In the Internet Age when attention spans seem to be shrinking because of social media usage, the importance of evergreen content is in its lasting value for the specific audience in which it was targeted. By attracting and sustaining interest in the long-term period, evergreen content on social media is instrumental in your long-term success, whatever your online presence may be. Indeed, several studies have shown that evergreen content is a must! 

Basics of Evergreen Content

Let’s first look at the what, when and how of evergreen content so that we can have a better understanding of its why.

What Is Evergreen Content?

Evergreen content refers to a wide range of content, from blog posts, how-to guides and informative articles to infographics, animation and videos, which remain relevant, reliable and useful to your audience for an extended period. Whatever form and format it takes, the topics are always of interest to your audience, meaning these aren’t limited by time, trends or even technology. 

With that said, we have identified several key characteristics of evergreen content, including: 

• It’s original and unique, meaning its specific contents aren’t plagiarized versions or exact copies of published content in traditional and digital media. 
• It’s useful, which means it provides relevant and reliable information that will be valuable in your readers’ lives.  
• It’s not time-bound or time-sensitive, meaning its information can withstand the test of time. 
• It’s comprehensive and informative, which your target audience can rely on for general guidance. 
• It’s optimized for search engine purposes, particularly in terms of being searchable and keyword-optimized. 

With these characteristics in mind, we can identify several types of evergreen content on social media and other online platforms. (Titles in parentheses are examples of each type) 

• Educational or informative articles provide audiences with timeless knowledge about specific topics (Basic Principles of Economics; Tips for Effective Time Management)
• How-to-guides and do-it-yourself guides are step-by-step guides that teach audiences the steps in performing tasks or attaining goals (How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies) 
• Product reviews can also be evergreen content, but the products and/or services being reviewed are likely to be available for prolonged periods (Best Running Shoes for Beginners) 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) address common questions in your specific niche or topics (FAQs About Home Insurance)
• Tutorials contain instructional information that aids users in learning new skills or improving old skills (Yoga Poses for Stress Relief) 
• Historical overviews are informative articles that provide historical context or background information (Evolution of the Internet)
• Case studies and client testimonials are also evergreen content that provides information, even inspiration, for audiences 
• Listicles are curated lists of recommendations, resources and tips (Top 10 Weird History About Underwear) 
• Infographics are informative graphics that present information via illustrations and other visual aids (What’s in a Perfect Blog Post)

Since there’s evergreen content, there’s also content that cannot be considered evergreen. Known as seasonal content, it tackles topics that are tied to a specific season, a trendy event, or current events that, when sufficient time has passed, aren’t as interesting anymore. Examples include news articles about current events, articles about the latest fashion and technology, and case studies and statistical data based on specific periods. 

When Should You Post Evergreen Content?

Of course, evergreen content on social media and other online platforms can be posted at any time! While its content is neither time-sensitive nor time-bound, its posting should be timely. Here are essential considerations in deciding when to post evergreen content on your social media pages, website and third-party sites.

Stick to a consistent posting schedule.

Even if evergreen content retains its value over time, your current audience will want a steady supply of valuable content. By posting evergreen content on a regular basis, you can also take advantage of SEO opportunities (i.e., keyword optimization).

Address gaps in your evergreen content. 

Your target audience will have changing needs, preferences and concerns that can result in gaps of information on your social media page and websites. You should address these gaps by creating more evergreen content. You must also develop an evergreen content series about related topics that will not only address gaps but also encourage repeat visits, engagement and action.

Consider seasonal relevance, current trends and promotional campaigns.

Even if evergreen content is timeless, you should consider posting evergreen content based on the seasons. For example, an article on staying healthy throughout the year is suitable for publication before or soon after New Year’s Day. You should also offer evergreen content about current trends, such as a beginner’s guide to sustainable living and freeganism. You can also post evergreen content as part of your marketing campaign, particularly if you want to attract and sustain interest even after your promotional period ends.

Celebrate milestones and anniversaries. 

By tying milestones and anniversaries, whether personal or public, to evergreen content, your social media presence will be more noticeable. For example, an article on the evolution of robotics can be posted in time for the birthday of Joseph F. Engelberger, its founder. 

Be sure to check your evergreen content for possible updates, too, because with the fast-changing times, obsolescence is always a risk.

How Can You Create Effective Evergreen Content?

In many ways, creating seasonal content and evergreen content on social media have several similarities. You have to be aware of your audience’s needs and wants, ensure readability, relevance and reliability, and optimize your content for SEO purposes, among others. But there are significant differences, too, which you must also be mindful of in your content creation. 

Let’s take a brief look at the specifics of creating evergreen content.

Determine the topics that your target audience wants to know.

You can use keyword tools to identify keywords that your target audience commonly uses in their online searches. You may also check Reddit and Quora, among other platforms, to find out common questions and issues in your niche. 

You should use evergreen keywords, meaning the words and phrases that receive consistent search traffic or terms with long-lasting relevance. Your identified keywords should be checked against Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends for more reliability.

