For journalists, so-called “evergreen” stories can be a life-saver on a slow news day.
These are stories that a reporter can dip into at any time: the intersection that’s a constant traffic head-ache, a profile of someone with an unusual hobby, or a long-unresolved mystery.
These stories are useful, or at least interesting, and provide a nice balance to more immediate pieces of breaking news.
The same thing applies to the digital marketing content your company produces: you’ll serve your readers well by providing a mix of evergreen content that lasts for months, and more timely pieces that your audience needs ASAP.
What is evergreen content?
Just like the shrubbery outside your office, evergreen content post stays fresh all year round. It can include things like:
- Case studies and Portfolio Posts telling readers how you solved a problem for a customer
- A guide on what NOT to do when dealing with a common industry problem
- A list of industry resources or best practices
If you’re in a service-based business, you might want to create a how-to guide: How to tell when your furnace needs to be replaced. How you know when your car needs new tires.
These might be different in, say, 20 years as your industry changes, but they still offer long term value for your potential customers.
Why is evergreen content useful?
First, there’s not that much work required. Once you’ve created the content, you can repurpose it again and again.
Just make sure your links are updated and your references are current. Just as evergreen trees still need water and sunlight to remain alive, your evergreen content needs relevant information to stay viable. But because the content is designed to stick around, it will pick up page authority as time goes on. When your content has a higher rank and authority, it’s more likely to show up in search results.
What is timely content?
Let’s say you’re a company that makes chocolates. It’s obviously important for you to promote your Valentine’s Day deals in January and February, but your blog post won’t be as useful in July.
Or perhaps you’re heading to a trade show, and want to let potential customers know where to find you on the convention floor. Your blog is the perfect place to do that.
And maybe you’ve hired a sales manager, or hosted an industry event. That’s news worth sharing.
These posts have value. They tell your audience things about your business they otherwise wouldn’t know, and they can help personalize your company. If, for example, readers see that you’ve hosted an industry event, it shows you’re a leader in your field.
What content should I post? Evergreen or timely?
There’s no right answer here. Posting only pieces that are designed to last for months or even years can make you seem distant.
But if everything you write loses relevance after a few days, you’re doing yourself – and your audience – a disservice.
The industry rule we’ve seen – and tend to agree with – is 80/20: Make 80 percent of your content evergreen, and the rest timely.
If you need help creating that content, turn to IQnection. Our digital marketing team is adept at creating blogs, case studies and other content that tells the world what your company is doing, and attracts your ideal customers.
