Creating Content on a Budget

I'm sure you've heard the news- content marketing is key. Content marketing is the term for using original content to attract people to visit your website or buy your product. If you want to be heard, you have to say goodbye to traditional advertising and say hello to producing content that will draw people to your site and encourage them to stay there.

It's widely believed that content marketing takes time and money. It may seem like an impossible barrier if you don't have the budget to allocate to it, but it's a necessity when you consider just how much content people take in on a daily basis, from Twitter feeds to Google searches. You don't just want to be a part of the cacophony, but you want your content to stand out and be useful.

So how do you do that with hardly any money?

Content Comes in Many Forms

If you hear "content" and think professionally shot videos or hordes of articles written by staffed professional writers, forget what you know. Content can be something as simple as retweeting a Buzzfeed article and adding a witty comment that relates it to your brand. It can be writing a weekly blog post about something relevant in your industry, an infographic or a podcast or a product review. There are many, many ways to produce content that don't require an extra staffer or professional video equipment. The trick is to choose the right content for your audience.

Quality is Greater than Quantity

Without a doubt, you should focus on the quality of the content you're releasing over the quantity. If you only have one hour per week to devote to writing for your company's blog (and by blog I mean a page on your main website where you regularly update content), then use that hour to write one really informative blog post, not two or three mediocre ones. Similarly, resist the urge to post things on social media every hour of every day, or you'll risk annoying your customers. Instead, make meaningful contributions to conversations already occurring, and make sure any blatant advertisements aren't repetitive.

Delegate

You don't have to do everything yourself. Although consistency is an important part of content marketing, so is keeping things interesting. Consider a weekly "guest blog" by different members of your staff. Assign a different staff member to social media each week and let them do whatever they want. If neither you nor your staff can devote time to content marketing, you can consider hiring freelance writers to do it for you. Some come as low as $10 per article, though, of course, you get what you pay for.

So You're Set on Making Videos

Without a doubt, one of the most expensive ways to produce content is to make videos. You need professional equipment, time to film, and time to edit the film into something that's watchable. However, it's also one of the most effective. If you're absolutely set on making videos, there are a few things you can do that will help cut costs:

• Rent equipment instead of buying it. Buying professional video equipment can set you back a lot. Avoid a high upfront cost by renting or borrowing.
• Use still frames in addition to video. If you don't have time to shoot enough footage to fill up the three minutes you're aiming for, use still frames and pictures to beef up your video.
• Use iMovie. iMovie is an easy-to-use video editor, and if you have access to a Mac, you have access to iMovie. Take advantage of this by using it to edit your video instead of splurging on a high-end video editing software with a high learning curve.

Also, take a look at these ten ways to make videos more effective.

Content marketing is extremely important. Don't let a small budget prevent you from realizing your full potential and engaging with your consumers in a way that they will respond to.

One last strategy is to look at a service like Content Kangaroo that helps you create really great content with a simple subscription.

If you still feel unsure about how to create great content, learn what we can do for you.