First of all, what is evergreen content? Evergreen content is content that stays fresh for a long time. It’s like a live Christmas tree as opposed to a cut Christmas tree. You can keep it, plant it, and/or use it again next year. It may be a solution to a problem, like Frequently Asked Questions, a research paper, or a tutorial. The best kind of content, in my opinion, is evergreen content. After all, you’re working hard to create content, so why not make it last a little longer.
What Isn’t Evergreen Content?
News is usually not evergreen content. Breaking news, in particular, flits across our screens and disappears in a matter of moments. Anything that is time-sensitive isn’t evergreen. Some trending topics may also disappear quickly.
Why Create Evergreen Content?
People are publishing more now than ever before. As this article from Copyblogger explains “…there is one type of content that can cut through the noise and deliver long-term results.” And by the way, notice that the article from Copyblogger is from 2016. So that says a lot right there! It’s still at the top of Google search results. And it’s still relevant in 2020!
How Do I Start Creating Evergreen Content?
Think about your successes as well as your failures. You may want to show off a client who succeeded because of your product or service. On the failure side, you may want to explain how things could have gone differently. A failure has the additional benefit of showing transparency. And also, you can use self-deprecating humor (my favorite!). You might like this article: How to Use Smart Failure and Learn Faster.
How-To Guides Can Be Helpful
Is there some area where your talent really shines? Then why not write a how-to guide? Recently, I saw a tweet and the tweeter asked What is a subject that you could talk about for an hour without notes? That could be your how-to guide. Simply talk and write down what you say for an hour. Or have a friend take notes for you .With a little massaging, that could be your how-to guide. Remember to address your specific audience when you write your how-to guide, as this article, 3 Ways to Write a How-to Guide from WikiHow reminds us.
Inspirational Pieces
Pieces that are particularly timeless can be inspirational pieces. Maybe you still remember what a beloved teacher or friend told you when you were in grade school. If you can inspire someone with your writing, that piece may last even longer than a how-to guide.
To Answer the Question
Evergreen content can be good for years, as evidenced by some of the evergreen articles I’ve referenced above. Whether that’s two, three, or more years, depends upon a few factors. Even if things change, you may be able to update your evergreen content. For instance, I recently updated this article: Three Business-Friendly Tools for Twitter. Perhaps there’s an older piece of content that you could update, too.
Questions?
Have any questions or comments? Let me know in the comments! And thank you.
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