Do you know how content finds the right consumer? Certainly not when it’s ejected without preparation, and out of the twelve people it bonks on the head only two are receptive to it. No. Instead, it pollinates through the magic of content seeding.

Influencer marketing that subtly nestles branded content or products on appropriate platforms is understood as content seeding. It’s in the name. The client’s content is sown as links on different platforms – social media or sites that publish long-form print articles. And to reach the target audience, the content type always influences the choice of platform.

You can do content seeding yourself as well; through shares on social media and creating tie-ups with influencers. Or you can drop a comment under content relevant to what you’re looking to share. But the first approach may not be adequately widespread and the second may label you a spammer.

That is why a little nudge from the guy with contacts and big bucks always helps. Unlike your organisation, most large content seeding companies focus solely on creating affiliations with publishing platforms. Which is why they are able to boast greater ROIs and sales per impression.

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There are many successful examples of content seeding. You may have been subject to some of them without even realising it.

For instance, Amazon’s audiobook company Audible partnered with numerous YouTube influencers to get the word out about its branded content. Its choice wasn’t limited to a category of channels. Audible’s name could be heard from gamers, reviewers, lifestyle gurus, and animators alike. The campaign generated 83 million views by reaching out to an audience of more than 132 million.

If such are the returns an exercise in content seeding offers, which are the top companies you can look to for better content dissemination?

Taboola

Founded in 2006, Taboola has generated revenue of $207.6 million from advertising and subscription fees. Their customers include brands such as Expedia, Whirlpool, Nissan, Ben & Jerry’s, and Pandora.

Their success doesn’t come as a surprise, given the easy customisation and simple user interface and interaction they offer. Their effectiveness further reflects in their tools that ensure security through protection from malware and spyware (threats that continue to remain concerns for corporate users and their clients).

One of Taboola’s success stories comes from its work with Whirlpool. Whirlpool India wished to break through to new customers via an informative blog. Taboola was able to help Whirlpool generate more than 24,000 clicks and 20 million visits in two months.

Given Taboola’s massive success, its CEO Adam Singolda was named one of the ‘top 30 under 30’ Israeli businessmen by TheMarker.

Moreover, having received $154M within three rounds of funding, Taboola seems a favourite of the investor community.

Outbrain

Co-founded by Yaron Galai and Ori Lahav in 2006, Outbrain boasts of “275 billion monthly recommendations and 80% of the world’s premium publishers”. With revenues of $42M,the company has gained customers like Huggies, McDonald’s, Visa, Reiss, and Microsoft.

What makes them sought after by brands is their consideration for the little guy. They have decentralised control by allowing clients to uplink content while paying for it.

Outbrain has also innovated in the field of seeking users by developing tools similar to Facebook. This facility reaches out to users who have a similar outlook as existing ones, thereby facilitating an increase in the user base.

One of the most popular brands to seek Outbrain’s help is McDonald’s. Outbrain helped the company magnify products like Fish McBites and new low-calorie menu options.

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Lastly, with a funding amount of $141.2M collected in eight rounds, Outbrain continues to attract investors.

Colombia

Times Internet Limited founded Colombia as an initiative to give marketers more control over the sharing of content. Colombia runs 4000 data points across its 250M user base to later share branded content across a select few from their 100 affiliated publishers.

One of their success stories comes from Prokerala’s campaign. A local news publication, Prokerala wanted to utilise its below-the-fold (BTF) and end-of-article (EOA) space. With Colombia, they found consumer-friendly ads that didn’t publicise misleading content.

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Ever since taking on help from Colombia, Prokerala has observed a 15% increase in revenue.

Viralseeding

Founded in 2010 by Lee Kennedy, Viralseeding is tough to find substantial data on to attract investor interest. But a proudly displayed customer group comprising 56 brands says it all. Clients include American Eagle, BBC, Wrangler, eBay, and TopGear.

Viralseeding has a history of working with diverse clients, of which a large number have been non-profit organisations. An example can be found in Greenpeace’s campaign. Through a video titled ‘Green Netflix’, Greenpeace wanted consumers of Netflix to sign a petition asking the streaming site to use clean energy.

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Viralseeding helped them secure coverage by reaching 170M monthly visitors.

TapInfluence

Founded in 2009, TapInfluence has gained the trust of brands like Panasonic, SunTrust, Stella & Chewy’s and RhythmOne. It boasts “11x higher ROI, $285 in incremental sales per 1000 impressions, and 2x impressions post campaign”.

TapInfluence has many success stories to share. One is of their content dissemination for Stella & Chewy’s; a brand that caters to dogs. Stella & Chewy’s wished to make dog owners aware of the better food choices they could be making for their furry friends. Through the recommendations of influencers, TapInfluence was able to spread the word about Stella & Chewy’s food product.

(Read the report here)

TapInfluence has worked to bring in revenues of $10.1M. In its third round of funding, it’s gathered $22.3M. It is currently headed by CEO Promise Phelon.

Parting words

On the basis of what we discussed above, it can be observed that there exist certain commonalities in the success story of every seeding platform. Accessibility, ease of use, relevant innovation, and appropriate seeding platforms are offered by all companies previously highlighted.

It is with these successful aids that consumers can look to make a substantial difference to their brand’s bottom line. And it is also these traits that investors can look for before pouring funds into a company.