Content Distribution Platform: 11 Must-Have Features

Content distribution software (CDS) refers to any online platform that is used to share and distribute content with an audience. The Content Distribution Platform you use can help you:

• Provide eTraining and course materials to your employees.
• Market products and services to customers.
• Make sales pitches to institutional clients.
• Maintain a thriving intra-company social platform
• Showcase your business compliance to regulators.
• Build stakeholder patronage through educative and entertaining content distribution.

But did you know that the wrong choice of CDS can do more harm than good?

Research shows that only 12% of employees found that the skills they had been taught in their L&D programs could be easily implemented on the job. The reason, some studies show, is that eLearning is ill-timed, cost-constrained, and not relevant to the people who receive it.

These same problems persist when it comes to marketing & sales. Most instances of content marketing failure boil down to one of these reasons –

• Distributing irrelevant content to the target audience.
• Focusing on only a single/few content types & channels.
• Not optimizing for mobile.
• Ignoring content localization.

The truth is that most of these problems can be solved if companies invest in the right type of content distribution tool. In this blog, we will look at how companies should select a CDS that is right for them and what key components they must have.

Things to Consider when Choosing a Content Distribution Platform

When choosing a CDS, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why do we need the software?
• Who will be using the software?
• How much of our budget can we allocate to procure the software?
• What types of content do we wish to share, and through which channels?
• What might our scalability requirements be in the next 3-5 years?

You also need to consider if you already have a Content Delivery Platform in place. If yes, what unmet or poorly-met needs will the new software address?

This is where the features and components of CDS become very important. The elements of a CDS will determine whether you can successfully achieve your eLearning, marketing, and corporate communication goals.

Components and Features Every Content Distribution Software Must Have 

High Active User Support

The Content Distribution Tool should be able to support a large active user base. Either the platform should offer large active user base support from the start, or it must be quickly scalable whenever you need it.

Solutions by Kytes, for example, are built on the cloud, allowing for quick and easy scalability to support highly active users as you grow.

Engaging and Accessible Interface 

The interface of the platform should be good to look at and accessible to everyone. It’s a plus if it meets ADA requirements as well.

Navigation should be intuitive and effortless.

Content Authoring Tools 

It helps if the CDS comes in-built with content authoring tools as well.

That way, if you have an internal content development team, they can easily upload the content you want and distribute it seamlessly to your audience. 

Multi-Type Content Support

Speaking of content, your software should support different content formats. Some common content formats your platform should support are:

• Blogs and articles
• Social media posts
• eBooks, research papers, and whitepapers
• Reports
• Podcasts, audiobooks, music clips, and other audio files
• Videos
• Stock images
• Graphs, charts, and other data visualizations
• Infographics
• Slides & presentations

Multi-Channel Integration 

The CDS you select must be able to help you distribute your content across different channels.

The platform should help you keep content secure both on the platform and off the platform when shared with third parties. A good example is eDetailing pharma content that is shared using content distribution technology to company sales reps and healthcare providers.

You need to find out if the platform is Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) compliant.

Usually, content distribution software, like Kytes, are SCORM-compliant. What this means is they are designed by developers to make them secure, accessible, intuitive, and easily integrated into other platforms.

Targeted Sharing

Check if the platform you are vetting has a content organization component that allows you to custom-create specific content playlists.

A CDS which also has a smart recommendations feature can be particularly helpful in recommending relevant content to different audience profiles based on their previous engagement.

A good example that comes to mind is Kytes. This is a Content Distribution Platform that allows you to create target audience-specific playlists that can hold varied types of content relevant to different audiences.

Access Control System 

Content distribution technology that offers identity-based access and endpoint device management is extremely secure. 

The best access-management features will allow you to create different access rules/eligibility for different members of your audience too. 

Content Privacy and Data Security Settings 

Like any other digital asset, your eLearning and other digital content are vulnerable to threats like SQL injection, session hijacking, brute force attacks, and more.

That’s why you need to make sure that the platform you’re choosing has a robust data security and privacy component.

Data encryption, password management, and audience verification are a must. This security and privacy should also extend to protecting your payment details at any payment gateways the platform has for your company to renew its subscription.

Content Backup 

The software must have a regular content backup to ensure all content is safe from permanent deletion. That way, even if you lose the content on-platform, there is always a copy that is secure off-platform.

Hacking aside, a reliable content recovery system can help if the business experiences technical issues or emergencies. 

Digital Rights Management 

The content you create is your intellectual property. Keeping it safe from prying eyes is particularly important when you want a distinct competitive advantage.

This can be possible only when the software has a powerful Digital Rights Management feature. Platforms like Kytes both have robust DRM, allowing you to protect your intellectual property easily.

Analytics and Reporting 

An analytics & reporting component in your CDS will help you monitor who is engaging with your content, how frequently, and the nature of their engagement.

The results from these analytics & reporting can help you make informed decisions about the changes/updates you need to make to the content you distribute through the platform.

Wrapping Up 

Selecting a Content Distribution Software suitable for your business is crucial in ensuring business success and profitability. We hope this article aids you in the selection of the right CDS for your company. 

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Links to Stats (if needed)

Research shows that only 12% of employees found that the skills they had been taught in their L&D programs could be easily implemented on the job. The reason, some studies show, is that e-learning is ill-timed, cost-constrained, and not relevant to the people who receive it.