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 |

Platform Selection

Choose Based On

Where is your audience?
What format fits your work?
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

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

Content Creation

The Show Your Work Framework

From Austin Kleon:

Daily dispatch: Share process, not just product
Flow, not stock: Ongoing sharing, not just launches
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]

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

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

Identify peers: 20-50 people in your space
Engage consistently: Comment on their work
Add value first: Help before asking
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

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

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

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

References

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