When it comes to creating high-impact evergreen marketing content, where should you start? A great first step is to put yourself in the shoes of your customers. In other words, identify the topics that will offer the greatest value to them. That value can come in the form of actionable advice, practical tips, or insights that make life easier. Think of your content suite as an asset that, over time, builds customer familiarity, trust, and loyalty.
If you’re a small business owner with an ever-growing list of competing priorities (we get it!), you need to be sure that time spent on content marketing is generating a return. If ROI is your goal, it’s worth noting that not all marketing content is created equally. Some types of content offer a bigger bang for your buck.
Enter evergreen content. Evergreen content involves the sort of topics that customers can refer to again and again. Often published in the form of blogs, articles, videos, or infographics, it addresses concepts and ideas that are timeless—in turn, offering sustained, practical utility. Unlike trend-based blogs, news articles, or stats-driven pieces that cover a particular point in time, evergreen content typically builds organic traffic volume the longer it lives on your website.
So, what does this mean for you? Doubling down on evergreen content in your marketing strategy offers a few perks:
- Search engine optimization: Improves SEO, driving a steady stream of visitors to your website over time (more on this below).
- Social media: Offers great social media fodder. Think of content that you can quickly re-tool for Instagram or Facebook posts.
- Brand-building: Helps build your brand as a thought leader in your industry.
- Customer value: Showcases your expertise and acumen to customers, while also arming them with knowledge they can actually use.
To jump start your evergreen content plan, below are some effective formats to consider:
- Step-by-step: Help your readers solve a new challenge or undertaking in clear and concise steps. Example: How to create a beautiful floral arrangement at home in five easy steps.
- Q&A: Walk in the shoes of your customers and answer the questions keeping them up at night. Example: Your biggest questions about home gardening, answered.
- Quick tips: Share your approach to a customer’s challenge through a set of punchy, “snackable” advice. Example: Ten tips to avoid writer’s block.
- Failure points: Offer pragmatic guidance that helps readers avoid common roadblocks. Example: When interviewing job candidates, steer clear of these pitfalls.
- Checklists: Do some of the work for your customers—give them an idea of all the items or tasks they’ll need to anticipate in their next endeavor. Example: An essential checklist for planning your next large event.
Like we mentioned above, evergreen content is a surefire way to improve your search rankings. When packed with heavily-searched key words, these pieces drive organic traffic to your website. Evaluate Google key word search volume to determine what those terms are, and weave them into your blogs, articles, video descriptions, etc. Once you’ve published a few pieces of content, keeping a pulse on website traffic is a great proxy to gauge whether your approach is driving customer awareness and demand.
We live in a world where many of us self-identify as obsessive Googlers. Evergreen content helps your small business make the most of today’s internet-captivated society. Packed with the right key words, evergreen content sustains a healthy flow of visitors to your website. When answer-seeking readers stumble upon your page, they’ll not only gain the clarity that they need, but they’ll also better understand and trust that you can help. The ultimate win-win.
