The Power and Problems of Content Syndication
Content syndication is powerful because it is social proof of the value of your content.
That value is indicated by the number of times your content is shared, bookmarked, voted and commented on.
The referrals result in more views and more exposure for you.
Google even made changes giving more rank where content syndication was apparent, in an effort to ensure they provide their customers the best possible experience.
But organic content syndication takes quite a bit of time and effort to achieve.
Thus, many Content Syndication Tribes have cropped up in the last year or so.
However, the concept has been abused, due to tribe members simply sharing and voting as an exchange for reciprocal shares and votes, regardless of the content’s value.
Since the number of times you share content in these systems often determines how much content you can submit, it may become tempting to simply read the title and description of a post and then share it to save time.
Or worse, just click the share button without even glancing at so much as the title!
The abuse of content syndication in tribes becomes even more prevalent when auto-syndication is used.
This sort of activity without due diligence is detracting from the implied value of votes, comments and shares.
Automatic Content Syndication in TribePro
Content syndication in tribes is great because it gets your content in front of more eyeballs, but performing the shares needed for your submission of content is sometimes time consuming.
Auto-submission and auto-syndication are some of the best characteristics of TribePro, saving you time as well as getting high numbers of shares for your own content quickly, but they can also have impacts that you will want to consider.
While TribePro can be a very powerful addition to your marketing arsenal, without proper etiquette, you could end up doing more harm than good to your reputation, and to the ones for whom you are doing content syndication.
1) Don’t Submit or Syndicate Affiliate Links and Capture Pages!
This should be as important as the golden rule of Social Media Marketing: Don’t Spam!
If you don’t spam, why would you want to promote someone who does?
Most people don’t, which is why they probably wouldn’t willingly syndicate someone’s product link or capture page.
And one would assume that people submitting affiliate product pages or capture pages aren’t going to get a lot of shares.
Maybe that’s why some people try to hide those pages behind a misleading title and description.
But that tactic unfortunately does seem to work when people don’t make an effort to syndicate value over just earning points.
I’ve seen a couple of submissions by one person (on the same day even) with different titles and descriptions linked to the same affiliate product page, even having nothing to do with the title or description!
What is bothersome is that these posts had so many shares!
Not good for that person, the content syndicator, or certainly for the entire tribe’s reputation.
2) Monitor Your Content Syndication!
We can only improve the value of content we syndicate, and counter the ever widening opinion that content syndication tribes promote low value content, by more diligently watching what we syndicate (and especially auto-syndicate!).
One of the great features of TribePro in addition to being a great content syndication network, is its integrated social network, where you can determine the value they are providing before you syndicate.
Before I provide content syndication for someone, I review the entire post. And for auto-syndication requests, I not only view ALL of their submitted posts, I visit their blog to determine whether I think they can be trusted to consistently provide value.
One idea mentioned in a forum discussion was to use Google reader to monitor the feeds from which people are submitting for your automatic content syndication.
This might not be entirely foolproof, because you can submit content from anywhere to TribePro, but it is a good start.
You will want to check your OnlyWire history as well to see what you have actually shared.
So be careful - If you are constantly self promoting, submitting product pitches and capture pages, and not providing value, you may find yourself removed from peoples’ auto-submit lists!
3) Don’t Submit Several Posts per Day, and Syndicators, Watch your share quota!
Your OnlyWire account (how you do your one-button or auto-syndications at TribePro) has limited shares per month depending on your package there).
Being that I had exchanged auto-syndications with several people in TribePro, I began to keep an eye on my OnlyWire usage.
(Actually, I was even beginning to watch it after doing a bunch of the one-button syndications using the free version for several weeks!)
When I quickly approached 300 shares in my last week of the month I knew I would need to upgrade.
So for $10, 1000 shares seemed like plenty to me at first, but, within 5 days, I was over 384 shares already!
I’d never make it to 30 days without serious overage charges which OnlyWire has set for anything over your quota with the paid account, or without running out of shares, if you opt out of overage charges (a perk that OnlyWire offers only to it’s TribePro subscribers).
