We’ve previously discussed the importance of creating evergreen blog content. Creating lasting content is one of the key goals that Nao Media uses to create content for our clients. Evergreen content is the key to SEO success and getting on the first page of Google.
We also pinpointed three factors of creating last content: timeless, niche, and relevancy. So how do you go about creating marketing and branding content resonates for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come?
The first key is to differentiate marketing content for your brand and regular news stories and personal blog content. News stories are just that – news. It’s something relevant for the hour, or day, but is soon outdated and forgotten. Personal blog content has a longer shelf life than news stories, but its primary aim isn’t for business. And that’s the key difference – content related to your business, like what we provide at Nao Media, is used to build your brand and help customers find you.
So let’s put a number on what determines whether or not a blog post is “evergreen”. One of our most popular blog posts, “13 Crucial Personal Branding Tips”, was written over a year ago and still is widely read today! That’s getting the most out of your branding content. Here are four keys to create content that will be relevant this year, and beyond:
Title – The titles you use is the most important part of your online blog content. Quite simply, it determines if customers find your blog post. The most SEO friendly titles are between 50-60 characters. Of course, you’ll want to put keywords in your title, but you’ll want to balance this with creating emotions that resonates with future clients.
SEO is a balance between optimization, and creating something personal. Find this balance and your online content will stand out.
Lists – Go back to the article above on the “13 Crucial Personal Branding Tips” – what do you notice about the title? The number in the title – 13 – immediately lets consumers of your content know immediately what they’re in store for. It’s clear, precise, and short – all the hallmarks of good titles, and good lists.
Lists are not only a great way to categorize your content – the effectiveness of lists are rooted in psychology. Charles Schwab introduced lists back in the early 1900s to increase work efficiency. As content creators, we use lists for similar reasons – to increase reader efficiency. Sometimes the best advice takes place in short, digestible bits.
Help People – Speaking of advice, the content that people always return to is self improvement. What do popular books written in the early 20th century like Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich have in common? They are both aimed at helping other people become successful. In fact, the self help industry is now valued at $11 billion. This shows how highly people hold improving themselves. And if you can nail a concept or an idea, then your content is well on its well to a long shelf life – Carnegie wrote his book 80 years ago, and it still influences people today.
Actionable content – It’s not good enough just to point out an issue – your content must take the next step and give solutions and remedies. Our “13 Crucial Personal Branding Tips” presents concrete steps readers can take to increase the value of their personal brand. Think and Grow Rich presents 13 steps for personal achievement. The use of lists are especially powerful in this context as your content must be clear. Clever uses of visualization and branding are also advantageous. You want your actions to stick.
The next time you brainstorm future content for your blog, ask yourself this question: will the lessons in this content still be relevant a year from now? Answer this question and readers will gain value from your content, your blog, and your brand for years to come.
Need content for your business blog? Contact Nao Media today.
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