Paying to advertise your content may seem crazy to some—for one thing, organic reach is way cheaper—but if your strategy is well-focused, it doesn’t have to be quite so painful.

Today’s Social Media Roundup explains how one company’s pulling it off:

Being Smart About Paid Distribution

How Intel doubled its blog traffic in less than a year http://t.co/v9eiz74Fp9 via @feedly #publishing #assnchat cc @assnmediapub

— Kim Howard, CAE (@kimhowardsc) September 17, 2014

You know who’s good at blogging? Intel, apparently.

And the reasons may surprise you. Digiday reports that the company’s iQ blog has managed to attract between 400,000 and 450,000 unique readers each month—a huge boost from late 2013, when the site was bringing in half as many visitors. How did Intel manage to be so resoundingly successful at content marketing? Three reasons: Really smart use of paid-distribution outlets such as Outbrain and Facebook, partnerships with kindred spirits including the blog PSFK and the distribution platform SimpleReach [PDF], and a realization that sometimes less is more.

The company found that 10 percent of its posts were driving 90 percent of its traffic, so it adapted its strategy to account for that—and ended up saving money in the process.

“When you concentrate on what’s doing well, finding a new reader is five times more efficient on a cost-per-click basis,” noted Intel global content and media strategist Luke Kintigh, who has edited the blog since its launch.

Staying focused on how you spend your content dollars? Now that’s strategy in action. (ht @kimhowarddc)

Feeling Stressed?

Most Stressful Jobs from @Forbes…are you on the list? http://t.co/vblOpomzbh via @wordpressdotcom #eventprofs #nonprofitjobs #assnchat

— Rachel Luoma, MS,CAE (@rachelluoma) September 17, 2014

Enlisted military personnel. Military general. Firefighter. Airplane pilot. Event coordinator.

What do these occupations have in common? According to Forbes, they’re incredibly stressful—in fact, they’re the five most stressful jobs of 2014. Reading the list, you’re probably thinking something like, “One of these roles is not like the others.”

That’s certainly what Partners in Association Management’s Danielle Jessup was thinking. But she totally gets it.

“Why is it that we love this profession, specifically association meeting management, which is the most challenging type of event planning?” she asks on her company’s blog, Partners Preceptors. “For me, it’s the challenge of demanding budgets, tight deadlines, and ensuring attendee satisfaction.”

If things are a tad challenging for you these days, read Jessup’s tips on how to keep all the complexities in check—and your attendees happy. (ht @rachelluoma)

(iStock/Thinkstock)