One of our sister sites recently posted about syndication networks.  We covered this topic in our last weekly webinar, but it was a little confusing for some of the participants.

The major benefit of a syndication network is that you automate updating all of your online properties.  For example, your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) all update that there is a new blog post.

Here is some information from our sister site (if anything is cut off, you can see the post here: https://littlebizresources.com/build-your-own-syndication-network/)

If you’re looking to get more power from your posts – you’re probably thinking about a syndication network.  For those of you who are new to syndication networks, you will get a brief explanation of the basics.  Then, you can learn how to build your own syndication network.

For those who saw my webinar and want to check out the Syndlab sales page, you can see that by clicking here.

What is a Syndication Network?

When you’re talking about online marketing methods, a syndication network helps you update your online presence quickly.  It also creates backlinks from your other social properties (which is great for helping search engines figure out what your page is all about).

Let’s say you publish a post on your website.  How do people find out about it?  Perhaps you share an update about the post to your Facebook page and create a Pin in Pinterest.  You might also bookmark it to Diigo and Tweet on Twitter.

All of these actions are manual.  When you use a syndication network, you set up automation so the information is shared to your audience without you doing a ton of work.

The old saying, “if you build it, they will come” is not true when it comes to your online presence.  You have to do some marketing!  A syndication network should be one of your marketing strategies.  If for no other reason, so people can find out about your content!

How Can You Build Your Own Syndication Network?

Before I jump into the advanced methods of syndication networks, let me preface this by saying that you have some easy options.  For example, if you use a self-hosted WordPress site, you can add in many different plugins that will automate to the big networks.

A free option is to use a resource like Buffer.  Of course, the free option limits the number of accounts you can connect to Buffer as well as some of your options.

I use a combination of a paid resource called Syndlab and a free resource called IFTTT.  The reason I use both of these is that each of them covers networks that are not covered in the other (though, many cross over).  Additionally, I manage more than one company and have additional resources attached to Syndlab.

If you want a complete experience, I recommend you use both resources as well.  Still, you can get started with either one of them.  To help you decide which one to get, here is a chart of potential networks and the chart indicates which software you can use.  Don’t forget to check out the pros/cons of each platform before making your decision.

If you’re excited to get started on syndication networks, check out the Syndlab sales page here.

Syndlab vs. IFTTT

I’ll highlight each of these platforms with the pros and cons after this chart.  You can see there are plenty of options to build up your syndication network!

Pros and Cons of Syndlab

There are 2 main disadvantages to Syndlab.  The first is that it doesn’t currently incorporate all of the main social media platforms (such as Pinterest).  The second is that there is a limitation on the number of posts.  If you purchase the front-end without the upsell, it’s only 1,000 posts per month.  For some of you, that’s more than enough.

For you power users, you’ll want to upgrade to the recurring (quarterly if it is available) agency option.  I upgraded to 25,000 posts per month.  This should support my efforts on my several businesses.  I also have a separate account with the 1,000 posts limit specifically for one of my businesses as part of that company’s assets!

Those disadvantages are actually quite minimal for the product.  The advantages far outweigh the 2 disadvantages I found.  One of the best advantages is the ability to share videos onto blog sites like WordPress.  IFTTT either cannot or does not support this on most of their blog platforms.

One of the marginal benefits is the several private bookmarking sites available on Syndlab.  Bookmarking sites are considered trusted by most search engines.  To double check, I ran the domains through a software program I use to find the DA (domain authority) of the sites.  Here’s what I found.

Domain	Domain Authority	ayroll.ca	21
healthydome.com	24	worldoffootball.org	25
ener-cell.com	26	gacrecordings.com	24
easttimorelections.org	26	cravingconfidence.com	24
youvebeenframedphoto	24	bchanv.org	21
motcbu.com	23	wwwrichchristmastrees	16

Since these are all relatively newer sites, the domain authority is pretty good (especially since most sites are well below this).  Unfortunately, the sites are all hosted on the same class C IP.  They are actually all on the same IP (not just class C).  There are pros and cons to this, but basically, you would only need access to one of the bookmarking sites to build an adequate backlink.

Still – it’s a great opportunity and it wouldn’t take much for Sendlab to convert this to 11 different IP addresses.  Also, the domain authority is likely to improve as more users post to these and create links back to those posts!

The Real Benefit Of Syndlab

The real benefit of Syndlab comes from the ability to create unlimited profiles for each account.  For example, if you have 37 Facebook pages (I confess to nothing), you could manage them ALL through Syndlab.  Even at the entry level.  Just keep in mind you have a limited amount of posts you can make (so, the more profiles you attach, the more likely you need to upgrade to that 25K posts ability).

I can see a true value in the ability to connect multiple self-hosted websites (make sure you host them on different class C IPs so you get the maximum benefit).  In fact, there is another software that connects to Syndlab that can help with content and building self-hosted sites.

