content-distribution

Content Distribution

Get your work seen without becoming a full-time marketer.

Distribution Philosophy

The Reality

• Great work doesn't promote itself
• You don't need millions of followers
• Consistency beats virality
• Value attracts audience

The Sustainable Approach

Unsustainable	Sustainable
Post daily everywhere	Focus on 1-2 platforms
Chase trends	Build on your expertise
Optimize for algorithm	Optimize for humans
Content for content's sake	Share genuine value

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Platform Selection

Choose Based On

1. Where is your audience?
2. What format fits your work?
3. What can you sustain?

Platform Strengths

Platform	Best For	Content Type	Effort
Twitter/X	Tech, ideas, discussion	Short-form, threads	Medium
LinkedIn	Professional, B2B	Articles, updates	Medium
Instagram	Visual work, creative	Images, reels	High
YouTube	Tutorials, long-form	Video	Very High
TikTok	Entertainment, quick tips	Short video	High
Substack/Newsletter	Deep content, owned audience	Long-form writing	Medium
Personal Blog	SEO, portfolio	Any	Low
GitHub	Code, open source	Repositories	Low

The 70/20/10 Rule

Pick ONE primary platform:

• 70% of effort on primary platform
• 20% on secondary platform
• 10% experimenting

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Content Strategy

Content Pillars

Define 3-5 themes you consistently create around:

Example for a creative technologist:
1. Technical tutorials (how I built X)
2. Creative process (behind the scenes)
3. Industry commentary (trends, tools)
4. Personal projects (show the work)
5. Career/professional development

Content Types by Effort

Low Effort	Medium Effort	High Effort
Retweet + comment	Thread/carousel	Blog post
Quick tip	Short-form video	YouTube video
Question	Newsletter	Course/workshop
Work-in-progress	Case study	Open source project
Curated links	Tutorial	Research paper

The 4-1-1 Rule

For every 6 posts:

• 4 share value from others (curate)
• 1 soft self-promotion
• 1 direct self-promotion

Or: Give value 5x for every 1x you ask

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Content Creation

The Show Your Work Framework

From Austin Kleon:

1. Daily dispatch: Share process, not just product
2. Flow, not stock: Ongoing sharing, not just launches
3. Become a documentarian: Capture as you go

Content Prompts

Process:

• What are you working on today?
• What problem did you just solve?
• What mistake did you make?
• What did you learn this week?

Teaching:

• What do beginners get wrong?
• What's a shortcut you discovered?
• What tool changed your workflow?
• What concept took you too long to understand?

Opinion:

• What's a hot take in your field?
• What's underrated/overrated?
• What would you tell yourself 5 years ago?
• What do you disagree with experts on?

Writing Formats That Work

Thread/Carousel:

Hook: Surprising claim or question
Point 1: [Evidence/example]
Point 2: [Evidence/example]
Point 3: [Evidence/example]
Summary: Key takeaway
CTA: Follow for more / Link to resource

Short-form post:

[Hook - first line matters most]

[Value - the actual content]

[CTA - what to do next]

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Repurposing

The Content Pyramid

                    ┌───────────┐
                    │  Pillar   │  Long-form (blog, video)
                    │  Content  │
                    └─────┬─────┘
                          │
              ┌───────────┼───────────┐
              ▼           ▼           ▼
         ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐
         │Thread 1│ │Thread 2│ │Thread 3│  Medium-form
         └────┬───┘ └────┬───┘ └────┬───┘
              │          │          │
         ┌────┴────┬─────┴────┬─────┴────┐
         ▼         ▼          ▼          ▼
      Tweets   Quotes    Images     Clips    Micro-content

Repurposing Workflow

One blog post becomes:

• Twitter thread
• LinkedIn article
• 5-10 individual tweets/posts
• Newsletter section
• Carousel graphics
• Video script
• Podcast talking points

Repurposing Rules

• Wait between platforms (not same day)
• Adapt format to platform norms
• Don't just copy/paste
• Update with new insights

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Engagement Strategy

Meaningful Engagement

Do:

• Add value to conversations
• Ask genuine questions
• Share relevant experiences
• Credit and amplify others

Don't:

• Generic comments ("Great post!")
• Hijack threads for self-promo
• Engage only with big accounts
• Automate engagement

Building Relationships

1. Identify peers: 20-50 people in your space
2. Engage consistently: Comment on their work
3. Add value first: Help before asking
4. Collaborate: Guest posts, interviews, projects

Responding to Engagement

• Reply to comments within 24 hours
• Ask follow-up questions
• Thank people who share
• DM people who engage consistently

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Analytics That Matter

Vanity vs Valuable Metrics

Vanity	Valuable
Follower count	Follower growth rate
Total likes	Engagement rate
Impressions	Click-through rate
Views	Subscribers/email signups

What to Track

• Which content types perform best?
• When does your audience engage?
• What topics resonate?
• Where do website visitors come from?

Review Cadence

• Weekly: Quick check on recent posts
• Monthly: Content performance review
• Quarterly: Strategy adjustment

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Sustainable Schedule

Minimum Viable Presence

Platform	Minimum	Ideal
Twitter	3x/week	1x/day
LinkedIn	2x/week	3-4x/week
Newsletter	2x/month	Weekly
Blog	2x/month	Weekly
YouTube	2x/month	Weekly

Batching

• Write day: Create content in batches
• Schedule ahead: Use scheduling tools
• Repurpose day: Transform existing content
• Engagement time: Daily 15-30 min blocks

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Launch Strategy

For a New Project

Pre-launch (2-4 weeks before):

• Tease what's coming
• Share behind-the-scenes
• Build email list interest

Launch week:

• Announce on all platforms
• Ask friends to share
• Engage with every comment
• Share social proof

Post-launch:

• Thank supporters
• Share results/learnings
• Continue creating content

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References

• references/platform-guides.md - Platform-specific tactics
• references/content-calendar-template.md - Planning templates
• references/tools-stack.md - Scheduling and analytics tools