Content marketing is a great way for modern businesses to attract and retain customers. To truly reap the benefits, you’ll need to produce content that is relevant and helpful to your target consumers. Otherwise, you’ll only be wasting your time and resources on content that no one will read.
However, staying relevant can be difficult in a world where media trends are constantly changing. To help you create content with a long shelf life and “evergreen” appeal, follow these tips from Forbes Agency Council.
Members of Forbes Agency Council offer their best tips for writing content that will have a long shelf life.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Add Unique Insights
Anyone can recap the news or the latest buzzword bingo term. Having a strong point of view with a specific direction gives you a position of differentiation and something worth thinking about. – Whitney Fishman, Wavemaker
2. Be Relevant
The relevance of the topic is the biggest determinant of the shelf life of content. Are you writing about something trendy today or something that has been established over a period of time? Trends come and go and can be good topics, but the content loses relevance as the trend fades. I also find that instructional content tends to have a longer shelf life. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding
3. Address Common Human Elements
Write articles that are in line with your product development or branding aspirations. Furthermore, write to appeal to the human elements that remain constant: fear, love, happiness, greed, desire. Contrast “The Fear of the Fallen: 5 Reasons to Rise” with “January’s Detailed Report.” There is no comparison. Choose intentional topics and address common humanity. – Evangeline Sutton, Regenerative Marketing LLC
4. Bring A Fresh Perspective To Your Audience’s Biggest Question
Your content will survive the test of time if it addresses the biggest question your audience has on the topic and offers a strategic yet practical and tangible answer to their question. Don’t simply repeat what has been said about the subject before; find your own voice and express a point of view that offers deep insights and a fresh perspective. – Inna Semenyuk, InnavationLabs
5. Think Beyond Your Brand
Communications professionals live and breathe their own messaging, which often renders their content overly promotional or self-serving. When it comes to creating lasting content, it’s essential to think beyond your own brand. If you can provide new information, a unique point of view or actionable guidance on matters of broad importance, you’ll gain credibility and keep readers coming back. – Jade Rose Faugno, Intermarket
6. Share Practical Advice
Providing specific advice, tips and actionable steps will keep readers coming back over time. Content that is generic or broad in nature may be read once but doesn’t tend to create longevity. On the other hand, content that has a focus on specific steps and relevant advice can compel readers to return to your content and give it a longer shelf life. – Stephanie Shreve, PowerChord
7. Make Your Point Of View Shine Through
No matter what you are writing you have to have a strong point of view. There are a million articles about everything out there, but the articles/books/stories that rise to the top are the ones where the author’s point of view is clear. A strong point of view will set you apart and connect your reader to you. – Zachary Binder, Bell + Ivy
8. Be Simple, Direct And Honest
In a world fraught with competition for mindshare, it’s important to simply say what you want to say. Too many people use superfluous words or technical jargon because they think it helps them sound “smart,” but it’s simply a distraction to readers who want the plain, simple truth in an easily digestible manner. – Ilissa Miller, IMiller Public Relations
9. Meet The Short- And Long-Term Needs Of Your Audience
The key to producing great evergreen content is making sure that you are on top of the needs of your audience. Part of the needs of your clients include things that are at the top of their concerns. You need to know what the temporary needs of your audience are as well as the long-term needs. You will then be able to do your homework and find the best options for you as well as know what to expect. – Jon James, Ignited Results
10. Update Your Best Content Periodically
You’re not writing a book that’s printed and done. Digital mediums enable us to constantly keep our articles up-to-date. If you want a long shelf life, then change the stale content! We have a “content library” for every client that we’re perpetually working on improving for organic search ranking, social media sharing and conversion optimization. – Douglas Karr, DK New Media
11. Simplify Complex Concepts
Good content offers value. Material that is groundbreaking is excellent for academic research and industry advancements. Simplifying existing concepts for average readers of diverse disciplines is also of great importance. Simple content that clarifies complex concepts and helps the readers connect dots is more memorable, typically earns more readership and lasts longer. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing
12. Consider The Changing Context Of Your Industry
When creating “evergreen content,” we are tempted to focus on individual tools and tricks that will probably soon be outdated. For example, when talking about visual search, don’t focus your entire article on the Google Lens or Pinterest Lens or any piece of technology that will be dated. Write more about how it will change the way we search and the thesis behind these patents. – Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
13. Turn Your FAQs Into Articles
The same questions that are asked often usually end up as Google search suggestions. These can become instant articles you write, and they will last much longer than an individual blog post on some breaking news topic. Moreover, you can revisit those posts yearly and keep them up-to-date. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
