Evergreen vs Timely Content: Building a Balanced Portfolio

In the world of content marketing, one question often surfaces: "How do we keep our audience engaged while still remaining relevant in the ever-changing market?" The answer lies in striking the right balance between evergreen and timely content. This balanced approach not only ensures a steady stream of traffic but also positions a brand as an authority in its niche.

The 80/20 Content Ratio

A widely accepted rule in content strategy is the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of your content should be evergreen, while the remaining 20% should be timely (PromoteProject). Evergreen content is the backbone of a content portfolio, providing value to readers long after its publication date. On the other hand, timely content capitalizes on current trends, news, or seasonal topics, offering immediate relevance and engagement.

Benefits of Evergreen Content

Evergreen content is a powerful tool for brands. It's content that remains relevant and continues to attract traffic over time, potentially for years after its initial release (HawkSEM). This type of content helps to:

1. Attract and retain a wider audience

2. Improve search engine rankings due to ongoing relevance

3. Build brand authority and trust by providing consistently valuable information

The Role of Timely Content

While evergreen content maintains the foundation, timely content brings the excitement of the new. It's the spark that captures attention in the moment, tapping into the zeitgeist. Timely or seasonal content can be especially powerful as it is relevant during certain times of the year and can be repurposed annually (CharelleGriffith).

Crafting a Balanced Content Strategy

To achieve the ideal balance, content creators must understand their industry, target audience, and brand personality. The 80/20 rule is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it provides a solid starting point for developing a content strategy that can be tailored to a brand's specific needs (APSense).

Implementing Evergreen Content

When creating evergreen content, focus on topics that are timeless and will continue to be relevant regardless of the date or season. How-to guides, "ultimate" lists, and in-depth explorations of fundamental concepts within your industry are examples of content that can provide ongoing value.

Leveraging Timely Content

Timely content should be used to highlight your brand's responsiveness to current events, industry developments, or seasonal themes. This content type requires a more agile approach, with a quicker turnaround time to ensure relevance. It's an opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership and to connect with your audience's immediate interests.

Measuring Success

Any content strategy must be paired with robust analytics to measure its effectiveness. By tracking performance metrics, brands can understand which types of content resonate best with their audience and adjust their strategy accordingly (MontereyPremier).

Conclusion

In conclusion, a balanced content portfolio is essential for sustained engagement and long-term success. The 80/20 rule serves as a guideline for brands to follow, but the key is to tailor this ratio to fit the unique demands of your audience and industry. By combining the lasting value of evergreen content with the immediate appeal of timely content, brands can create a diverse and dynamic content ecosystem that drives traffic, builds authority, and fosters trust with their audience.

What is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership is a strategic approach to positioning oneself or an organization as an authoritative voice in their industry. It involves sharing original insights, innovative solutions, and valuable content that addresses key challenges and future trends in a particular field.

Thought leadership don't simply regurgitate existing information; they bring fresh perspectives, challenge the status quo, and often predict and prepare their audience for upcoming changes. This requires deep expertise, continuous learning, and the ability to engage in meaningful dialogues both online and offline. Thought leadership manifests through various mediums such as articles, speeches, videos, or podcasts, maintaining a consistent and impactful presence in industry conversations.

The importance of thought leadership in today's business landscape cannot be overstated. It builds credibility and trust, establishing you or your organization as a reliable source of valuable information. This enhanced reputation can translate directly into business growth, as potential clients and partners are more likely to choose those perceived as industry leaders.

Thought leadership also significantly boosts brand visibility, as insightful content tends to be widely shared, increasing exposure for both individuals and their organizations. Moreover, it fosters innovation by encouraging new ideas and approaches, potentially driving progress across entire industries.

Beyond immediate business benefits, thought leadership creates numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. It often leads to invitations for speaking engagements, contributions to high-profile publications, and expansion of professional networks. In crowded markets, it serves as a key differentiator, setting you apart from competitors. Organizations known for thought leadership also find it easier to attract top talent, as innovative thinkers are drawn to companies at the forefront of their industries.

About

With Upfront AI , your business can seamlessly maintain a strong and consistent presence on LinkedIn, freeing you up to focus on your critical tasks and strategic goals. Our mission is to empower you to share thought leadership and connect with your audience without the burden of content management. By automating the ideation, creation, and posting processes, we ensure your brand remains vibrant and influential. This allows you to concentrate on driving innovation, closing deals, and achieving your next investment milestones, knowing your LinkedIn presence is in expert hands.