Content marketing is a tool for attracting your target market. This is done through the creation and distribution of content to customers via social media channels. It allows you to build real relationships with potential customers and increase your brand recognition. It also betters your search results on search engines organically. Content marketing is done in different ways including blogs, social media, webinars,  video productions and the list goes on and on.
Here are 5 ways to leverage content marketing in a budget.

Blogging

Blogging is the foremost content marketing strategy. What is a blog?
A blog is an online write-up or informational “website” displaying the latest posts published regularly. Blogs should have an author name date, archives, and categories and a tab for people to comment. Blog posts should be social so people can share the posts on social media, interact with them and also find them in a search.

Why Blog?

Blogging is a major part of effective content marketing. Blogging helps with SEO and it drives people to your website. It also provides valuable information that you can share on your social network or newsletters. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself as an experienced thought leader. Blogging also allows you to invite guests to blog, bring in different departments to talk about trends, and share their expertise with your consumers.  It helps to humanize your organization. Blogging can be done with minimal cost and has the flexibility to fit into any budget. Once it is picked up by search engines,it remains an asset to your company for SEO.

Growing Your Audience

It is essential to create relevant content to share on your social media channels. It will get your customers to take notice of you and engage. While social media channels are free to use, the time it takes to curate and creating great content is not free. Although the amount spent on social media is far less than what you spend on other mediums. Content marketing has the flexibility to be cheap or expensive, depending on your budget. You can still see results either way.

Email Blasts

Email updates done periodically are another great way to update your current and potential customers on industry and company updates or share-worthy news. People must opt-in to your email list and this makes the list very valuable as they are giving you permission to reach out to them. You should definitely place an email signup box on your website or blog and make sure the signup option is visible.
While it does take some time to craft the content for an email newsletter, the effort is minimal and the results can be exceptional. Remember that you can use your blog content as part of your email newsletter. One strategy to integrate your blog into your emails is to create teasers that link to specific blog posts.

Video

Using video as a marketing tool is another way you can draw audiences in. With platforms such as YouTube offering the capability to create and share videos of any length, and Facebook and Instagram offering live video options, there are a variety of ways in which your audience can interact with your content. From video tutorials to vlogs to real-time sharing through live videos, the opportunities video content marketing offers are vast.
While video can be a bit more expensive, there are plenty of ways to keep costs low, such as using a smartphone or laptop camera and using video editing apps that are free.

Recycling Your Content

If your budget is small, it may be a stretch to continually have hours spent on creating new content for your blog or social media. One way to solve this is to recycle old content. Chances are you have newsletters, blog posts and social media messages that contain content that is “evergreen”. Evergreen content is content that is not time-sensitive and can be used again in the future.

The Bottom Line: Quality Content

The bottom line is to always make sure your business is producing quality content. Make your blogs, tweets, emails, and everything in between the best they can be. Audiences respond to quality over quantity, so take your time in producing your content and make sure that your content fits your target audience.