Content marketing generates three times the number of leads as traditional marketing, but costs up to 60% less. Yet, For small businesses, creating high-quality content can seem daunting given limited budgets and resources. However, with some strategy and creativity, there are many effective ways to execute content marketing without breaking the bank.
Know Your Audience
Get crystal clear on who you want to reach. Create one or two detailed buyer personas based on existing customer data and market research. Understand their interests, pain points, and goals so your content can provide targeted value.
Example: a boutique bakery might identify urban millennial foodies as their core persona based on existing customer data. Understand this target values organic, locally-sourced ingredients and unique flavor combinations.
Set Measurable Goals
Determine what marketing and business objectives you want content to achieve, like increasing website traffic or generating leads. Set specific metrics to track progress towards those goals over time.
Example: A freelance web design agency could set goals to gain 10 new leads per month through content and increase average project size by 5%.
Leverage Free and Low-Cost Creation Tools
Limit costs by leveraging free content creation tools as much as possible. For writing, use Google Docs or free blogging software like WordPress. For images and videos, use free libraries like Pexels and Pixabay.
Focus on Quality over Quantity
With limited resources, aim to publish less content but make each piece high-quality. One great in-depth article often outperforms 10 mediocre ones. Focus your time on core content pillars.
Example: The agency decides to publish one comprehensive blog post per week rather than stretched thin with daily posts. They focus time on optimizing that single piece of content.
Get Visual
Visual content like images, infographics, and video engages audiences more than text alone. Free online design tools like Canva make creating visual assets accessible to non-designers.
Example: The bakery finds stylized Instagram photos and short recipe videos perform much better than text-only posts.
Repurpose and Expand Existing Content
Turn old content into new formats to maximize resources. Turn an in-depth article into a video summary. Break a report into multiple blog posts.
Example: The agency turns popular long-form articles into snackable LinkedIn posts to maximize visibility. Lengthy research reports get split into a 5-part blog series.
Use Affordable Freelancers
Hire affordable freelancers to outsource writing, design, and other tasks as needed. Look for specialists on sites like StrongerContent.com. Give them clear requirements.
Example: The bakery hires budget virtual assistants to help respond to customer messages and schedule social media posts. This supplements in-house efforts affordably.
Promote Content through Free Channels
Promote content through owned channels like email lists and social media rather than relying solely on paid ads. Use organic tactics like influencer outreach and guest posting on other sites.
Example: Rather than relying solely on paid ads, the agency focuses on organic promotion through email newsletters and strategic guest posting on complementary sites.
Build a Content Marketing Platform
With strategic planning and smart budget allocation, small businesses can build an effective content marketing program that drives results. The focus should be on maximizing quality and reach through creativity.
Content Marketing Resources
Additional reading to improve your content marketing skills
- Research Says These Two Choices Determine Your Content’s Shelf Life
- Writing Better Titles Without Using Clickbait Tactics
- What Is Contextual Link Building
- Understanding and Tapping into the Emotional Triggers of Your Audience
- Digital Marketing Strategies to Increase Customer Retention
- Evergreen Content vs. Fresh Content
- Does Word Count Matter for SEO?
- Why You Should Stop Paying for Low-Volume Keywords
- Social Media Content Creation Techniques for Higher Engagement