Data from Statista shows that over four billion people were actively using the internet as of April 2019. This means, if you want to maximize your reach, you have to promote your content to these internet users.
That’s easier said than done, especially if you have a shoestring budget. So, how can you get people to notice your content even when you’re short of funds?
I’ve listed down inexpensive content promotion strategies that you can use to drive more traffic to your website.
Ways to Promote Your Content with Limited Budget
Content promotion isn’t just about traffic, it’s also an effective way to engage and win the trust of quality leads.
Remember, businesses, bloggers, and digital marketers who win at content marketing also savor high conversion rates.
Without further ado, let’s drill down on the top content marketing strategies that will also directly impact your bottom line:
1. Create Killer Content
People are hungry for value, and that’s what you need to serve them.
Your website needs to have relevant and informative content that can help your target audience with their goals. The question is, how do you make a killer content?
First, you have to identify your target audience. When you understand what your market craves, it’ll be much easier to craft a piece they can relate to and find helpful.
AnswerThePublic is an excellent starting point if you need relevant content ideas. Simply plug in any relevant keyword in your niche and watch the tool generate a “search cloud.”
Take a look at the example below for the keyword “content marketing.”
The headline also matters if you want people to read your content.
Statistics show that, on average, eight out of 10 people will read the headline. Sadly, only two out of 10 will read past the title.
That’s why your headlines need to generate curiosity, appear informative, and inspire clicks from your target audience.
Otherwise, all the money, effort, and time you put into content development will go to waste.
You also have to make sure that your message and ideas are easy to digest. Stay away from hifalutin words and complicated concepts.
I use the Headline Analyzer by CoSchedule to get actionable insights on how to improve my headlines. It breaks down factors such as word balance, keyword use, and user sentiment.
2. Bolster Your Email Strategy
According to Hubspot, 99 percent of consumers check their email every day.
If you want your content to get noticed, you need to take advantage of this consumer behavior.
The problem is, planning an email marketing campaign is a lot harder than it sounds.
There are several questions you need to answer before you can generate your first subscriber, such as:
Do you immediately send a message to your list once new content is published? Do you have a catchy subject line? Is your message personalized? Are you clear with your call-to-action?
These are some of the factors that you need to consider if you want to succeed. And with a tool like MailChimp, you can consolidate all aspects of your email marketing campaign into one interface.
Put simply, MailChimp is an email marketing platform that has every tool you need. You can manage your subscriber lists, create landing pages, and design professional-looking emails without writing a single line of code.
It even allows you to automate emails based on subscriber activity.
One automation workflow you can try now is a “Welcome” email. It lets you introduce your brand to new subscribers, set their expectations, and present them with useful links to your content.
3. Use Outstanding Visuals
Visuals are very powerful.
Here’s the thing: content with powerful photos is viewed 94 percent more.
This comes as no surprise — even I would prefer an article with strong visuals than just a giant wall of text.
So, if you want your content to be well-received, add powerful visuals to your articles or blog posts. Think creative photography, infographics, GIFs, memes, videos, and screenshots.
The good news is, you don’t need to hire a professional graphic designer to spice up your content with visuals.
Canva is a cloud-based tool that allows you to create stunning graphics in minutes. Simply create an account for free and choose from a variety of layouts that you can customize via the drag-and-drop editor.
4. Engage Your Audience via Q&A Sites
Next up, there are platforms out there where you can directly reach the audience and pull them into your site.
Social media groups, such as those that you can find on Facebook and LinkedIn, offer a great opportunity to engage your target audience.
We’ll talk about social media in a bit. What a lot of bloggers miss out on, however, is the traffic potential of Q&A websites like Quora.
If you’re unfamiliar with Q&A sites, they’re pretty much what they sound like.
Users post questions, other users provide answers.
By users, I mean people who use the platform for personal reasons or those who do it for marketing.
The game plan is simple: look for relevant questions and answer them while sliding in a link to your site. This alone generated hundreds of traffic to my website to date.
Quora marketing is, however, something that warrants a full-length tutorial. Luckily, you can get all the information for free from this Quora marketing guide I put together.
5. Maximize Your Social Media Presence
It’s no secret that more and more people are using social media platforms.
According to statistics, social network penetration is ever-increasing globally. This means you either develop a solid social media marketing strategy or watch as your competitors reap all the rewards.
Without a budget for paid ads, the least you can do is distribute content and build an organic following. Just remember to utilize visuals, create better titles, and optimize the descriptions of the posts you want to share.
Here are a few more tips to help you build traffic from social media:
Join Relevant Groups — Rather than posting willy-nilly on your profile, try joining relevant groups and sharing your content there.Listen to Social Media Mentions — You can search for your name on social media to jump into conversations that involve your brand. This is a great way to connect with warm leads or clarify any misinformation that may be spreading.Use Hashtags — Hashtags help make your content more discoverable, especially if you’re using social media platforms that support them.6. Try Guest Posting
Guest posting has two benefits for bloggers.
In addition to promoting your brand to a wider audience, guest posting also yields backlinks for higher search engine rankings.
Look for websites that fit your niche and take action. Unless your website is already established and you’ve already made a name for yourself, there’s no point sitting around just waiting.
A simple trick is to do a Google search with “footprints,” like:
Submit guest postWrite for usGuest post by
For example, if the keyword “gardening” is relevant to you, here’s a search phrase you can use:
Be proactive and search for sites that already have high traffic. Offer them your unique writing voice, expertise, and quality content — they should have no reason to turn you down since it’s essentially free content.
Conclusion
Effective content marketing not only drives traffic to your website, it also helps further your business goals. The secret is to maximize whatever resources you have and make sure that your brand message stays clear.
Experiment with different strategies and stick with those that deliver results. The digital landscape is evolving, and so should your strategies. Keep learning and keep trying because it’ll surely pay off.
Ankit is a professional blogger, affiliate marketer, consultant, trainer, public speaker and founder of MasterBlogging, where he is passionate about helping people generate a full-time income with blogging. You can follow him on twitter at @iAnkitSingla
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