You have all heard me preach about the golden rule of one blog per week. One question I hear from first-time blog owners is “Does it matter what I post?”
The short answer is YES!
While blogging for business offers a certain amount of leeway in regards to topics, you want to stay within a few guidelines. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to give you the inside scoop on the content building blocks you need to create the perfect business blog.
Are you ready to take notes? Great!
Today we’re going to talk about the best type of blogging content: “Evergreen” content!
Evergreen Content: It’s Simple & Useful
These are not fluff articles. These are the nuts and bolts of any topic you’re discussing. Evergreen articles are your top tips – your beginner’s basics. Often, you’ll find the most successful blog articles over an extended period of time are those that offer lists, like:
“Top 10 Tips for Avoiding Conflict”
“Top 3 Podcasts for Business Owners”
“5 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring An Attorney”
Are you seeing a trend? All of these articles lend themselves to an easy flow and high-level topic coverage. Find the biggest issues or concerns your audience has and offer them a basic list on how to address that issue.
Viola! Simple, straightforward, and you’ve added instant value to your customers (or prospective customers)!
Evergreen Content: It’s Timeless
Evergreen content is fresh and relevant year after year. You may have a great idea for a relevant blog, but you need to keep in mind that your audience may be looking at your article long after you post it. That’s a good thing!
Let’s take a look at the difference:
NOT Evergreen: “The Top 5 2016 New Years Resolutions”
Evergreen: “The Top 5 New Years Resolutions for New Car Owners”
You can make the switch to long-lasting content simply by eliminating the mention of any dates.
NOTE: One word of caution here – You’ll want to make sure your research is still current as the time goes by. This is why it’s advisable to write your blog for a novice audience. Don’t get too technical, and take a peek back at your blog archives every year to make sure you aren’t providing misinformation to your customers.
Evergreen Content: It Has Mass Appeal
Your blog isn’t likely to be confined to your local business community, if you’re doing it correctly. You should plan for people of different geographic and demographic backgrounds to be visiting your blog articles as you post them on social media.
Your content is only truly evergreen if it is relatable to a vast market. You want your basic nuts-and-bolts articles to be relatable at any adult age. This is a bit of a struggle for a novice blogger.
You’ll want articles that sound like you, but speak to a broad audience. If you can accomplish this, you’ll build trust in your brand, and set yourself apart as an expert in your industry.
