4 steps to B2B SaaS content syndication

Content marketing is critical to success in business-to-business marketing environments. 

Without the right content, moving prospects throughout the buyer’s journey would be nearly impossible - even if you have the best inbound and outbound marketing teams in the world. 

So when you’re executing a solid SaaS content marketing strategy and you’re meeting your KPIs, how can you bolster your content’s impact even more? How can you access new markets and readers while driving traffic to your own site?  

It’s simple: B2B content syndication. 

What is content syndication? 

In its most simple form, content syndication is republishing the same piece of content on multiple websites. From articles and infographics to tutorials and gifs, third-party online publications syndicate content because it allows them to provide new value for their readers. 

One of the obvious perks of syndication for content marketers is that no net new content is needed - to get started, you can take what’s already on your site and republish! 

Content syndication vs. guest blogging

It’s important to differentiate between the two, because they are similar (yet different). 

When you’re guest blogging (and not creating content for your own website), you’re writing a new piece of content for a specific publication or website.

Syndicated content, on the other hand, is already live content that you’re simply republishing on other platforms. 

Insider Tip: You’ll recognize when a piece of content has been syndicated because the re-published content will mention or tag the original source of the content. 

How to syndicate your SaaS content

Content syndication isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for companies. In fact, there are many different approaches that can achieve your content marketing goals, and content syndication requires a firm foundation of content marketing. 

When syndicating content, it’s critical that you execute this properly. Otherwise, you could damage your overall Google search engine positions, cannibalize your existing content and lose domain authority. 

However, when executed correctly, syndicating content has many benefits like: 

• Increasing brand awareness
• Expanding content visibility
• Higher engagement levels on social media platforms
• Spearheading thought leadership and conversations

If you’ve never syndicated content before, it’s pretty straightforward (and much less work than writing content from scratch).

All you have to do is follow these four steps to start syndicating your content like a pro.

Let's dig in. 

1. Establish your B2B content syndication goals and KPIs

Whenever we start a new project or campaign for clients, we always ask ourselves “How can we measure the ROI? How can we assess the impact?” 

We often think about ROI in terms of number of forms filled out, downloads, conversions, and other website engagement for new and current contacts. 

When creating the foundation of your content syndication strategy, make sure you answer the following questions: 

• Why am I doing this? Clearly define your KPIs, objectives, key results and growth metrics that can evaluate the significance and impact of your content syndication.
• Who am I trying to reach? Think persona-level and identify specific verticals. By targeting specific audiences, you will see higher success rates and long-term ROI than broad, vaguely-focused content. If you’re creating content for B2B SaaS buyers in the healthcare industry, focus on community watering holes and discussion forums where these buying conversations may be happening. 
• What will I do next? Syndicating content is a great practice, and can deliver impressive results for your content marketing efforts (and brand). Make sure you’re directing the momentum you gain from syndication into new email subscribers, contacts, feedback and positive customer feedback you can use in other content. 

2. Identify your content syndication strategy 

According to Hubspot, there are 4 main approaches to free content syndication. Based on your answers in step 1, you can identify the proper syndication method for your business’s goals and objectives. 

Here are 4 free ways to syndicate your content: 

1. Syndication to a bigger website.
2. Syndication to a similar website as you. 
3. Guest post on a big publication and syndicate later to your channels. 
4. Publish content and get picked up by other publications. 

Let's dive into these a little more. 

Approach 1: Syndication to a bigger website

Republish your content on bigger websites with more web authority and readers than you currently have. This allows you to amplify reach and tap into new markets for your organization, increasing the online presence of your brand.

• Pros: This is the best approach for increasing brand awareness and visibility. Also great for networking, exploring new industries or verticals, and gaining experience as a writer.
• Cons: Because this strategy requires posting on a third-party website, your readers may never actually check out the original source and visit your website. 

Approach 2: Syndication to a similar website as you 

When targeting niche markets, like a B2B SaaS industry, you should syndicate content on a similar, smaller, more focused publication. Hubspot recommends picking publications with similar authority and readership as your blog, and using value-rich resources that can add value for your readers while still generating new leads and attracting readers to your blog. 

• Pros: You can engage with new audiences, capture brand awareness, and increase your presence as a thought leader within your niche segment. With the right content and CTA, you can even spin this to drive traffic to your site and gain new subscribers.
• Cons: This strategy also requires posting on a third-party website so many of your readers may never navigate to your site or the original content. 

Approach 3: Guest post on a big publication and syndicate later to your channels

You can syndicate across Medium, LinkedIn, your own website, Quora -- wherever your target audiences are spending their time. Sometimes, larger sites that encourage guest blogging prefer organic, original content. In this case, you can reap the benefits of posting your thought leadership in front of a large, new audience, while still republishing the content on your own site. 

• Pros:  This strategy allows you to reach new markets, establish yourself as a thought-leader, and build networking relationships that will support you in the future. Sharing across social media and email marketing will further expand the impact of your efforts. 
• Cons: Time-consuming up-front due to the need for original content creation. 

Approach 4: Publish content and get picked up by other publications

All content marketers know the power of the internet -- it’s why we create content in the first place. When you publish a value-rich piece of content for your audience, it will naturally gain traction, spread buzz, and move up on Google’s SERP. 

• Pros: Over time, you will naturally build up backlinks and domain authority through positive user experiences and other SEO metrics. 
• Cons: This requires time and patience. If you’re starting out with a new website with lower domain, ranking on Google’s search results will take time.

3. Identify what you'll syndicate and how you'll measure the outcomes

Make sure you’re strategically leveraging your brand assets to meet your campaign's objectives and goals. 

Approach your content selection and audience strategically, and consider the following blog metrics when identifying which content to syndicate and measure: 

• Total page views
• Average time on page
• Average bounce rate
• Conversions/CTA clicks/Form fills
• Most shared/liked on social media

To find out more about content marketing metrics, check out our blog and downloadable template. 

4. Pick your B2B content syndication platform(s).

Business-to-business and business-to-consumer content syndication platforms are much different. For B2C purchases, sites like Tumblr, Pinterest, and Reddit are often popular platforms.

For content marketing syndication and discussions within the B2B communities, the following publication sites are popular: 

• Medium
• Quora
• LinkedIn
• SlideShare
• Business2Community

When publishing on B2B content syndication platforms, make sure you: 

1. Include a link to the original article. 
2. If possible, get the third-party publication to include a canonical URL
3. Publish and share across email, social media, and other distribution channels for your company. 

Start syndicating your B2B SaaS content

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this guide. Now that you’ve learned the basics of content syndication, it’s time to take what you already have and amplify it. 

If you still don’t know how to get started, you can take a page out of the Kalungi Marketing Playbook and syndicate your existing content across your personal (or company) LinkedIn and Medium. Both are free and extremely easy to use, so you can get both of these pieces up and running in 10 quick minutes! 

Download your copy of our Content Calendar template

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions about setting these up! We’re here to help.