There’s another great benefit- the multiple connections to Syndlab.  I’m starting with Syndlab because it coincides with the weekly webinars – but there is some really cool software I’m going to talk about over the next several weeks.  For example, if you have any inclination towards video marketing (which you should), then the ability to automatically syndicate your video content with Syndlab is a massive benefit.

Then, if you want to have others also syndicate your posts to their syndication networks, you can connect Syndlab to another resource that opens up your posts to a massive community.  Basically, you can scale with Syndlab easily.

Ready to check out Syndlab?  See the sales page here.

What About IFTTT?

IFTTT is a great resource, don’t get me wrong!  I still use it, even though I have Syndlab.  The obvious reason for this is because I can automate syndication to additional networks FOR FREE.

The problem with IFTTT is that it’s a little confusing.  Ok, it’s a lot confusing for most people.  It’s a quirky community of people who love automation.  There are lots of automation opportunities – like turning your lights on at specific times when you’re on vacation.  Many of the resources are more personal and less for digital marketing.

That’s not to say digital marketers haven’t figured out a way to utilize the automation!  You can still use your RSS feed (or anyone’s RSS feed) to post to Facebook and a dozen other online properties.

Theoretically, you can even connect your WordPress.com and Blogger sites to IFTTT.  The problem is that IFTTT, as a free resource, is glitchy.  You can set up a connection and not realize that the connection is broken.  This happened to me when Facebook made me change my password (because Facebook likes to torture us randomly).  Thankfully, I remembered that connection existed and I went in and fixed it after another software notified me of the connection failure.

Most likely, there is some sort of automation you can even set up in IFTTT to notify you if a connection fails, but that’s even more work.  Syndlab, in comparison, has a report feature to let you know if there are issues.

Syndlab Bonuses from Kim

For those of you that end up purchasing Syndlab through my link, you’ll get access to these bonuses (please note, the training bonuses will not be available until the end of Feb. 2019 though I will try to get them published sooner).

Syndlab Bonus Training on Lead Generation Campaign – yep, you’ll get to learn A LOT more about syndication networks and strategies to help you build your links!

IFTTT Training on Lead Generation Campain – even though you’re only purchasing Syndlab, you’ll also get some training on IFTTT.  That way, you can build out as big of a syndication network as you want.

Clickback Rewards Software – Cloud hosted contest software!  Utlize social sharing and other social media actions to create viral contests/sweepstakes.  This bonus alone sells for $59.95!!

Are you ready to get Syndlab? Get it here.

Print on Demand Marketing Considerations

Thanks for stopping by!

If you're in business, you need to generate leads and drive traffic.  There are some that consider "leads" as only for high-ticket or service based sales.

The truth is that a lead is anyone interested in what you have to offer.  This could mean information, products, services, or just about anything you want someone else to "buy into".

My mission is to help you identify the sources for lead generation.  There are both free and paid methods.  Naturally, free methods take more of your time than paid methods (though, both can take a while to actually generate leads).

When you think of lead generation sources, you probably have a very specific focus of lead generation.  Almost everyone that generates leads has a historical or niche-specific preference.

Fortunately, constant technology changes help us reach people in new and creative ways.  For some of you, some of the methods I will mention are too involved.  For everyone, you will need to figure out the best place to find your specific audience.

For now, just consider some of these options for your lead generation source:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):  This terminology pops up on a regular basis, but I don't think it means what you think it means. 

Traditionally, SEO meant manipulating your page so you would show up in search engine results.  Let's be honest- search engines are much smarter than the average person now.  Manipulation is difficult and true manipulation still requires your efforts in other areas. 

It is actually faster to rank in search engines by doing what you SHOULD do instead of trying to manipulate the search engines.

SEO still takes some time, so not everyone has this kind of patience.  Additionally, some of you prefer a more "hands on" approach.  Social Media options are probably more up your alley.

Pinterest: The more common original crowd for Pinterest were the DIY enthusiasts, moms, and creative individuals.  This has created a tight bond between Etsy and Pinterest (for those of you who sell on Etsy). 

More recently, Pinterest has hit a new crowd.  I truly believe this social media platform is still evolving, but there are plenty of people that like to find content on Pinterest.  If you get into groups and create great content, there's room for you to generate leads from Pinterest!

YouTube: This particular resource falls into both categories of search engine and social media.  Ironically, it doesn't quite fit into either one but does act as each.  As a video based resource, this is a great place to get your video in front of people- but you have to do it right. 

Competition on all of these channels is fierce, so understanding the important elements is a critical part of effectively using each platform.  The only exception is Pinterest.  Still competitive, it offers product sellers an opportunity to get in front of people with little effort (depending on the true competition). 

This is only the start of the list.  Stay tuned for more information headed your way!