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