Create content based on your research. 

With your evergreen keywords and topics in hand based on your target audience’s preferences, you can start creating useful and valuable content. You must also be mindful about making your evergreen content unique, meaning it contains your unique take on topics that have been possibly talked about countless times on and off the Internet.

Refresh your evergreen content. 

We cannot overemphasize the importance of regular reviews and updates to your evergreen content! Even with fundamental topics discussed in your content, there will be significant changes in these topics that your content must reflect. 

Other crucial tips for writing evergreen content on social media and other online platforms are: 

• Provide possible solutions for persistent concerns and issues 
• Avoid using pop culture references, trendy languages, and specific dates (e.g., Best Laptops in 2024) 
• Link to active sources that provide timeless information 

Most importantly, create evergreen content with readability in mind! The best content has a logical flow, readable text, and clear explanations of the ideas, among other aspects that make for quality reading experiences. 

Importance of Evergreen Content for Social Media and Content Marketing 

Bill Gates introduced the concept that content is king in a 1996 essay, and it’s still true today! Content is king because every marketing strategy has content at its core. The reasons: Content establishes your brand, increases user engagement, and boosts conversion rates. These benefits are just as true for evergreen content, and here are the reasons why. 

Build Your Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness

Effective evergreen content demonstrates your expertise, authority and trustworthiness in the industry, particularly in the subject matters being discussed in it. These are crucial aspects not only in Google search rankings but, more importantly, in attracting new audiences and keeping your old audience interested. The sustained relevance of evergreen content reinforces your authority over time, too, since new users will rely on it based on your established reliability in your niche. 

Furthermore, by being seen as a trustworthy authority, your target audience will come back to your social media pages and websites numerous times for more information, buy more products and patronize more services. The more that people perform these favorable actions, the more that your online presence becomes more visible to a wider audience. Indeed, the long-term engagement that evergreen content can create means a high return on investment of your time, energy and money! 

Generate Effective Leads and Boosts Conversions

Lead generation is attracting potential customers (i.e., leads) based on their initial interest in your products and/or services and converting them into actual customers. At its core, this process has the ultimate goal of generating sales and other forms of revenue for your business.

The value of evergreen content in lead generation lies in the opportunity to drive consistent organic traffic to your websites and/or social media pages. You should be able to mine the steady stream of visitors for effective leads – and these visitors can bring in their family and friends, too, via word-of-mouth advertising and links! You must then adopt effective conversion strategies to turn potential customers into actual customers who, when they are satisfied with your products and services, become repeat customers. 

Your evergreen content itself can be lead magnets, meaning it contains lead generation mechanisms. These include downloadable resources (e-books, checklists and guides in exchange for their contact information), newsletter subscriptions, and sign-up forms. Even casual visitors can be converted into actual customers with the right conversion strategies! 

Provide SEO Benefits

While the algorithms of search engines change, search engines appreciate relevant, reliable and valuable content with long-lasting value. This is where well-written evergreen content comes in! 

Due to its long-lasting relevance, evergreen content can improve search engine rankings over time, particularly when it’s considered comprehensive and authoritative by its audience. As your evergreen content gets more page views, especially when it has been optimized for keywords and other SEO factors, your website can rank higher, perhaps even land on the first page. 

The opportunities for backlinks are also ripe for the taking with evergreen content! Since it’s relevant for a prolonged period, your evergreen content can be cited and linked by individual users and website administrators to their social media pages and websites.

These backlinks not only increase your evergreen content’s online presence across a wider audience but also result in a significant increase in your search engine ranking. This is because search engines consider quality backlinks in their rankings, meaning the more your evergreen content has links across the web, the more your SEO efforts can pay off. 

There’s also the shareability of evergreen content that boosts your search engine rankings. As more and more people find excellent value in your evergreen content, they will likely share it with their networks. By sharing it, you can benefit from the increased referral traffic – convert these referrals into sales, what else! 

Evergreen content is also more likely to have lower bounce rates, thanks to their consistently relevant content. When Netizens find that your evergreen content contains valuable information, they will more likely read the entire content and even explore your website. By decreasing your website’s bounce rate, it can have a positive impact on your SEO efforts. 

Give Cost-efficient Benefits

The use of content in social media marketing, in particular, and digital marketing, in general, requires the use of resources, whether it’s your time and effort or if you’re hiring marketing professionals, your money. But with evergreen content, you can actually enjoy cost savings! 

With evergreen content’s lasting relevance, you can invest your time and resources in other content marketing strategies. You can let your well-written evergreen content do its work, so to speak, although you must perform regular updates to make sure that, indeed, it stays relevant. 

You can also repurpose evergreen content in your email marketing and social media marketing campaigns! For example, your newsletters can feature links to your evergreen content and promote your evergreen content on social media platforms on a regular basis. In this way, you can remind your existing audience about its value and reach new audiences at the same time. 

So, what are you waiting for? Create your evergreen content now and make the most of its benefits!