Content is king, as they say. But that’s an unfortunate fact for site owners who are strapped for cash. Content isn’t cheap. And good content? That’ll cost you an arm and a leg (if you can even find it).
So, how are fledgling entrepreneurs supposed to up their content game without going bankrupt?
The issue here is that you can’t create unique, engaging, and targeted content if you’re nabbing an article that wasn’t written for your site. Also, there’s usually a catch. You may not be able to edit the content, or you may need to accept that you’re trading content for backlinks. Make sure to read the fine print before you post.
But, if you’re just trying to stock your site with some content to flesh it out a bit, then why pay?
Check out these free article directories:
But alas, creating your own content might not be as grueling as you think. Just remember, you don’t have to create all of your content. Instead, pick a creative skill that you enjoy and hone in on it. If you love playing guitar, write some original music (a jingle, perhaps?) or start a podcast with your audio equipment.
If you’re obsessed with TikTok, make some videos. And if you like writing poetry, you can turn your product descriptions into sonnets. That would be an attention-grabber!
The key takeaway? Create the type of content that you’re passionate about…and freeload the types that you aren’t.
So, why not start creating posts using images, GIFs, and memes? Buzzfeed has been doing it for years, and they’re doing fine.
Plus, there are loads of places to find free images online. Try these:
Unsplash: A huge trove of free high-quality images
GIPHY: All the GIFs you could dream of
Canva: Make your own charts, infographics, ads, emails, and way more
Try these:
Once your freebies run out, you’ll have to pay a subscription fee to get more articles. Paying for AI-generated content is much cheaper than paying a sad sack of skin and bones (aka a content writer) to do the job and robots never miss deadlines.
AI content generators deliver real, original content fast. This is super helpful when you’re trying to rank for lots of keywords and get some traffic flowing to your site.
But be warned: there’s a reason that content writers still have jobs. Content robots can create generic posts, but they’re no substitute for the real thing. You’ll need to edit the articles before you post—sometimes they come out sounding a little funky.
Why? Because content is not actually king. High-quality content is king. And free content is free for a reason. Use it until you get your feet wet, and then prioritize delivering valuable content to your loyal fans or customers.
So, how are fledgling entrepreneurs supposed to up their content game without going bankrupt?
There are a few content secrets out there that make stocking your site with content easy and free. We’ll clue you in below.
Free Articles Exist
Yes, there are free articles online that you can download and post on your blog. And yes, it’s 100% legal.The issue here is that you can’t create unique, engaging, and targeted content if you’re nabbing an article that wasn’t written for your site. Also, there’s usually a catch. You may not be able to edit the content, or you may need to accept that you’re trading content for backlinks. Make sure to read the fine print before you post.
But, if you’re just trying to stock your site with some content to flesh it out a bit, then why pay?
Check out these free article directories:
- Articles Factory
- EzineArticles
- Amazines
Download Free Video
Free video is much easier to find than free written content. You can download free video at a number of stock video sites. There is so much video out there that it’s not difficult to find high-quality videos that fit your niche.Sure, you might have to get a little creative to make pre-existing videos fit your brand, but that’s what comes with the cost of free.
Your best bet is to take a crash course in video editing (you probably have decent editing software on your computer already). Then, you can download free videos and slice them up to create something new. Add some music, a voiceover, or some of your own shots and voila!—you’ve got an engaging landing page video or ad.
Your best bet is to take a crash course in video editing (you probably have decent editing software on your computer already). Then, you can download free videos and slice them up to create something new. Add some music, a voiceover, or some of your own shots and voila!—you’ve got an engaging landing page video or ad.
Create Your Own Content
I know, this is what you’re trying to avoid, right? How do you get free content without doing anything? That’s the dream….But alas, creating your own content might not be as grueling as you think. Just remember, you don’t have to create all of your content. Instead, pick a creative skill that you enjoy and hone in on it. If you love playing guitar, write some original music (a jingle, perhaps?) or start a podcast with your audio equipment.
If you’re obsessed with TikTok, make some videos. And if you like writing poetry, you can turn your product descriptions into sonnets. That would be an attention-grabber!
The key takeaway? Create the type of content that you’re passionate about…and freeload the types that you aren’t.
Make Image-based Posts
If you can’t stand writing content, you’re in luck. The truth is, most people can’t stand reading it either. 91% of consumers prefer visual content over written content.So, why not start creating posts using images, GIFs, and memes? Buzzfeed has been doing it for years, and they’re doing fine.
Plus, there are loads of places to find free images online. Try these:
Unsplash: A huge trove of free high-quality images
GIPHY: All the GIFs you could dream of
Canva: Make your own charts, infographics, ads, emails, and way more
Think of a few post ideas and brainstorm how you can tell a story with images instead of words. Of course, you don’t need to abandon words completely. Add a couple of sentences after each image to guide the reader.
Hire a Robot Writer
AI content creation tools are here, and some of them aren’t that bad. Most have free trials, which means you can create a few unique AI-generated articles for nothing (and then switch to another tool to get even more!).Try these:
- Article Forge
- SEO Content Machine
- Articoolo
- Zyro AI Writer
Once your freebies run out, you’ll have to pay a subscription fee to get more articles. Paying for AI-generated content is much cheaper than paying a sad sack of skin and bones (aka a content writer) to do the job and robots never miss deadlines.
AI content generators deliver real, original content fast. This is super helpful when you’re trying to rank for lots of keywords and get some traffic flowing to your site.
But be warned: there’s a reason that content writers still have jobs. Content robots can create generic posts, but they’re no substitute for the real thing. You’ll need to edit the articles before you post—sometimes they come out sounding a little funky.
Freeloading is Fine—But not Forever
Free content is a great way to get the gears turning on your new website or blog. But as soon as you start growing, you should replace the free stuff with paid stuff.Why? Because content is not actually king. High-quality content is king. And free content is free for a reason. Use it until you get your feet wet, and then prioritize delivering valuable content to your loyal fans or customers.