Here is a video that explains what happened, how you can monitor OnlyWire to be sure that your automatic content syndication isn’t being over utilized (only applicable until some time in September):
Now I have submitted both this video and this post in TribePro today, but probably won’t submit anything else the rest of the week (it’s all I can do to get two or three posts per week out!). So I hope that my auto-syndicators don’t feel taken advantage of here 
4) Reciprocate!
When you see that your content has been shared, look to see who is syndicating for you. Then do your best to find something to share for them! It’s all about reciprocity with tribal content syndication, as long as the content has value.
Content Syndication Etiquette; The Moral of the Story….
Value is normally perceived in content that is either Enlightening, Educational or Entertaining. Most good marketers know that.
Product pitches and capture pages are not quality content.
Are you verifying your content syndication has value, to ensure that you’re providing quality content to your followers?
Or are you just clicking that submit button to rack up points?
The fact is, even though Google has recently given more weight to content that has been syndicated, they are also aware of these tactics and watching.
And I’ve seen more than once in forum discussions people saying that joining a content syndication tribe simply promotes sharing low quality content.
But being part of syndication tribes has actually inspired me to provide the best possible content I could because of the quality content I was seeing.
So, take personal responsibility for what you’re syndicating to your followers, and be more diligence in reviewing your syndications and especially your auto-syndications.
Share content as if it were going to go directly to your own blog or Facebook account!
If this is the attitude you take, you would feel more of a connection with your own integrity while you gather points for your content syndication.
And if you want to continue enjoying Google’s new rules giving more weight to content syndication, votes and comments as strong a factor in SEO, it’s up to all of us to ensure that value still has relevance!
Hi Vicki,
Excellent post Vicki and thank you for speaking on this subject. I am new to TribePro and under the impression that TribePro is fairly new on the scene.
If so, I was surprised to see just how many “Shares” some people have accumulated in a relatively short time frame. I will do my best to make sure as many as possible see this post, as I think it is something everyone can benefit from.
It was good to see the breakdown on OnlyWire, something else to keep in mind.
Thanks again,
Richard
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Hi Richard!
Thanks very much! You’re right, TribePro is new, just around three months now.
Andn the number of shares people can accumulate in a short period of time is largely due to the auto-syndicate feature, which allows you to automatically syndicate whatever someone posts.
This is why one should be diligent in making sure they are doing so only for those who have shown they submit only quality content!
But I’ve only been on the upgraded plan now for a week, and have been in TribePro for over a month, and so when I upgraded I quickly found a few people (now 14) to auto-syndicate for me. So when I submitted this last post, I immediately (seconds after submitting) had over 200 shares.
So you see how powerful this is, but also how much it can be abused and promote sharing crap if people aren’t careful! That’s why I wrote this post.
Anyway, I know you will enjoy this system, and I hope you’ll join me at my Tribe, Best Pro Marketers, I’d love to see you there!
Wishing You Tremendous Success,
I usually share just what I read and find interesting. I also 99% of the times comment on the post before syndicating it on Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter etc. I think it’s the least to do, in case you find something so good you feel the need to comment on. I never had the urge to share something I found less than enriching, and I very rarely syndicate a post I didn’t comment on, just when I am in a rush and I can’t write a proper comment at that moment.
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Hi Gabriele!
I know what you mean, I like to comment as well as share when I find a great post.
And I never have the urge to share anything less than stellar, even if it would otherwise get me more points to submit my content for shares. And if I don’t have time to review the content, I don’t share it.
I think most people feel the same, but this was just a word of caution to those getting excited about all the shares possible in a tribe.
Given that I’ve always been inspired by the great content I see there, I would hope that would be the same for many, and thus result in even better content out there!
Thanks for stopping by, great to see you as always!
Wishing You Continued Success,
Great post, Vicki! I think that commenting is also very important when we syndicate. Sometimes, I don’t really know what to say to continue the conversation, and out of respect for not wanting someone to feel obliged to me saying “good job,” then I’ll syndicate without commenting, but I’ve definitely built a better relationship with the people who comment and reply to comments on their blog.
Hi Steve! I completely agree, commenting is very important for many reasons when syndicating – I’ve built some fantastic relationships by simply exchanging comments.. and you’ve reminded me to go and visit your blog again, I’m always so short of time is my problem and so I share in lieu of taking the few moments that I should! So, pardon me while I go and visit your page
Thank you Vicki for this excellent post. This is information that is so needed. TribePro is new to me and the syndication is also, but your warning as to doing it to support and give value to others is what this awesome tool is for, and the reciprocation will come.
