Utilizing social media content is now a crucial component among marketers. According the B2B and B2C 2014 content marketing benchmark reports by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 93 percent and 90 percent of marketers are using content marketing, respectively. In addition, about 72 percent of marketers report that they are producing more content than they did one year ago. This shows that marketers are regularly uploading more content on the Web, with infographics, social media, e-newsletters, blogs, and online presentations as some of the most popular types of marketing content being created.
One such social platform, SlideShare, allows for duplicate posting of visually based files that may have been utilized on other social networks or blog posts before, allowing marketers to gain more exposure by cross-purposing the same content.
Multi-Platform Content Marketing
SlideShare, a visual social network that allows users to share presentations, infographics, documents, videos, PDFs, and webinars, has over 60 million visitors per month and over 215 million page views, according to its website.
Businesses such as HubSpot and Eventbrite have active SlideShare accounts, and companies and individuals alike now use SlideShare to present guides on industry topics, examples of best practices, and information on existing and upcoming trends.
SlideShare’s Impact on Content Marketing
SlideShare has created a content niche for companies who want to reach a business-oriented, professional market. ComScore reports that SlideShare has five times more traffic from business owners than Twitter or Facebook, and because it is owned by LinkedIn, its professional content makes it easy for both B2B and B2C users to find a way to utilize its platform.
“Few platforms can compete with such a professional audience. Instead of getting the often bouncy social media traffic from places like Twitter, on SlideShare you are getting in front of decision makers and other business-minded folks,” states Gregory Ciotti of Content Marketing Institute. “Knowing this, you also need to realize that the kind of content that caters to small business owners and working professionals is the kind of content that does the BEST on SlideShare (although other sorts of content can certainly do well).”
In addition to an older, more professional audience, digital marketing tool provider Wishpond also reports that SlideShare presentations regularly rank above blog posts, news articles, and occasional YouTube videos.
With proper SEO, SlideShare documents and presentations can help businesses’ content rank higher in search results than their other content, thus increasing visibility and traffic.