People in our field often have a negative view of syndicated content.

Let me be upfront: I use it.

And you should too. Let me explain.

Content Syndication: A Primer

Before we dive in, let’s define content syndication: It involves republishing content on external platforms to expand your audience. This not only boosts your content’s reach and brand visibility but also generates backlinks and can drive more traffic back to your original article.

The Power of Syndication

Syndicating your content is a no-brainer. Even major, influential websites like the New York Times, Huffington Post, and CNN use syndicated content. The internet is vast and noisy. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone you want to reach to magically find your content on your blog. Content syndication places your blog posts (either in full or shortened versions) in front of new audiences who wouldn’t have discovered them otherwise. It’s a highly cost-effective (often free) way to maximize your content’s reach. It’s far more efficient and budget-friendly than creating entirely new blog posts for third-party sites, whether on the same or different topics. That alternative path? A recipe for burnout.

Remember the ‘Marketing’ in Content Marketing

You might have heard warnings about content syndication leading to Google penalties. Don’t buy it. Google won’t penalize you. In the worst-case scenario, duplicate versions might be omitted from search results. Syndication isn’t about SEO; it’s a content marketing strategy—emphasis on “marketing.” Here’s why:

Let’s explore the four main types of content syndication that bloggers should be familiar with.

1. Featuring Third-Party Content on Your Blog

As a publisher, you can request permission from other websites to showcase their content on your blog. Ideally, around 10% of your blog content should be syndicated. While not original, high-quality, valuable syndicated content can benefit your readers and make their time on your blog worthwhile. For multi-author blogs, securing commitments from top-notch writers can be challenging. Influencers are often too busy to craft unique posts just for you. Requesting to feature their existing content is a more reasonable ask. They’ll likely be flattered by the request. For example, nexus-security has previously featured syndicated content from industry leaders like LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving, HubSpot founder Dharmesh Shah, and Inc. contributor Jeff Haden. And don’t forget about syndicating your own content! If you write guest posts, republish them on your blog. Many of my guest posts have been republished on the nexus-security blog, with links back to the originals. Always get permission, as some publishers require exclusivity periods.

Syndicated content instantly adds variety to your blog, offering your audience something new and valuable, even if it’s not brand-new to the web.

2. Syndicating Your Content to Other Websites

You can also syndicate your content to partner websites. For instance, several posts initially published on the nexus-security blog were later featured on major search industry websites like Small Business Trends and Social Media Today. These arrangements usually take one of two forms:

• Fully Syndicated Content: Your partner solely republishes your existing content without requiring original work.
• Blended Syndication: You agree on a combination of syndicated and original content. This could involve alternating months, with one month dedicated to syndicated content and the next to an original piece. Or, within a set number of monthly posts, at least one must be original. Most publishers are open to such deals if the quality is high. They understand you’re busy, and free content is always appealing. However, they’ll only continue if your syndicated content delivers satisfactory traffic and engagement.

3. Contributing to Content-Syndicating Websites

Another avenue for content syndication is becoming a regular contributor to a website that syndicates its content. For example, I’m a columnist at Inc. magazine, which means I publish on a platform that syndicates its content. Content from Inc. also appears on major platforms like Business Insider, Slate, and TIME.

4. Self-Service Syndication

You can also take matters into your own hands. Medium is excellent for self-service syndication. There are countless reasons to publish on Medium. Here are 10:

Be sure to check out my post on optimizing Medium posts as well. Getting published on the Huffington Post is also relatively straightforward. They don’t have stringent credential checks. It’s essentially: “I want to write.” “Okay, here’s your login.” LinkedIn is another option. Posting there sends notifications to your entire network. Explore these 11 ways to optimize for the LinkedIn Pulse algorithm. Business2Community is another great platform for self-service syndication, with potential for your content to reach sites like Yahoo.

The Pointlessness of Content Repurposing

Some publications insist on 100% original content and reject syndicated material. However, they’ll gladly publish your work…if you rewrite it entirely on the same topic. Wait, what? Content repurposing (or spinning)? Seriously?

I despise content repurposing (and I’m not sugarcoating it). Let’s be practical: If your first blog post was a hit—a unicorn that attracted massive traffic and engagement—why reinvent the wheel? Its success will likely translate well to syndication. Or, if you’re promoting a new infographic, does the world need four completely different articles to accompany it? The only valid reason to repurpose or rewrite is for a different audience. For instance, simplifying technical content for a less tech-savvy readership. Repurposing posts for the sake of it is pointless. Would you ask Jerry Seinfeld to re-edit his iconic “Seinfeld” episodes (worth billions) for a “unique spin”?

Embrace Content Syndication

Content syndication, in all its forms, is incredibly beneficial. It’s a win-win for bloggers. Expand your content’s horizons with these four syndication methods:

• Feature syndicated content from relevant publications on your blog.
• Syndicate your content to other relevant publications.
• Contribute original content to relevant websites that syndicate to their partners.
• Republish on platforms like Medium and LinkedIn for broader reach.