We just have to be careful where we walk. I follow your posts Vicki, and thank you for your integrity and value that you always give.
God bless
Brian
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Hi Brian!
Thank you so much. It’s true that people are sometimes confused and overwhelmed by organized content syndication groups. And it’s hard to keep up with, where really, one should be careful of losing themselves in the mass of quality posts. Time management also becomes a challenge! But as is consideration of others, I had someone on my auto-syndicate list just yesterday submit around 10 posts and push me over my OnlyWire budget for the month! They obviously had not read this post
Anyway, it’s always good to see you, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Wishing You Tremendous Success,
Great post Vicki!
I love how you explain this… “When you see that your content has been shared, look to see who is syndicating for you. Then do your best to find something to share for them! ”.
Very insightful indeed!
Justine
Hi Justine,
Thanks very much! I am reminded that I need to go check on my syndications, it can be a challenge keeping up once you get into larger tribes, which is why it’s something to be in a good habit of doing!
Thanks for visiting and for your comment!
Wishing You Fabulous Success,
Appreciate your thoughtful post, Vicki, and will be
sharing this link directly (the “old-fashioned” way LOL)
I especially like your comment about affiliate links
and capture pages. I’ve seen lots of posts that are
nothing more than a veiled “buy my stuff” pitches,
and as you so rightly point out, that’s a cardinal no-no.
Can always count on you for valuable content!
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Hi Cathie!
Thanks so much, I do appreciate the shares, as well as your comment!
And yes, it’s a shame when people try to use the tribal sharing and syndication as a way to hide their spam! I only occasionally send out my own capture pages or product links to my own networks, but never disguise them as an article to be syndicated in others tribes, especially considering the fact that they themselves may promote the very same products!
Thank you for stopping by and for all your support!
Wishing You Continued Success!
Hi Vicki,
Excellent post and sound advice! Wish I had read it last night before blindly auto-syndicating someone who sent out 12 posts today. Ouch! Learned my lesson.
Most of what you are saying above is common sense and good marketers would never abuse a great system like TribePro for personal gain.
I definitely will be sharing this. Thanks for taking the time to write it!
Ilka
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Hi Ilka!
Thanks you! Yes I have experienced the same pain, and it’s definitely a shame people take advantage of those kind enough to auto-syndicate, knowing that OnlyWire is only free for a limited number of shares and even in the paid structure as well. I’ve finally had to cut back the number of networks to which my auto-syndications run to about 4 since I’ve had to upgrade twice in one month to avoid overage charges because of people who submit 5-12 posts in one day!
Oh well, I suppose they aren’t focused on the social aspects of the auto-syndication!
Thanks for stopping by and for sharing, I appreciate your support!
Wishing You Fabulous Success,
Hello,
I usually share the most interesting and ‘unseen’ articles and videos on Facebook, I also get a lot of likes on my shared content on Facebook. It’s a great way of promoting things, by posting them on Facebook. Thanks for sharing!
Joshua
Hi Joshua!
I do the same thing, I reserve the most interesting things for Facebook, and love to share great content!
Wishing You the Best,
Hey Vicki,
First of all I just wanted to tell you have a newsworthy newsletter and not the typical “pitch-fest” newsletter that is commonplace in this industry.
I enjoy getting your next value-packed e-mail as well as the stuff you post on your blog.
I just wanted to add to the conversation about the only-wire account and how vital it is to keep tabs on it.
I have been at TribePro for a week and I have already had to upgrade twice to keep up with all of the auto-syndicating I am doing.
Your post is a great reminder to ensure you are only syndicating valuable content over ranking up the points.
Looking forward to your next post.
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Hi Jessie!
Thanks so much, I really do appreciate your feedback, it means a lot!
And you’re right, things can move so fast once you start auto-syndicating at TribePro, and you have to be ready to either upgrade or very slowly add to your auto-syndicate list! I am sure we aren’t the only ones who had to upgrade twice in a week!
Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend!
