How to generate maximum impact in cybersecurity with effective content distribution

Many companies invest heavily in creating quality content but forget one essential component: how do you ensure that content actually gets seen?

You probably recognize this… that brilliant article where your point of view on cybersecurity comes across great. You’re proud of the content, just like your colleagues. But then comes the quarterly evaluation… where you discover your blog has only been read 18 times.

Distribution: the biggest marketing challenge of our time

Distribution is the biggest (and most expensive) bottleneck in content marketing. While creating content may be getting easier -with AI- distribution is becoming increasingly difficult. Most companies still rely on an outdated approach centered around SEO and social media. But these methods are becoming less effective. Content gets stuck in algorithms, is barely shared, and doesn’t reach the target audience where they are truly active.

Content distribution starts with one question:

“Where is my target audience?” Content distribution doesn’t start with the channel, content form, or advertising budget. It starts with understanding where your target audience is and how they consume content.

This used to be simple: optimize your content for search engines and your audience would find you through organic search traffic. Today, the world is more complex. People find content through social networks, communities, dark social, and peer recommendations – often outside the view of traditional analytics.

The buyer journey has radically changed:

• Search engines are no longer the starting point – Many decision-makers discover content via social media, WhatsApp groups, or internal recommendations.
• More interaction happens within closed networks – Slack, Discord, and LinkedIn groups are more important than ever.
• People trust peers more than brands – Word-of-mouth and dark social are powerful distribution channels.

The role of dark social for content distribution

One of the biggest disruptors in content distribution is dark social. This refers to closed platforms where content is shared outside the view of analytics tools, such as:

• WhatsApp
• Slack
• Discord
• E-mail
• LinkedIn DM’s
• Telegram groups

This happens on a large scale, with more than 80% of content sharing occurring via dark social (source: RadiumOne). Even by decision-makers. Perhaps your content is being distributed this way too -or perhaps not. It’s barely measurable, causing companies to underestimate the impact.

Dark social forces marketers to approach distribution in a new way. Instead of focusing solely on public social media, you need to maintain a balanced mix of Owned, Paid, and Earned media and ensure you strategically utilize private channels and peer-to-peer sharing. More on that later.

How do you discover where your audience really is?

To effectively distribute content, you need to know exactly where your target audience is and how they consume content. You achieve this by engaging with your customers and diving deep into their needs. Ask questions like:

• How did you hear about us? → This tells you which channels work well.
• Where do you get your information from? → Provides insight into sources they trust.
• Which channels do you use most? → Helps determine where to distribute content.
• With whom do you share valuable content? → Shows if peer-to-peer sharing plays a role.
• Which communities or networks are important to you? → Identifies dark social and niche channels.

SEO as an addition – not as the starting point

For years, it was all about SEO: you determined the right keyword focus with keyword ranking tools. Now SEO is just one of many tools you can use. The focus should be on the added value for your target audience. You achieve this by engaging with your customers and diving deep into their needs. Ask questions like:

• What are your target audience’s frustrations and pain points in cybersecurity?
• What goals and ‘promised land’ ambitions do they have?
• What keeps them up at night?
• What problems do they experience in their current field?

Once you’ve gathered these insights, you can create a sharp point of view and set up a focused content strategy.

Practical steps for a strong distribution strategy

A strong distribution strategy combines Owned, Paid, and Earned distribution channels.

1. Use your own channels (owned media)

Your own channels form the basis of your distribution strategy. Determine what you will and won’t focus on and ensure you maintain a consistent presence. Consider:

• Newsletter → Direct distribution to your target audience.
• LinkedIn → Build thought leadership via personal(!) accounts.
• Website / SEO → Ensure content is findable and can be reused.
• YouTube & Podcasting → Audio and video are gaining ground, especially in B2B.

Tip: Make content ‘zero-click proof’ → Share value directly in posts, instead of always directing people to a website.

2. Deploy paid distribution (paid media)

Paid distribution is often necessary to increase reach and impact. Choose proven effective content, for example, that which has performed best organically.

• LinkedIn ads → Ideal for B2B, thought leadership, and whitepapers.
• Reddit & Twitter ads → Works well in tech and cybersecurity niche markets.
• Google Display & YouTube ads → Strong for visibility and retargeting.
• Publish on external platforms → Partner or niche platforms.

Tip: Use retargeting! 85% of your visitors don’t convert directly. Retargeting via LinkedIn or Google keeps your content top-of-mind.

3. Create earned attention (earned media + dark social)

Earned media provides additional credibility and visibility. Dark Social is an important part of this.

• Publish on external platforms → Be where your target audience already is.
• Podcasts & Webinars → Share your expertise via existing networks.
• Expert collaborations → Ask industry experts to share your content
• Communities → Start your own community around a specific topic, facilitate conversations within existing communities, and actively participate in discussions.
• Employees → Encourage employees to share content in their network.

Tip: Work with thought leaders within your theme → A cybersecurity expert sharing your content in a Slack group often has more impact than a big name with a broad audience – more on that later.

Content distribution in cybersecurity: what should you pay attention to?

Cybersecurity marketers face additional challenges: technical and critical audience, difficult measurability, and a fragmented market. How do you ensure your content reaches the right people?

• Don’t underestimate dark social, CISOs and security professionals trust people more than brands, closed networks are of great importance in distribution.
• Ensure shareable content, with the right balance between technical details and understandable explanation, so both experts and interested parties pick up your message.
• Work together with experts and seek partners who strengthen trust in your content.

How can you increase your reach?

Trust creates reach, and reach strengthens trust. And you only achieve that by working with real people. Thought leaders, experts with a vision, influencers. They know better than anyone what’s happening within your target audience. By giving them a platform, your content becomes more relevant and trustworthy. And that makes it worth sharing. More than a generic “we from toilet duck”-message.

Thought leadership is therefore more than branding – it’s a strategy that ensures you’re there, where your target audience is. Because that’s ultimately what a good distribution strategy should do. Early in the purchase journey, so you’re top of mind when your potential customer is ready to buy. And that’s exactly what a strong distribution strategy should do!