I’m sure you’ve heard this stat: more than four million blog posts go live every single day.
And that’s just talking about blogs. You don’t even want to start contemplating total online content including emails, landing pages, product pages, podcasts, and social media.
Standing out in the deluge is harder than ever. Even for established publishers it’s tough. For beginners … it’s a nightmare.
So, what’s the solution?
While there’s no magic bullet when it comes to content marketing for small businesses, there is one type of content that can cut through the noise and deliver long-term results.
It’s called evergreen content.
What is evergreen content?
Evergreen content — like the name implies — is timeless.
These special resources are in-depth examinations of a problem, solution, trend, or topic. They can help your audience find tons of information on a subject that interests them, which adds value to your blog.
Creating evergreen content does require additional time and money, but it’s worth those investments … if you want to rank higher in search engines, drive traffic for years, and help your audience find exactly what they need.
So, do you want to discover what types of evergreen content you could create — with more examples detailing exactly what success looks like?
Well, that’s what this post contains: 20 different evergreen content types, tips on how to make yours stand out, and examples all along the way.
Evergreen data and case studies
Original research and data-driven posts are evergreen gold. Likewise, case studies help show off your expertise by promoting real-world results that attract new prospects.
1. Your own original research
Investing in your own original research is hard, but that’s why it’s at the top of this list. Primary research is unique, exclusive, and — therefore — powerful.
While you might not have the resources of Forrester or Mary Meeker, that doesn’t mean you can’t go mining on your own.
Andy Crestodina does this every year through a simple Google Form for his blogger research survey.
2. “Every flippin’ stat” collection
If you can’t create your own research, the next best thing is to collect stats. This can’t be an exercise in brevity though.
Instead, get exhaustive by assembling 100 or more data points from across your industry. Then either add original commentary that helps your audience make use of the stats or design an infographic to accompany and simplify the content.
3. “Deep dive for success” case study
Case studies are a great two-for-one:
- You get to show off your expertise.
- You get to tell a story. And everybody loves a good story.
To see one live, here’s an example of a case study we created at DCP: How We Helped ADD.org Reach Another 114,548 People Per Month (in a Hyper-Competitive Market)
4. “What went wrong” case study
Even more than success, failure is an effective teacher.
In fact, people often connect with our failures far more than our successes. Failure humanizes us. It evokes empathy and builds trust.
So, muster up the courage to get honest about your biggest flop. In Case Study: 18 Tips to Destroy Your Own Webinar, Emily Hunt takes this track, revealing mistakes and pointing out lessons at every turn.
5. One shocking stat and its consequences
Another creative way to present data is to go small … really, really, really small.
Pick one shocking stat and build an entire article or ebook around it. Explain the stat’s backstory and draw out all the applications you can.
For instance, this article is essentially a response to the problem of content overload and how to overcome those four million blog posts that get published day after day … after day.
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Evergreen how-to guides
By breaking down a timeless issue into bite-sized steps, you educate your visitors and provide genuine value. The key is to solve a real problem with a real solution.
For evergreen content, ask yourself:
What hell am I saving my reader from and what heaven will I deliver them unto?
6. How-to for beginners
According to Chip and Dan Heath: “Once we know something … it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others.” Because of this, true beginner guides are few and far between.
For a model, check out Everything a Beginner Blogger Needs to Know for 2023.
7. How-to for advanced users
In many ways, advanced guides are easier to write than beginner guides. Why? Because you and your reader already share expertise and a common, technical language.
But how do you say something genuinely unique and deliver on your promise?
Jason Quey’s Influencer Marketing: How To Connect With 1,000 Influencers starts with data and a bit of groundwork. Then the content reveals Jason’s own templates along with high-level insights from other thought leaders in the space.
8. How-to checklist
The challenge of producing both beginner and advanced guides is how to present a lot of information. Three thousand or more words on any topic is hard to take in.
Enter the checklist. Checklists can stand alone or be added to how-to posts as downloads or content upgrades.
Whichever method you choose, the non-negotiable principle is this: boil it down.
