A recent study from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs revealed that top B2C performers spent 12 percent less on content marketing this year than they did in the previous year. You can read the full results in B2C Content Marketing 2018: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends – North America.

As content marketers specializing in B2B content marketing, we work with companies of all sizes and with a range of budgets. Bottom line: We think these findings are good news. It shows that less really can be more, and businesses with smaller budgets can compete in the digital marketing realm.

Here are two ways you can harness the power of content marketing on a small budget:

1. Build a content marketing strategy—and stick to it.

Working with a small budget makes it even more essential to plan carefully so that you can make the most of what you have. A successful content marketing plan in line with your company’s long-term goals focuses on the buyers you are trying to reach and their biggest concerns. If you know what your buyers’ most pressing needs are, you can create content around those needs that connects and converts. Also consider current trends and newsworthy items, as well as industry events.

Place your content marketing strategy front and center whenever decisions are made about new initiatives. Companies that succeed in content marketing make sure that everyone in the company is aware of the plan and the message. Neither haphazard one-time campaigns nor content overkill will do. Create a calendar and stick to it, leaving room to adjust as needed when plans or goals change.

2. Emphasize quality over quantity.

In our most recent whitepaper, we advised readers to be realistic when devising their content marketing plan for 2018. “Don’t overburden yourself with so many new initiatives that you don’t have time to give any of them the attention they deserve. The success of content marketing initiatives depends greatly on the quality of the work, so it is better to do fewer things better than to do many things poorly.” (Download our free whitepaper: 10 Digital Marketing Resolutions for 2018.)

Start with a blog every other week, shared on social media. Add a new resource a month to your website that you know your customers will find valuable. Take advantage of partners’ existing resources, such as whitepapers or technical literature that you can distribute via your own channels.

Keep in mind that content marketing is a long-game strategy. Success will not come overnight even for the most skilled marketers. Companies that invest wisely in quality and consistent content will see returns on their investment.

Do you want to improve your digital marketing strategy efforts in 2018? Download our 10 Digital Marketing Resolutions for 2018.

About 50 percent of respondents to the CMI-MarketingProfs survey outsource content creation to support their marketing strategy. If you’re looking for support in this area, please let us know: Contact 3 Aspens Media today.