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Writer's pictureMelynda Kloc

The ultimate guide: 7 steps to creating engaging content on a shoestring budget

Creating engaging content doesn't have to break the bank. 


With the right strategies, you can captivate your audience and drive traffic to your site without spending a fortune. 


Here’s exactly how you can do it:


1. Understand your audience


I know everyone starts with ‘know your audience,’ but they’re right. 


Before you start creating content, it's extremely important to understand who your audience is and what they want. 


One thing you can do to nail down who your audience is, why they’re following you, and why they purchase from you, is to create an ideal customer profile or an ICP.


You can also conduct surveys, engage with your audience on social media, and use analytics tools to gather data and insights. Knowing your audience's reason for purchasing, pain points, and loves & interests will help you create content that resonates with them.


4 marketers sit at a desk working on creating content

2. Utilize and leverage free tools


There are SO MANY free tools available now that can help you create high-quality, amazing content.


Canva is a site designed for people who aren’t designers so they can do their own graphic design without needing a graphic designer, Grammarly is great for proofreading, editing, and plagiarism checks, and Google Analytics is a must-have for tracking your website, and web content’s performance.


These resources are invaluable – I use them nearly daily. 


3. Repurpose existing content


You worked hard to build your content library – why are you letting it collect dust?


Repurposing your content is a cost-effective way to create new content from pre-existing content, which helps keep your content fresh – repurposing generally requires a few new touches to the content.


You can turn blog posts into infographics, podcasts into blog posts, or webinars into video snippets. This not only saves you time and money but also helps you reach different segments of your audience with the exact same content you’ve already used for another segment.


4. Utilize user-generated content


Encourage your audience to create content for you. 


How?


Ask your previous customers for reviews, testimonials, and social media posts.


A writer creates marketing content with a halo light

User-generated content is a powerful tool. It’s authentic, it’s cost-effective, and it helps build a community around your brand. It also helps strengthen the relationship you have with your audience.


Social proof goes such a long way – and it’s a form of cognitive bias!


5. Focus on quality over quantity


It’s better to produce a few pieces of high-quality content than it is to churn out a large volume of bad content. 


High-quality content is more likely to be engaged with, shared, linked, and ranked higher in search engines.


The real investment here is time. The only thing you’re required to spend here is time. With time spent researching your audience's likes, dislikes, and needs, you’ll be able to create valuable content that not only looks good but speaks directly to your target audience.


6. Optimize for SEO


SEO is essential for driving organic traffic to your content.


Use keyword research tools (yes, there are free ones out there!) to find relevant keywords and incorporate them naturally into your content. Optimize your titles, meta descriptions, and headers.


Additionally, you should check to make sure that your content is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. You can also include keywords in your accessibility measures.

A marketing writer types on a tablet keyboard

7. Engage with your audience


Engagement is a huge part of building a loyal audience.


Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and ask for feedback. Engaging with your audience not only builds strong relationships but provides insights into what content resonates with them.


Working on a shoe-string, bootstrapped budget? No problem.


Creating engaging content with little to no budget is completely possible with the right approach.


By understanding your audience, leveraging free tools, repurposing content, and focusing on quality, you can create content that captivates your audience and drives great results.


Remember, the key is to be creative, resourceful, and just a little bit scrappy!


Did you learn something today? You can join Melynda Kloc on LinkedIn or visit her site.


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