Copyblogger’s Ultimate Copy Checklist ends with a black-and-white poster that helps you easily work through all 51 questions from the article itself.
9. How to do something over time
In addition to “do this now” advice, showing your reader how to accomplish something long-term, such as their writing goals, is vital. You can do this by breaking down your steps into days, weeks, months, or even an entire year.
How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar for a Year walks visitors through five steps to persevere at social media marketing by moving from the big picture — complete with spreadsheet examples — right down to individual posts.
10. How to pick the best product
Explaining how to pick the best product is a dangerous evergreen gambit. Most guides come across as transparently self-promotional.
To avoid that, make your product tutorial about teaching: provide definitions, collect advice from industry experts, and present impartial reviews from third-party sites.
While they certainly sell their own security software, Heimdal Security’s How to Choose the Best Antivirus for Windows – Your Ultimate Antivirus Software Guide nails this tight-rope walk on every front.
Evergreen content lists
To help readers navigate through all the content on the web, compile the very best information on a topic and create a list that’s easy to follow. Include detailed commentary that serves your specific niche.
11. Ideas and resources
Creativity is a fickle thing. Sometimes the muse strikes without warning, but rarely does she arrive exactly when we need her most.
Bringing ideas and resources together turns the creative lights back on. Check out I’ve Got 99 Blog Post Ideas, and Battling Writer’s Block Ain’t One.
12. Best free and paid tools
Regardless of your niche, there are plenty of tools that help people be more productive and profitable.
But to be evergreen, you have to do more than just list them.
To make tool lists shine, try tutorials with screenshots, videos, tips on how to get started, usage hacks, and insightful commentary detailing pros and cons.
Set a periodic reminder in your editorial calendar to keep these posts up-to-date.
13. Top influencers in a specific niche
Most influencer lists are pretty superficial. Even on well-known media sites, they often aren’t more than surface-level comments taken directly from each name’s most prominent social media profile.
To stand out, connect your influencer list to practical applications and get original contributions. At the risk of sounding self-serving, that’s exactly what I did in 50 Best Social Media Tools From 50 Most Influential Marketers Online, which combines this approach with a tool list.
14. Best books for a specific goal or niche
I love books. And I love lists. Turns out, so does the internet. Best-book lists are always a popular topic.
However, just like many of the other examples in this post, you can’t throw together blurbs from the back cover and call it good.
Dig in. Summarize each book. Call attention to its best lessons. Drop outstanding quotes into Click to Tweet boxes. Or even ask industry experts to share their favorite choices like The 10 Top Copywriting Books from the Top 10 Online Copywriters does with names like Brian Clark, Joanna Wiebe, and Demian Farnworth.
15. Common mistakes in a specific niche
Every industry has its seven deadly sins. Some have more like 10 or 20. Outlining these common mistakes — and providing tips on avoiding and overcoming them — is evergreen content paydirt.
As models, consider Top 5 Content Marketing Mistakes You’ll Wish You Fixed Sooner or Blogging Mistakes: 10 Signs Your Blog Post Is Going Horribly Wrong.
For an even more exhaustive example, check out Shanelle Mullin’s post on CXL, Google Analytics Audit Checklist: A DIY Health Check.
Evergreen encyclopedic content
You can create evergreen content around the history of your niche or product by building a glossary or producing an exhaustive “everything you need to know” post.
16. History of a topic or product
History doesn’t have to be boring. And it doesn’t just attract the “nerds” of your industry. However, it does have to be either visually or pragmatically engaging.
Beth Hayden and Rafal Tomal’s classic post A History of Social Media [Infographic] has both of those two ingredients.
They kick things off with a secret — “There’s nothing new about ‘social media’ …” — and proceed to dispel that myth with a beautifully illustrated timeline.
17. Single-greatest tip roundup
It might seem like the old-school “what’s the best tip for blogging?” roundup has been done to death, but that doesn’t mean single-tip roundups can’t shine.
Ask an original, niche-specific question and present the answers creatively.
