A report from OutBrain found that businesses are using several different distribution methods to extend the reach of their content marketing campaigns.

Almost 100 percent of businesses using content marketing distribute it through an integrated social media marketing campaign that includes multiple platforms, according to a report from OutBrain. Search channels are also cited as key to content visibility, but the data suggests businesses not sharing website content via social risk missing opportunities to make their brands part of industry chatter.

Ninety-six percent of respondents share content via social marketing. Leveraging social platforms to share content with prospects and other followers will help companies increase traffic and inbound links to their websites. Moreover, the method encourages word-of-web recommendations as users can easily share of links to custom content with their own followers.

Paid search held strong as well, with 75 percent saying they use the channel to boost visibility of their content. Similarly, display ads that link back to website content are popular among approximately three-quarters of respondents.

SEO is identified as a primary content distribution focus for less than half of the companies included in the study. However, many of these organizations are unwittingly using search engine optimization simply by populating their websites with relevant, original content. A few simple adjustments to content can make it more appealing to search crawlers.

Focusing on SEO is increasingly important with so many purchase decisions being made after research on search engines. Brafton recently reported that 90 percent of B2B buyers encounter website content during their purchase research. Targeting these prospects becomes much easier with a strong search presence.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.