In Content We Trust

Consumers have always sought information to help them make better buying decisions.

Prior to social media, content was distributed via traditional media outlets – radio, television, and newspapers.

According to a recent study by Pew Research Center, Internet search is the leading source of information for consumers making decisions with respect to local businesses. Surprisingly, traditional newspapers ranked second – ahead of word-of-mouth and social media.

The message is clear.

While buyers may trust the advice of their friends, the majority will seek out credible content to validate that trust.

Evergreen Content is Attractive and Sustainable

Evergreen content is information that will stand the test of time – being just as relevant well into the future as it is today. How long depends upon the nature of the information.

Years ago, encyclopedias were a revered source of evergreen content. Whether you purchased them as a set, or one volume at a time to ease your budget, you knew that owning a complete set meant you were set – for life.

Content with a long shelf life is something you should be creating and publishing online for those that are searching the web for your expertise. This is the type of content that makes you an authority with your potential customers and Google.

During holiday periods such as the one we just experienced, evergreen content works to attract traffic to your site – even though you may not be actively working.

Thus, if your resources for content marketing are limited, you will be wise to focus your efforts on creating evergreen content that works to attract new customers to your business where the majority of them are searching – online.

Of course, accomplishing this on an interactive site that you own ensures the legacy of your work.

Fresh Content is Relevant and Renewable

The challenge with being an authority is the same as that of a celebrity – you have to occasionally do something notable to remind your community that you are still relevant.

If evergreen content is encyclopedic, standing confidently in the background on the foundation of its earned authority, then fresh content is the magazine that dances in the foreground where it is sure to be noticed.

As a content marketer, you need evergreen and fresh content. They each serve a purpose. They are both attractive and engaging in their own way – one for authority and the other for relevance.

Magazines have a short shelf life, yet they are voraciously consumed for their relevancy. Use them to engage your audience with your more valuable evergreen content.

People may not necessarily trust what they read in magazines and tabloids, but they cannot resist the headlines, pictures, and stories.

As a small business that is also a media company, you can take that and dial it down to the standards of your industry to engage new customers with your timeless expertise to earn their trust.

Leave a comment below or share this with your community with any of the share buttons below – or with those on the little red bar at the bottom of this page.  

Until next time,  Jeff

 Photo Credit: heathbrandon
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