Case in point, Venngage’s 46 Expert Tips For Creating Addictive Content. “Addictive” content is far more enticing than “good” content, and it’s packaged as a post, ebook, and infographic.
As if that wasn’t enough, each and every tip is boiled down to a memorable and Tweetable nugget for easy sharing and retention.
18. Best or worst practices for a specific goal
Similar to the how-to guides above, best-or-worst-practice lists aim to add value by solving problems. Think of them as catch-alls, built on data and backed by examples.
While best-practice lists are low-hanging evergreen fruit, worst-practice lists give you the opportunity to be just as valuable — and have a lot more fun.
19. Complete glossary of a niche or topic
Dictionary entries aren’t the sexiest type of content, but they are link-building dynamite.
Check out Copyblogger’s epic Content Marketing Glossary. The extensive cross-linking and videos throughout make it compelling.
Complement your own glossary likewise to bring it to life.
20. Everything you need to know about a niche or topic
Our final example is easily the most daunting.
Words like “definitive” and “ultimate” get tossed around a lot. And while the luster is wearing off, the need for all-in-one content hasn’t gone anywhere.
Ready to become a better blogger? The Ultimate Blogging Guide to Content That Works might be the primer you need.
It’s not easy being green
Now that you’re equipped with more types of evergreen content than you’d ever need, the temptation will be to start growing an entire nursery … all at once.
Don’t.
Evergreen content is powerful, insanely so. But remember creating it requires an investment. Pick one of the above templates and dig deep.
Above all, aim for originality and value. Being genuinely helpful never goes out of season.
Reader Comments (49)
Nick Niesen says
Lots of great ideas for making long lasting and useful content for readers. Thanks!
Aaron Orendorff says
You’re totally welcome, Nick. And thanks for the kind words. This was a great one to put together (I loved tracking down the non-internet-marketing stuff … shows just how powerful evergreen can be in ANY niche).
Bill Brown says
Aaron, this article is amazing. Even given my different “industry”, I am confident I will keep coming back to this list as I get my blog off the ground. Thanks!
Aaron Orendorff says
THX, Bill!
You should totally rip-off my best books example … your “industry” eats that kinda stuff up. Plus it’s amazing for building relationships with “influencers” (although that might be a kinda weird was to refer to leaders in your case).
😉
Sonia Simone says
I would heartily recommend that anyone trying to build a genuinely authoritative site pick one of these to implement in January. And another one to implement in February. And so on …
Great collection of prompts, Aaron!
Aaron Orendorff says
Thanks, Sonia … and I couldn’t agree more. I’m gonna go for the big one and try to run my own research like the always brilliant Andy Crestodina. 😉
Jason Quey says
Great point Sonia.
It’s tempting for me to see a listicle and want to try all the tactics. But it may work better to focus on what makes the most sense for your skill and what the market needs.
For the SumoMe guide Aaron mentioned, I focused on a how-to manual for advanced users as there was (and is) a lot of bad information on influencer marketing. That happens for a lot of trendy marketing (*cough* social media, SEO, growth hacking).
For a post I did for Yotpo (https://www.yotpo.com/blog/instagram-marketing-tips/), I used point 13 where I connected with influencers within a specific niche. I felt this approach would work better as Instagram is a newer marketing channel. Additionally, I am less experience in Instagram marketing, so it would have been harder to create a credible advanced how-to guide.
Aaron Orendorff says
From one “random” dude to another (on some lady’s comment), I feel the temptation too. What you’ve done for influencer marketing are great examples, precisely because they’re BIG in scope but focused on niches with the examples.
😉
And what I’ve found (as per the Instagram note) … is that there’s never a better time to put together a beginner’s guide than RIGHT after I’ve learned something new myself (it’s still so fresh and the “ah ha!” moments are contagious).
Jason Quey says
Hmmm, there’s definitely some truth to teaching soon after learning! That’s how LuxyHair got big.
I just like to make sure I position myself as a fellow learner, not an expert.
Ryan Farley says
Awesome post Aaron – really loved your point that “true beginner guides are few and far between.” This is so true, and when I am a beginner at something, I definitely appreciate a true beginners guide and am likely to share it and bookmark it.
