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

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