Wishing You Tremendous Success,
Vicki Im so glad u mentioned the proper etique of tribepro being no capture pages and optins. Absolutely. Tribepro has been a wonderful learning curb for all involved with onlywire content syndication including I. quality content is always the way to go and be known for…
there should be spam button in there like anywhere else they go …thanks for shareing great content Vicki!
Hi Maria!
Thank you, yes it has been a learning experience hasn’t it! I love your idea of the spam button, we should request they add that, they’ve been so good at putting this system together, it’s awesome!
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Wishing You Fabulous Success!
Dear Vicki,
Thank you for the article. It was very eye opening and help to determine some boundaries and apporoaches as I continue with Tribepro. I am very new but I love the system. So thank you again and I look forward to reading more of your articles.
Sabrina “The Bohemian MarketerM
This is a superb piece of content Vicky-valuable, knowledgeable and focused on the bigger picture for people. I agree that auto-syndication/auto-submission and tribes have a place if used correctly and we all take personal pride in delivering equally quality content.
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Thank you Kath!
I know, sometimes the big picture is difficult to see with all the details involving tribes and content syndication, especially automating it!
Thank you for stopping by!
Wishing you Tremendous Success,
Hey Vicki
Thank you for telling it like it is it is complcated when you first start in tribe pro I had to up grade 3 times somepeople posting 30 post I fell as if that is apam the best post on TribePro period
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Hi Johnathan,
You’re right, it is very complicated starting out! I still want to do another post on helpful tips on OnlyWire upgrades. I’m finding that at about 145 auto-syndications, I can easily burn through 500 shares per day on my quota, sharing to about 30 places per content submission. But then I once again found someone posting about 30 submissions in one day, so again, removed someone from my list! It is a form of spam, I agree with you on that!
Good luck and I will definitely see you around the tribe (let’s be auto-syndication partners if we are not already!)
Wishing You Tremendous Success,
Thanks for this article, Vicki. I’ve been on TribePro for about one week now and am still trying to measure it’s value. In my efforts to earn points and reciprocal auto-syndicators, I already fear I couldn’t possibly monitor everything I’m submitting. That really concerns me and your post has brought this issue even more to the forefront of my mind!
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Hi Vicki
Great post. I got so much out of this, being new to tribe pro and I guess not properly understanding the concept which you have explained really well in this post.
Great tips on tracking software included. I will go check out Onlywire and look forward to start sharing content from my blog and from other posts in the tribe.
It’s so important as you stated to take time to reaf the content. I personally have learned so much through other people’s posts. We should give theses authors credit and share on digg, Facebook and the like.
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Hi Colette!
Thank you!
Well you can use OnlyWire still outside of TribePro but I wouldn’t bother with that, just go ahead and use Buzzify.it since that is what TribePro now uses.
Best of luck in your syndication success!
Hi Vicki.
I just wanted to say thank-you for your posts. I find content to be though provoking and raise questions that can be easily missed. I am new with Tribepro and finding it difficult to keep up with the tribes, mainly because I am trying to accomplish to much, too quickly. I have been unwilling to syndicate with reading. To have someone write on the etiquette in such a straight forward manner was very helpful and reassuring. I like to read,reflect and comment on posts so that my endorsement represent more than a click for you endorse me and I will reciprocate. I appreciate your work. Have a great day!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for such a thoughtful post! It is difficult to try and accomplish all that there is in online marketing, and it does tempt one to try too much at once and end up over -extended, I’ve experienced that quite often myself! It’s something we can just keep moving forward with and looking back to realize how much we’ve been able to actually do. It’s all a contribution to our online equity and real estate if you will, an investment in the future.
I’m glad you stopped by and took the time to comment, thanks!
Wishing You Fabulous Success,
Hi Vicki!
Thank you for another educational and enlightening posts! I find all of your content to be ‘stellar’ and if everything being shared in TribePro were to be measured against the quality of your content, the bar would be VERY high indeed and TribePro would be THE content syndication site, bar none!
Like you, I too read the content of those I follow and syndicate as well as visit their blogs and websites to see that they consistently offer real value, either educational, enlightening or entertaining, as you suggested in your post.
When I see your content, I now know I don’t even have to read it to know it’s worth sharing…be nice when I feel the same way about everyone I follow and syndicate…and I do hope that they’ll feel the same about me…
Thanks Vicki…
Dan
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