The $400 Content System That Every Business Should Have.

It’s 11:47 p.m.

Your Meta ads dashboard is open. Numbers are not what you hoped they’d be. CAC’s creeping up again. And before you know it, you’re scrolling through TikTok because that’s the only place your brain can still breathe.

Then you see it.

Some kid is holding an iPhone and a protein bar. He says three sentences, laughs, and then the camera cuts to a stranger on the street saying, “Wait, this is actually good.”

1.2 million views.

And all you can think is: How?

He’s just a kid. He doesn’t have a team. He doesn’t have an agency. The lighting’s terrible. The mic is crooked.

But somehow, he’s winning.

Meanwhile, you just blew five figures on “UGC packages,” and most clips came out feeling forced and inauthentic. Basically, everything was dead on arrival.

It’s frustrating. Especially when you know your product is ten times better.

But it doesn’t matter how awesome your product is, if nobody’s seeing it.

So you close the app, stare at your dashboard again, and think,

“There has to be a better way.”

Well…..there is. And you can achieve it with under $400 a month.

The problem isn’t that you don’t know you need content. You’re absolutely aware of that.

It’s just that every “content strategy” out there seems built for people who aren’t actually running businesses.

The influencer who says “just post every day” doesn't have to deal with 3PLs, client returns, and making payroll.

You do.

That’s why most founders either:

1. Overthink their content and build a six-month plan that they never launch or

2. Outsource it and pray the agency “gets” it right the first time.

And looking at what we’ve been hearing from our community, neither seems to work for long.

The truth is, you don’t need a whole department to achieve digital “omnipresence”.

If you’ve got $400, we’re going to show you how to build a small, repeatable content engine that keeps moving even when things get crazy in your business.

Most people complicate this whole thing.

They’ll tell you to build a content calendar, study viral trends, hire a videographer, and spend weeks planning a single shoot. But in reality, you don’t need any of that.

Here’s what you actually need:

Camera: Any iPhone works, ideally from the 13 onward. Don’t overthink it. The camera in your pocket is already good enough to hit millions of views.

Microphone: If you want to keep it simple, grab the PQRQP mic for about $30. It plugs straight into your iPhone and works perfectly.

If you want cleaner audio, the DJI Mic Mini Combo ($99) will feel like cheating.

Lights: You don’t need to go over the top. A NiceVeedi Studio light kit ($49) for clean white light will do.

If you want to add color or mood, the VIJIM VL120 lights ($40) are great.

And if we’re being totally honest, you could skip all of this and still win with just your iPhone and some natural light.

Founder: 2 hours per week. That’s four 30-minute sessions spread through the week. You’re the face, the voice, and the insight.

Social media person: 5 hours per week. They’ll help with scripting, recording, and uploading.

Editors: $250 per month. We’ll show you how to find good ones in a second.

That’s it.

If you can spare that much time and budget, you can produce three to five great pieces of content every week, on repeat.

You don’t need a big crew. And you definitely don’t need a six-figure budget.

Start where your audience already lives…TikTok. Search a few hashtags in your niche and scroll.

Once you find a format or video you like, deconstruct it.

Ask,

“Why did this make me pause?”

Here’s an example:

Let’s break it down:

The angle here is “My Best Advice for [ICP]”

Let’s say you’re a mom’s brand. In your case it can be “My Best Advice for New Moms” if you’re selling a baby product, you get the idea.

Come up with 5 pieces of advice for new moms.

Here are some examples:

Write them down on a piece of paper now. This entire process should take about five minutes and it’ll give you momentum.

And that beats weeks and weeks of unnecessary planning.

Once you’ve got your ideas, it’s time to bring them to life. And yes, you can use ChatGPT for this.

Literally talk to it like a person.

This is what you’ll need to say:

GPT will give you 5–10 scripts. Review them, and if you like any, send them to your social media person.

Repeat for every idea and save these in a document or Notion or whatever you use.

Can’t your social media person do this by themselves? Sure. But the best scripts will come from your own brain because they carry your voice and knowledge not someone else’s.

You’re not writing an ad. You’re sharing your experience. And that’s what people are going to connect with.

Once the scripts are ready, your social media person can take over.

Here’s the message you need to send to them:

Then schedule one hour with this person per week.

They should have a ready corner in your office or wherever, just a place with good lighting, and everything set up.

Your social media person will now direct this recording session, help you get the lines right if you mess up, make sure it’s recording well, angle is correct, etc.

Make sure you have a computer close to you so you can read the script.

If you mess up, don’t stop. Keep talking. You can pause or retake within the same clip.

The point is to keep it natural. Don’t chase a “perfect” delivery.

By the end of that hour, you should have three to five clips ready for editing.

There are amazing editors everywhere who’ll happily work with you for $20 per video or less and even cheaper in bulk.

Here’s how to find them:

1. Go to Instagram and find posts like this where video editors showcase their work. Comment “Looking for an editor.” You’ll get flooded with DMs.

2. Browse their profiles. Ask for Rates and Portfolio. $15-20 for a 1 minute videos is average.

3. Pick one and schedule a quick call. (If you want)

When you send footage, keep things organized. Create folders for each video, and inside each folder, include:

Send everything via Google Drive or WeTransfer.

Then tell your editor:

You’ll get clean, scroll-stopping videos back within a few days.

This is where most founders freeze. They get the edits back and start second-guessing every detail.

The lighting. The thumbnail. The caption. Don’t do that.

If it’s good enough, just post.

The point of this system isn’t to be perfect. It’s supposed to build momentum and consistency.

Write a short, witty caption that feels like something you would say. Then publish it.

Pay attention to what performs. Watch the comments. See what people react to.

And do the entire thing all over again.

Because it’s human. There’s no overproduction. No fake energy. No endless planning.

Just simple, consistent storytelling from the people who actually run the brand.

And the truth is ,in today’s doomscrolling world, that’s what customers want .

They want to see you, hear you and understand your product through your words, not through an overpolished campaign.

This system builds that connection. It’s lightweight, fast, and cheap. And it’s something you can easily repeat and scale.

So, get out there, and start creating TODAY…not tomorrow….TODAY.

And once you’ve done this for a month, you’ll have a consistent rhythm and at least 12-20 pieces of content, multiple touchpoints with your audience, and a steady stream of brand awareness.

Not too shabby for less than $400 a month huh?

If you’re already creating content. Don’t let it get lost. It can change your business overnight.

Refunnel automatically collects every Story, tag, and mention from creators — so you can turn organic buzz into repeatable campaigns.