Evergreen content: How to make your blog content last
It’s one thing to post blog content, but it’s another to utilize that content properly in your marketing strategy. Making your blog content last should be a key part of your overall content strategy. While some of the content you will write is time-sensitive (related to current events, technology, and/or trends) some of your content will be what we call “evergreen content”.
But I’m not writing about trees…
Evergreen blog content will be just as relevant in the future as it is the day you post it. It’s called evergreen content because, like an evergreen tree that keeps on growing green needles year round, it has the potential to keep driving traffic to your website. Content that isn’t evergreen usually doesn’t sustain traffic over the long-term. In fact, most blog posts that are time sensitive usually have a shelf-life of 6 months or shorter.
While writing blog content about current trends, seasonal topics, and industry statistics is important to show that you understand your industry and where it is going in the future, writing evergreen content will have a positive effect on your marketing efforts overall.
What’s so great about evergreen content?
Evergreen content is great because it:
Ranks well in search results: Evergreen content, by nature, should use key words that people will continue to search for. If it is well-optimized for search engines (consider length, the number of times you have used your keyword, image tags, etc.) then it will rank higher.
Gives you more owned content to share on social media.
Increases web traffic, which means more opportunities to close the deal.
The best approach to writing evergreen blog content
Simple is always best when it comes to evergreen content – you have to get back to the basics.
Think of topics that are conceptual that form the foundational knowledge of your industry and explore those concepts in your blog content. When you think about it, this type of content isn’t really written for experts, it’s written for people that want to know more about your industry, so gear it towards a beginner audience.
Topically, Evergreen blog content topics have generally been covered before – a lot. Your challenge lies in putting your own twist on the content. You have to make it fit your brand personality to make your blog stand out over others out there. A good place to start when selecting a topic that makes sense to your brand is to consider frequently asked questions about your product or service. That way you can make it more about what you have to offer rather than just general industry information. If you find your topic seems too broad, break it down into a series of blog posts. For example, rather than writing a blog about Media relations, I might write a series of articles entitled “How to build your media list,” “How to write the best media pitch,” “How to connect with your media contacts,” and “what happens after your media campaign.”
Your format should also be quite simple. Here are a few formats to keep you on track:
Listicles (fancy name for a list-style article)
Top tips
How to tutorials
Product reviews (Caution: These can expire if a newer model comes into play)
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
You still have work to do once you write it!
Once you have written your evergreen blog content, you need to make sure you use it as an outreach tool to connect with your audience. There are two key things you can do:
Make the content easily searchable on your website so it’s not lost in cyberspace somewhere. You can do this a few different ways: Have a “featured blog” section on your landing page; include a search function on your website.
Use your social media as a channel to get your evergreen content out there… And do it often. Most people don’t realize that they can keep sharing evergreen blog content quite frequently for years to come. Keep a list of your evergreen blog content and revisit it often when you are putting your weekly/monthly content calendar together.
If you are having trouble seeing how evergreen blog content can fit into your strategy, we can help set you on the right track by looking at topics and formats that make sense. Give us a call to get started today!