It’s ok if you don’t.
Most companies typically don’t get that granular, but a well-written blog post is usually a top performer when they do.
So the more pressing question to ask is what can you do to make your content stand out from the millions of other blog posts?
While there’s no magic bullet in developing your company’s content strategy, there is one kind of content that should be a staple of your marketing engine to attract more leads.
It cuts through the noise and delivers long-term results.
It’s called evergreen content.
What is evergreen content?
As the name implies, Evergreen content is content that is just as relevant in five years as it is today. There is no expiration date – the content is timeless.
The top-performing evergreen content you can use for lead generation can be divided into these simple topics:
1) Answer to a pressing problem
2) Overcoming complex challenges using case studies
3) “How to “guides
Creating evergreen content does require a higher level of expertise and additional time and money. Still, it’s well worth the investment … if you want to rank higher in search engines, drive traffic for years, and help your audience find exactly what they need.
Let’s jump in:
1) The answer to a pressing problem
Your prospects are all thinking the same kinds of questions in their mind.
Being able to pinpoint these questions specifically and then provide well-written informative answers – can be a goldmine for attracting high-quality leads to your business.
The biggest problem they are thinking about is …. they don’t want to make a bad decision. That can happen a hundred different ways.
Creating a series of evergreen blog posts that address each of these problems is a great way to build trust and create a much more appreciative and informed prospect.
Zillow, the world’s online real estate listing platform, does an excellent job with this. The evergreen content on their blog answers every possible question a first-timer or veteran homeowner might have. It also takes things one step further by providing advanced tools such as home affordability calculators, the cost of selling my home calculators, etc.
2) Overcoming difficult challenges using case studies
Case studies are a great two-for-one:
1. You get to show off your expertise.
2. You get to tell a story. And everybody loves a good story.
People can often connect with failures more than with successes with case studies.
Why? Because Failure humanizes us. It evokes empathy and builds trust. Here’s a good example of this:
Case Study: 18 Tips to Destroy Your Own Webinar, Emily Hunt takes this track, revealing mistakes and pointing out lessons at every turn.
3) Evergreen how-to guides
These how-to guides make excellent eBooks or actual books for your business to use as lead generation tools.
By breaking down a timeless issue into bite-sized steps, you educate your visitors and provide real value. The key is to put yourself into the shoes of your prospect and then ask yourself:
What strife can we save our prospects from? How do we stop them from falling into the biggest potholes) which they are likely not even aware of yet).
Ikea does a really good job of this.
For example, they offer a bathroom buying guide and then break it down further by providing a shower buying guide, a bathroom vanity buying guide, a bathroom flooring buying guide etc.
Whichever content strategy you use to create evergreen content for your company, ensure it is well written and provides a clear call to action at the end. Remember, in the hierarchy of content, blogs are good, ebooks are better and real books that can also be used as eBooks are best.