Aaron Orendorff says
Yes! I had the same experience a few years ago when I was starting out as a freelance writer. So many of the articles (and EVEN the books) were beyond me. Ironically, Copyblogger was one of the few places I found genuinely helpful. 🙂
Leonard Kim says
You got this down! Great post Aaron!
Aaron Orendorff says
High praise coming from a man of your stature, Leonard! Thanks, buddy. 😀
Brittany Berger says
This is such a great list! I personally love case studies, especially deep dives and “what went wrong.” And I know some of my own most popular evergreen posts have been glossaries and worst practices roundups.
Aaron Orendorff says
Absolutely, Brittany!
I read this recently in Duhigg’s Smarter Faster Better:
“We become trained … to notice success and then, as a result, we predict successful outcomes too often because we’re relying on experiences and assumptions that are biased toward all the successes we’ve seen — rather than the failures we’ve overlooked. Many successful people, by contrast, spend an enormous amount of time seeking out information on failure.”
Just more reason to favor reading up on and studies both our own failures … as well as others! (And thx.)
Sam says
Thanks for the post Aaron. I’ve been working on my own original research – it’s taking some time, but I’m looking to start off 2017 strong!
Aaron Orendorff says
Oh man … be sure to hit me up on social when you launch it, Sam. Love that kinda stuff! 🙂
Jason Quey says
I’ve always been hesitant to creating an ultimate/definitive guide (though the SumoMe team later re-titled my post you mentioned as an ultimate guide to influencer marketing ;P). I feel we should always be learning and there is more to learn and those two words imply a finality I personally feel should not be made.
But hey, I’m just one random guy.
Great post on creating an evergreen guide on an evergreen guide Aaron!
Aaron Orendorff says
And there it is … we just got META! Thx for noticing, Jason. 🙂
Humaira says
Writing evergreen content requires a lot of factors and different aspects ie vision, skills, time etc.
Well, this post make my easy 🙂
I just have to pick one topic and focus 🙂
Aaron Orendorff says
Exactly … pick one and dig in. 🙂
Super glad to hear the post was helpful (anything that makes life easier is brilliant).
Ravi Chahar says
Hey Aaron,
Every time I think about creating something evergreen, I go with the beginners’ guide.
People need to the guide which can help them during their starting phase. And the list you have made consists some great ideas.
“How to” guides always work at their best.
I have done a few case studies and it’s the real-time investment which never expires.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article.
~Ravi
Aaron Orendorff says
Hey Ravi, loved what you said about case studies … done right they are quite an investment (I’ve written up a few for clients and they always take more time than I budget for).
BUT … they’re gold. I think it’s the combination of story meets data meets lessons meets application.
And yes, a genuinely helpful beginner’s guide is so powerful!
Harshad says
I just like to make sure I position myself as a fellow learner, not an expert.
Aaron Orendorff says
That always makes for a better tone (humble and helpful … rather than condescending and ego-driven). Thx, Harshad.
HD Wale says
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for sharing an informative and useful article with us, It was very interesting and impressive,
I think that ‘how to’ type of lessons are great way to create evergreen content because everybody want to know more about the topic before take a step ahead and ‘how to’ types articles never dies.
Aaron Orendorff says
Thanks so much for the kind words! And yes … in fact, I think “how to” are quite possibly the most powerful words in any language: http://iconicontent.com/blog/how-to-7-rules/
😉
Gilles says
Really great stuff. Inspiring to a beginning/aspiring growth hacker like myself, bookmarked it right away. Also pretty cool that you’re writing an evergreen blogpost about evergreen blog posts. Very meta of you, Aaron ;). Keep it up!
Aaron Orendorff says
Awesome to read that kinda response! Thx, Gilles.
Oh and thanks for noticing my “meta” approach (love sneaking that stuff in whenever I can). 😉
Crystal Herboth says
This is a really excellent post! I have shared with my colleagues we will get this one right next week! Thank you, Aaron.
