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In today's competitive business landscape, reports play an indispensable role for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
However, a report only has value when it reaches the right audience and, more importantly, when that audience engages with it. Effective distribution ensures that your hard work doesn't go unnoticed.
So, how do you prevent your meticulously crafted reports from being overlooked or, worse, just gathering digital dust in some forgotten folder? Keep reading, and we'll guide you through effective strategies to distribute your reports and guarantee they command the attention they deserve.
Explore our webinar '5 ways to get more eyes on your report', linked below. It delves deeper into the article's key points and guides you on creating the videos we mention in real-time
Why distribution matters
While your annual review might be packed with valuable insights, expecting everyone to peruse each page is unrealistic. Reports often contain dense chapters and extensive sections brimming with information.
This can be overwhelming for many, not to mention time-consuming.
However, with strategic distribution and repurposing, you can highlight the most crucial points, making it more accessible and appealing to your audience.
Top mistakes in report distribution
Not getting enough people to read your reports? Maybe you’re making these mistakes:
- Only showing the big report: Only promoting the full report and directing traffic to it is likely to turn people away. Creating promotional content for your report can attract a broader audience.
- Lack of targeting: Distributing reports without considering the specific interests and needs of the target audience can lead to disengagement. Tailoring a variety of distribution posts to different segments of your audience is crucial.
- Not utilizing multiple channels: Relying solely on one distribution method, like email, and neglecting other channels, such as social media, can limit reach and prevent you from reaching the right eyes.
5 steps to a better report distribution process
To effectively distribute your report, follow this tailored process.
This strategy will guide you in crafting a successful distribution plan in roughly 30 minutes. The advantage? After implementing it a couple of times, you can easily adapt and apply the same concepts again and again.
Step 1: Define your goals
First, it’s time to define your goals. Before you stop reading and go, “Of course, my goal is to get more people to read my report.” Hang with us. What’s the underlying reason for wanting people to engage with it? For what purpose?
Setting a clear objective is the foundation of an effective distribution strategy. While you might have multiple aims, focus on one primary goal for this exercise:
- Drive traffic to a page
- Boost downloads (and potentially gather email addresses)
- Increase engagement across one or multiple channels
- Distribute information or get content consumed
Example: We've crafted a report on video marketing, detailing how professionals leverage video on social media. Our primary aim? Distribute information and ensure the insights are widely accessed.
Step 2: Identify your audience
Next, determine who you're targeting with your content. Who should engage with it, and what benefits can they derive?
Example: For our report, we're zeroing in on marketers — specifically those hands-on in producing content. We want to enlighten them about the current state of video in marketing with the benefit that they can adopt valuable ideas and tactics and improve their content performance.
Step 3: Choose the right distribution channels
Now you need to think about where you are most likely to connect with your target audience. Where are you going to reach them? Do you have their email addresses? Are they active on your LinkedIn or Facebook? Do you need to use paid channels to reach the audience you want? List the platforms where they're most present.
Example: We are going after our organic LinkedIn feed and using paid-for Facebook advertising since we know that this is the best way to reach our ideal video marketers.
Step 4: Determine presentation formats
Draw inspiration from compelling content formats and presentations you've encountered in the past. Consider utilizing carousel posts, image posts, emails, videos, and other formats and presentation styles, tailoring them to fit your content depending on the distribution channels you choose above.
Example: We're prioritizing video content. Not only does this make sense since our report is about video marketing, but given that viewers retain 95% of a message from videos compared to just 10%, and with 66% of consumers in 2022 finding short-form videos the most engaging on social media, it's a clear choice for our strategy. We’ll also make use of different presentation styles in our videos like teasers, listicles, and summaries.
Step 5: Come up with content ideas
Reports are by their nature filled with a lot of information that your audience is looking for. Now, you need to think of ways to package that information that will stand out to your audience using the formats you identified for distribution.
Here are some ideas of how you can do that:
- Tease to engage: Think of the most intriguing snippets from your report based on what you know about your audience, and use these as teasers, enticing readers to delve deeper into the full content (i.e. create a video trailer with a “read more” call to action).
- Offer quick insights: Provide concise snapshots of your report's content, allowing audiences to grasp essential information without leaving the platform they’re on (create a video, carousel post or an email listing a few key findings).
Example: We will produce a video trailer showcasing one of our most intriguing statistics, accompanied by a call to action (CTA) to read the full report. Additionally, we'll craft a listicle video highlighting the top 5 takeaways. Lastly, we'll present a summary video that provides an overview of the report's content with a quote from our Marketing Director.
Continue reading to explore these examples in detail in the following section.
3 videos to enhance report distribution
Drawing from the examples provided earlier and utilizing insights from Wyzowl's 'The State of Video Marketing 2023' report, we've curated three impactful video concepts that you can copy to enhance your report distribution efforts.
1. Statistical video trailer
Spotlight a compelling statistic to instantly grab your audience's attention. This approach entices viewers to delve deeper and seek more information.
2. Listicle video highlighting top 5 insights
As mentioned earlier, delivering an entire report might not always be the most effective approach. Instead, highlight the five most pivotal insights to make your report more accessible, ensuring your audience captures its core essence.
3. Video summary of the entire report
As previously mentioned, video inherently engages viewers. Offering a concise video summary ensures your key messages are both captivating and memorable.
4. Bonus: Summary video created using Storykit AI
Although you can use many platforms to create videos out of your report, Storykit AI is the only platform that can create on-brand videos for you. It's as simple as copying and pasting the text.
Here’s a screen recording of us creating a report summary video in just 2 minutes!
And here is the final result:
Get your report the attention it deserves
As the digital age continues to shape how information is consumed, ensuring your reports are both engaging and accessible will be paramount.
By adopting these modern distribution techniques and having a clear strategy, you not only ensure your audience grasps the essence of your findings but also position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in effective communication.
Check out these articles for more content distribution strategies and ideas:
