Kristine
In 2017, digital marketing experts stated that the average American adult is exposed to over 4,000 ads per day. However, people tend to tune out when they hear or see ads that aren’t relevant to them. For instance, do you remember the last commercial you overheard on the radio? Can you name the company featured on a banner ad on the last website you visited? It doesn’t mean you’re unobservant if you can’t remember; it’s just a result of the relentless advertisements you see every day.
To cut through the noise of YouTube ads, TV commercials, Facebook ads, and all other kinds of sponsored content, business leaders have to think of marketing in a new light. “The days of generic TV ads speaking to everyone and their dog around the globe are long gone,” says social media consultant, Dakota Shane. “Nowadays, you have the ability, and privilege, to speak directly to your core audience, so take advantage of it.”
Now, you might be thinking, That sounds cool and all, but how do I find my audience without ads? This is where the beauty of evergreen content comes into play.
What is Evergreen Content?
Evergreen content was, rather poetically, named after the unmistakable conifer trees that stay green throughout the entire year. Evergreen content includes valuable messages and/or highly relevant information that will stay relevant for a long time to come. Even months after you publish a piece of evergreen content, readers will continue to visit the blog and take your advice into account. Like an evergreen tree, this type of content will stay fresh and eye-catching for several months, even years, into the future.
Advantages of Evergreen Content
This probably goes without saying, but creating original content is far superior to traditional advertising techniques. Even digital strategies like banner ads or other display ads are becoming less effective; according to marketing genius Neil Patel, “54% of users don’t click banner ads because they don’t trust them and a whopping 33% of internet users find them completely intolerable.” Patel also reports a phenomenon called “banner blindness,” a common technique that 86% of internet users have developed in an attempt to avoid viewing or clicking on ads.
People who routinely read articles, watch videos, or consume other online media will continue to find ways to block out or ignore ads. When marketers abandon old-fashioned advertisements in favor of creating evergreen content, they will start to experience positive results, such as:
- High ROI. When you put together a great keyword strategy, select a highly relevant topic, and conduct careful research, you’re on the right path towards an extremely high ROI. The key is combining these three crucial elements to create an informative and entertaining article that your audience will actively seek out on their own.
- More leads at a lower cost. Major corporations used to spend millions of dollars per year just to reach a national or global audience. Today, reaching consumers around the world is easier than ever, and advertisers can create effective campaigns with a yearly budget of a few thousand dollars.
- Personal connections. By creating timeless, relevant content, you’re encouraging your followers and customers to leave comments, discuss the topic further, and interact with your brand more often. You can share your blogs on your social media pages to connect with your audience directly, or you could even look into installing a chatbot on your website to answer your customers’ questions immediately!
- Accurate tracking methods. It’s nearly impossible to track the real-time effectiveness of traditional marketing efforts, but you can do this accurately with content marketing strategies. There are an array of tools retailers can use to analyze past data and track customer behaviors in real time. You can easily keep tabs on your evergreen content and see how it helps your overall ROI in the long run.
Ideas for Your Next Blog Post
Now that you know what evergreen content is and what it can do for your company, you can start thinking about selecting a topic, which is often the most difficult part. Well, and actually writing about the topic… but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The most important thing to remember when you’re creating evergreen content is that the topic must have a long lifespan. Writing about the latest trends or fads might give you some attention in the short run, but in a week or two, those subjects will be old news. Some ideas for timeless evergreen posts can include:
- How-to/DIY articles. I think it’s safe to say that pretty much everyone with access to the internet has Googled how to do a certain task, and there are hundreds of articles that provide step-by-step answers to these queries. Whether you want to learn how to change a tire, sew on a button, or correctly spell “onomatopoeia,” experts on these subjects are more than happy to help. If you can create a how-to article for customers within your specific industry niche, it will most likely become one of the most popular blogs on your website.
- Definitions of common industry terms/concepts. No matter what industry you work in, there are probably a number of words and concepts you could explain to your audience in further detail. Think about people who don’t know a lot about your industry, but might need the services or products you provide; how can you educate them and prove that you have expertise in your field?
- FAQ page. When you constantly receive the same questions from your followers and customers, it’s definitely worth your time to publish your answers to your blog. Your audience will feel like you truly listened to them, and new customers can gain the answers they need right away.
- Address your company’s values. Identify the core values of your organization, and explain to your followers how your business takes these values to heart. Think about how your company positively contributes to the local community, to your customers, and to society as a whole. Content like this will give people a great impression of your business, improve your online presence, and motivate you to stick to these core values for years to come.
Writing Evergreen Content
Creating any kind of high-quality content requires research, careful editing, and hours of writing (and re-writing), and some business leaders simply don’t have this kind of time. This is where our Content Cucumber writers can help!
For a flat monthly rate, you can receive numerous articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and more from our talented team of writers and editors. Just fill out a quick form, summarize what you’d like us to write about, and receive up to 400 words per day to publish to your blog. If you’re not completely blown away by our writing, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee; so go ahead and submit a sample request today!
