Marketing to new consumers is now so expensive that it's stopping many companies from becoming profitable or reaching their full potential.

But acquiring new customers is important. A broader customer base means more buyers, which translates to more revenue as well as a higher market share. It’s because of these benefits that brands prioritize customer acquisition over retention.

In 2024, the acquisition of new customers was the third most important metric for measuring marketing effectiveness. To acquire new customers, you don’t have to outspend. 

Content marketing, when done strategically, can dramatically lower your customer acquisition costs while building stronger, longer-lasting relationships with your audience. Success, however, lies in using the right hacks.

Here, we’ll share some content marketing strategies that can help you grow your customer base without burning through your budget.

#1 Target 'People Also Ask' Questions

Those expandable question boxes that you see in Google search results are ‘People Also Ask’ or PAA sections. These show users questions related to their original query, helping them find more information without a new search.

Creating content that directly answers these questions can put your business right in front of people who are actively searching for your solutions. This lowers your customer acquisition costs, as it attracts highly qualified traffic to your site without you paying for a single ad.  

Tools like Semrush, AlsoAsked, and AnswerThePublic can help you find a comprehensive list of related PAA questions. These tools can show you what questions people are asking and how many people are searching for them. This insight allows you to prioritize questions with strong interest but low competition, significantly improving your chances of ranking.

Once you have your list of questions, weave them into your content naturally. A Q&A or FAQ format is a perfect fit for PAA. Answer the question as directly as you can. This way, Google knows exactly what your content covers.

#2 Win a Spot in AI Overviews

Do you know that 13% of Google searches now feature an AI Overview? Getting your content featured in an AI Overview can bring a huge amount of visibility and free traffic to your website. This can help slash your customer acquisition costs. 

To optimize for AI Overview results, create clear, well-structured content that directly answers specific questions. Use headers, bullet points, and numbered lists to make your information easy for AI to parse and extract.

Take the railroad lawsuit, for example. An article published in JD Supra reveals that railroad workers face a greater risk of developing cancer compared to people in other professions.

According to Gianaris Trial Lawyers, the risk of esophageal cancer is particularly high among railroad workers. As a result, workers exposed to dangerous substances linked with cancers of the esophagus are filing lawsuits.

Not surprisingly, “railroad lawsuit esophageal cancer” generates 320 searches monthly in the U.S. 

If you run a personal injury law firm, you could create content explaining the lawsuit, its causes, and workers’ rights. Structure it clearly and address every key question with simple, helpful explanations. Doing so greatly increases your chances of appearing in Google’s AI Overviews.

#3 Publish Evergreen Content

Trending topics might get you quick traffic spikes. But evergreen content is what builds sustainable, long-term customer acquisition.

Evergreen content is a compounding asset. You invest the time to create it once, and it can drive organic traffic to your website indefinitely with almost no extra effort.

This improves your visibility in search results and consistently attracts new visitors. Over time, this stream of free traffic helps to significantly lower your customer acquisition costs. 

Tailwind is a great example. When this open-source CSS framework noticed competitors were ahead on SEO, it started creating more content to fix this. After only 7 months, its blog traffic went up 9 times. It earned 900 new customers with one single blog post. That shows a great return on investment.  

Comprehensive guides, tutorials, and educational resources that address fundamental challenges in your industry are great. These pieces become valuable assets that work for your business 24/7, reducing the need for expensive paid advertising campaigns.

Don’t forget to update your evergreen content periodically to keep it fresh and accurate. Add new examples, update statistics, or expand sections based on reader feedback. This minimal maintenance keeps your content competitive and ensures it continues serving your audience effectively.

Attracting New Customers Without Breaking the Bank

Slashing your customer acquisition costs doesn’t mean you must cut corners. 

You can consistently attract customers without constant spending if you follow these tips. These strategies work because they keep compounding over time. The small, consistent actions you take today can produce outsized results months or years down the line.

The key is patience and persistence, however. The results will not happen overnight. But the payoff is a healthier, more sustainable business.