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When it comes to evergreen content, your association is going to want in. It’s a content source that keeps members coming back for more, no matter the lifespan of your content piece.
Much of the content businesses and associations generate is here one minute and gone the next. News keeps coming in, data keeps changing, and our attention spans are short. We move on to the next thing on our agenda and stay focused on the content marketing road ahead. However, some of our older content may end up doing the heavy lifting when it comes to generating traffic. This is where evergreen content comes in.
When it comes to evergreen content, your association is going to want in. It’s a content source that keeps members coming back for more, no matter the lifespan of your content piece. So, how can your association get started in producing long-lasting content that will take its web traffic over the top? Let’s look at what evergreen content is, why it works so well, and how your association can start creating some content that lasts.
When looking at the concept of evergreen content, it’s important to focus on the keyword: Evergreen. Evergreen is just that - always fresh, always relevant, always lasting. From season to season- and sometimes for years to come- good evergreen content remains timely and continues to generate interest from your audience. So, what separates evergreen content from a traditional content piece? There are a few different things. Evergreen content differs from other content which may only stay relevant for a short time, such as industry news, ever-changing statistical data, or speculative articles about the future of the industry. Despite the changing times, evergreen content remains valuable with little to no revisions or updates.
Evergreen content also tends to be longer (although not necessarily), and requires more thought to execute effectively. In order to create a piece of content with lasting impact, you will have to invest more time in your planning and execution. However, though the effort required to create evergreen content is greater, so are the rewards, making it a key component to any content strategy.
A few great examples of evergreen content your association can adopt into its own content plan:
But don’t let this list limit you in your quest for the ultimate evergreen content. Your association can come up with a variety of ways to get unique, long-lasting content to its members!
Content with staying power is something that your association will continue to benefit from well after its publish date. While other one-off content may be good to maintain your viewership and create a temporary burst of shares, a well-executed piece of evergreen content will remain high in search engine rankings and continue generating shares over time. The best content will be a consistent contributor to website traffic and end up driving leads for your association. When a piece of content retains relevance and popularity for so long, it also becomes a piece of your association’s identity. Evergreen content can become a fixture in your search engine rankings and a common point of first contact with potential members. Good evergreen content will represent your brand in a positive light and remain relevant to the interests and values of your association - one more reason to put considerable thought into what you create.
And that’s not all - evergreen content can boost your association’s credibility and overall online presence. If you can create content that stands the test of time and remains true no matter when audiences discover it, your association will be known amongst your viewers as a credible source of information. This influences customer engagement and potential membership sales in the long run.
So, let’s take a look at a few key components that all evergreen content should accomplish for your association’s content readers:
Your audience shares common struggles and pain points in their day. Try to think about a specific subset of your audience and an issue that will strike a chord for them.
With any content piece, you should always strive to solve a problem for your audience. By searching for content on industry-related topics, they’re already seeking advice and solutions to a question or concern they have. If you can provide them with the answers they need, you’ll keep them engaged. If you are successful in speaking to their needs and providing them with real, actionable solutions, you will have a valuable piece of content with real emotional weight.
If you’re creating rich content, especially lengthy content, it is essential to maintain clarity and flow. Your instinct may to be to pack as much insightful information as possible into what you create, but this approach will work against you. Keep it simple, readable, and easy to follow. Have a clear outline and help the viewer get from point A to point B without straining to put the pieces together.
A great way to promote organization within your evergreen content is to come up with a constant outline you can use for every content piece. Brainstorm a format that works best for your association, its online platform, and its audience.
Make sure to get the most of a good piece of content by being thoughtful about your SEO and populating your work with relevant keywords. It would be a shame if a good piece of content went to waste simply because of search rankings!
Evergreen content often takes the form of a blog post, but be sure to use other visual media as well! In 2016, 60% of marketers used video content in their social media strategy. In addition, 73% of marketers planned on increasing video content in the future. Marketers know the power of successful video content- and video content can make for great evergreen content.
Video, infographics, and checklists can not only work as stand-alone evergreen content, they can also enhance your written work and create excitement for the reader.
Don’t let your brilliant work get buried by your other content; give it time to flourish. Follow through on promotion of your content piece through your social media channels. Feature it in a “Top Posts” section on your blog page, or as part of your email newsletter. You can also link back to your evergreen posts in your other content, to help continue driving traffic even as time goes on. Make sure you also provide social sharing buttons so that you continue to gain exposure through social channels as well.
If you are already busy creating content for your organization, you may already have some evergreen content working for you. By examining your analytics, you can find older blog posts or other media that are still chugging along, generating traffic. Take a look and see what stands out about these. What is resonating with your audience? Use this to help plan for your next piece of content and help drive traffic for years to come!
