Well, Toto, it’s official: we’re not in Kansas anymore. And by Kansas, we mean the Mad Men world of marketing.
Welcome to the future, where data and content and digital everything are the rules of the road. And for all that your content seems fresh right now, the future is pressing ever-closer to your content.
Basically, if you’re stuck in yesteryear assuming your content marketing is good forever, we’ve got some bad news. Shelf life isn’t what it used to be.
That said, there are ways to future-proof your content. Trust us, your content team will thank you. Here are a few key ways to maintain a library of fresh content.
Focus on Evergreen Content
No, we’re not talking about the tree (though evergreens are definitely your inspiration here).
Evergreen content is the SEO gift that keeps on giving. Like the evergreen tree, a symbol of perpetual life, evergreen content keeps its freshness for years to come. It’s the only type of content that’s considered sustainable and lasting.
And yes, we hear you, blog posts don’t disappear into the void after a set expiration date. Doesn’t that mean all content is sustainable?
No, not exactly.
Evergreen content isn’t about whether or not a post continues to exist, but rather how long it continues to stay relevant after its publication date. It continues to attract traffic over time, even growing its traffic over time.
Like we said, the gift that keeps on giving.
If you’re not sure about how to create evergreen content, think about content your customers will always benefit from. Common examples include instructional content, encyclopedia-style content, how-to guides, lists, etc.
A quick note: writing these types of content doesn’t automatically make your content evergreen. You also need an evergreen topic. But these styles lend themselves better to the evergreen format.
Don’t Neglect Long-Form Content
This ties into the second future-proofing tip: use long-form content instead of short bursts.
Listen, we get it. For some people, writing is a chore. And by a chore, we mean it’s like pulling out your wisdom teeth with rusty pliers.
It’s not your thing, it’s never been your thing, and it’s probably never going to become your thing. And that’s okay.
However, if you want to rank well, your site can’t demonstrate how much writing is not your thing. Looking at you, 300-word blog posts.
Based on science (a.k.a. SEO analytics on HubSpot data), blog posts in 2020 should average between 2,100 to 2,400 words. Yes, we know, that’s a lot of words when you struggle to come up with 300.
We’ll offer this caveat: not every post needs to be 2,000+ words. You shouldn’t write long-form content if you don’t have enough ideas to genuinely offer value in that word count. Also, long content won’t help if you don’t augment it with content marketing best practices, like the right keywords, good linking, etc.
That said, content at this length has to be instructional in some way in order to hit that word count. Creating guides with this word count in mind will serve you well.
Oh, and don’t forget to think quality over quantity. Find the magic number for blog frequency and only post that amount each month.
Plan Content Reviews
So, once the content goes live, you’re good, right?
Wrong.
You should have a content marketing strategy in place. But if you can’t measure it, then you haven’t really succeeded. To that end, you should build regular content reviews into your marketing team’s fixed calendar.
These content reviews are not intended to be a, “This is what we did this week,” presentation delivered with the gusto of a grade school book report in a Ferris Bueller-worthy monotone. These content reviews are a deep dive into the details of your strategy and how your content is and is not making the strategy happen.
If your content isn’t delivering on its promises, these reviews are your chance to get the ship back on course.
Keep It Customer-Centric
Finally, for the love of the content gods and the almighty Google, keep it customer-centric.
Remember, your customers are the reason you’re going through this whole content marketing goat and pony show in the first place. Your content isn’t addressed to the void, it’s addressed to your customers. It solves a problem for them, engages them, convinces them that you’re the best company out of every other company to solve a problem for them.
If you’re not creating content with your customers in mind, are you really content marketing? No. No, you are not.
Let Us Future-Proof Your Content Marketing
Ready to go forth and conquer the content world?
No? No worries.
We get it–content marketing isn’t everyone’s thing. But it’s your business on the line here. And if content marketing isn’t your thing, it’s time to invest in someone who brings the expertise your business needs.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. We know content as well as you know your business, and we’re in the business of providing content that achieves your goals.
Ready to see what content can really do for your company? Get in touch to learn more.