Content Amplification in a Nutshell

Content Amplification is the buzzword for digital marketing, and understanding what it means is the first step to putting it to work for your business. Let’s start by breaking it down:

Content = This word has 7 or more different meanings, however, for the purposes of this discussion, we are only going to concern ourselves with two of them. “Content” is:

• something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing, or any of various arts.
• substantive information or creative material.

Amplification =  (amplify) to increase in volume of sound or to make something louder.

The sole purpose of amplifying anything is to reach more people, after all, that’s why we turn our amps up to 11!

In a nutshell, amplifying content is making your creative material reach more people online. You want your content to reach as many people as possible because each person it touches is either a potential sale or a potential referrer of a sale. It’s not enough to just create content, publish it and hope it brings in traffic. You have to work actively to get the word out.

So where do you start? Well, if you haven’t read “How To Amplify Your Content” by Chris Auman I’d recommend you start there. It’s a lengthy read chock-full of ideas to get you started — including The Sanctuary 7 Phases of Content Amplification.

Three Ways to Amplify Content

It all starts with a great piece of content. 5 Tips to Nail Planning Your Content Marketing Campaign can get you started in the right direction. Once you have an optimized piece of content ready for launch, there are three basic methods you can use to amplify it:

1. Owned Amplification (You own the channel). These are your own social media channels, sites and email list. Hopefully, you are already engaged in different channels and have created some sort of following. This is the perfect place to start. You have a built-in audience that will (if you’ve done your homework) find your content engaging enough to share. Be sure to be creative with each channel and tailor the message in an appropriate way. Each channel has best practices, so be sure to follow those.
2. Paid Amplification (You buy exposure). Don’t be afraid of pay-to-play amplification. Often paying for distribution can be a quick way to gain some traction for a campaign. Depending on your budget level, there are many options to choose from. Promoted tweets, boosted Facebook posts, content amplification services and more are all available. Do your research and find the best option to meet your budget.
3. Earned Amplification (When others promote your content). It’s hard. It can be time-consuming. Earned amplification comes from doing amazing work. If your content is less than awesome it will be hard for others to share. Sharing something means attaching your name to it, and no one wants their name on junk. Think of it as quality link building, because that’s what it is. You want to gain a quality link, and most people want to give a link to quality content, so you need to produce quality material. You won’t be afraid to ask for a link if you are proud of your work.

What is Content Amplification in a nutshell? Getting your strong, quality, content in front of the right people. Check out our Content Amplification Checklist. An easy to follow checklist that covers each step in the amplification process.