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Any online business owner knows the struggle of consistently creating new and exciting content for their website. It’s an endless challenge that can take up a ton of time and money. If you’re bootstrapping on a budget, however, hiring writers or graphic designers may not be an option.
The importance of content marketing in the digital age cannot be denied. The good news is there are plenty of resources out there for budget-savvy marketers and business owners to spruce up their sites with fresh ideas and beautiful content.
The Importance of Content
Even SEO novices know that Google loves content. All of the experts say that the more content you produce, the better.
As an entrepreneur, you may have all the industry expertise in the world but may not have the skills to write an article to save your life. In an ever-expanding world of data and content you’ll need something to entice visitors, and to keep their attention while they’re there.
Free Articles
Getting free articles on your website might sound too good to be true, but there are several ways you can get written blog content for your site without paying a dime. One of the best ways to do this is to invite content marketers to guest post on your blog.
Do some research to determine the quality of the companies in your industry and then reach out with a personalized email. Another option is to conduct expert interviews using HARO (Help a Reporter Out). This is a free resource that is mutually beneficial for both sites looking for content and people looking to get backlinks.
There are also plenty of websites called “article spinners” out there that specialize in free blog content such as:
- Amazines
- Article Sphere
- ArticleCity
- Articles Factory
- EzineArticles
Using these types of sites, however, does come with a caveat. Articles from free sources can be helpful, but you have less control over the content, and depending on the usage license, your site may be sharing content with a competitor. It’s always best to ensure that whatever you post on your site is unique. Hosting an article that’s available on multiple sites isn’t worth the time unless you can add something new or easily gain exclusive rights to use it.
Free Images
Written content isn’t the only game in town when it comes to finding new and fresh content to spice up your website. Pictures are worth a thousand words so don’t forget this important category when looking for free content.
There is a multitude of websites that offer free stock images and photos as well as infographics that can really help to attract visitors to your website and make it look more attractive to customers.
Free Videos
Implementing high-quality and well-placed video onto your website can have an enormous impact on visitor engagement and conversion rate. Some studies show that video can boost conversion rates by up to 80%!
This is not to say that creating great video content is easy or cheap. Producing videos in-house can get quite expensive and requires some serious technical skills. That’s why utilizing resources that offer free stock videos can make all the difference.
Places to find free stock video:
Copyright-Free Music
Once you’ve put together some great videos using free stock footage, the next logical step is to add a powerful soundtrack. Background music is often unnoticed until it’s missing. Royalty-free music is an easy way to elevate a site or promotional materials, and it’s much cheaper than trying to hire a musician.
Keep it Fresh
Whatever methods you decide to use to add free content to your website, make sure to keep your customers’ needs and challenges in mind as you create. Customizing free content and tailoring it to your target audience is a great way to expand your content offerings while providing unique and helpful resources for your website’s visitors.
There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. Most sources of free content allow users to alter it for their needs, but make sure you read the user agreements. It’s usually best practice to attribute the original author’s or source, even if it’s not required.
