audience. But it’s not just about spreading content so as many people view it as possible: viewers are more likely to engage with the content or the brand if it’s coming from a source they trust. In other words, the right content needs to be shared by the right platform, to the right audience, in order for content seeding to be an effective part of your overall marketing strategy.

Content seeding can take many forms, depending on which platforms are most relevant to a brand’s target audience. Here are a few examples:

• Social Media Influencers: many brands choose to distribute their content via social media influencers, on platforms like Facebook, YouTube or Instagram, as they usually have the widest, targeted audience. An influencer can share a link to a brand’s video, blog post or product promotion.
• Podcasts: brands can connect with Podcast hosts to sponsor a show or episode, and have the hosts advertise and promote their product or service, or link to it on the podcast subscription page.
• Partnerships: brands can reach out to thought leaders in the industry and arrange partnerships or co-authored blog posts, webinars, newsletters, etc.

If you’re still unsure about content seeding and exactly how it works on different platforms, here’s a good example. If you listen to podcasts, you’ve most likely heard your show hosts talking about Brooklinen and offering discounts or promo codes off your first order.

Aptly advertised as “The Internet’s Favorite Sheets”, Brooklinen is on track to be a $100 million company thanks to its advertising through word-of-mouth and influencer marketing referrals. Their founder and CEO Rich Fulop confirms this, stating that “at any given time, we have about 30 different [marketing] channels; from billboards to subways to bus shelters to Facebook and Instagram. As you get smarter, you can do better segmentation. Giving the right message to the right person is the name of the game.”

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Content seeding is a great addition to an inbound marketing strategy and, through the right partnerships and platforms, can help a business reach a wider, more targeted audience. Pay close attention to the next podcast you listen to, or your favorite influencer’s next post or video, and see if you can spot a brand’s content seeding efforts shine through. You’ll be surprised at how often it happens, and how relevant it is to you, as the target audience!

Photo Source: Markus Spiske on Unsplash