Aaron Orendorff says
Thanks so much, Crystal. Lemme know what you end up focusing on next week!
Sonia had some great tips as a follow up to both Beth and my post here: https://copyblogger.com/copyblogger-weekly-13/
Ryan Biddulph says
Hi Aaron,
Super list.
The top mistakes evergreen posts do well for me because I spot the errors – most of which I made 😉 – and do my best to save people a bunch of time by laying out both the common mistakes and the solutions too. We all flub up so why not share your errors, along with tried and true solutions to help out your readers? And blogging-wise, the mistakes I cover are evergreen, timeless, pretty much.
Thanks for sharing 😉
Ryan
Aaron Orendorff says
Oh man … I couldn’t agree more, Ryan: “We all flub up so why not share your errors, along with tried and true solutions to help out your readers?”
Not only does that approach lend itself to transparency and humanity … it ends up being FAR more helpful than some kinda, “Here’s how I did everything right (aren’t I great)!” post.
I’m about to put together a landing page post about a couple of optimization attempts that went HORRIBLY wrong. 😉
Jon Anxin says
Great post . . . This is really one of my big projects for 2017 and beyond, which I have been focusing a lot of time and resources on lately. Only creating super high quality, evergreen content that is as definitive as possible. Thanks for some great headline ideas in the post, too.
Aaron Orendorff says
Super glad it was helpful!
Be sure to hit me up on social when your own evergreen content goes up. I’d love to check it out. 🙂
Oscar Martin says
Hi, Aaron? I must say, this post was ‘awe-directing’. I savored every line with a long smile…
Keep it going.
What do you think about creating a niche around scholars and their needs?
Aaron Orendorff says
Phenomenal compliment! Thx so much.
What type of scholars? Are you thinking of targeting a specific niche within academia?
Diane de la Cruz says
Producing evergreen content is a good way to get repeat visitors to your site. I love evergreen blog posts. I usually bookmark these so I can go back to them from time to time. I’m definitely going to bookmark this one. Thank you!
Aaron Orendorff says
The almighty bookmark! That’s always great to hear.
Hit me up on social if you create your own evergreen post, Diane (esp. if you use on the types up above). I’d love to check it and share it. 🙂
Diane de la Cruz says
I’ll definitely do that. Thank you so much! 🙂
Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says
Hi Aaron,
I’m planning new content for 2017 and your article here is timely indeed. Sonia said on her Dec. 29th post a good way to get some new ideas would be to pick 12 of your 20 to use, and that’s what I’m doing. 🙂
Aaron, which approach do you think works best for evergreen content? The focus on mistakes, like “18 Tips to Destroy Your Webinar” or the confident promise like “How to Write the Perfect Case Study”?
Matthew
Aaron Orendorff says
It was such a great surprise to see Sonia reference this piece. And what phenomenal advice!
My two cents …
Do BOTH!
Post the best-practices article to your own site and then turn around and create a worst practice list to guest post on someone else’s (and be sure to link to your original post in the guest post). It’s two posts (and a great link) for the price of one. 😉
Andy Crestodina (the brilliant gentleman from point one up above) taught me that super ingenious hack.
Hassaan Khan says
Aaron,
This is one of the best posts on evergreen content. Probably, Darren Rowse once talked about the evergreen content in his podcast and shared that evergreen content is an integral part of his both blogs’ content strategies.
What I’ve learned so far is that it has to do a lot with the creativity. If you’re not open to the possibilities, you won’t think out-of-the-box. But, thanks to you, Aaron, you made it incredibly easy for the readers to jump in and pick something up.
Pure gold.
THANK YOU!
Aaron Orendorff says
YES!!!!
Creativity is a must (otherwise, you get crowded out). I like using Google Trends to tie in the core concept to popular culture.
And thanks so much for the amazing encouragement, Hassaan.
Henneke says
Great post, Aaron.
I’m a big fan of how-to’s and deep dives. When you keep writing how-to’s on ultra-specific topics, then over time a blog turns into an evergreen encyclopedia 😉
Thank you for mentioning my articles. I’m honored to be included here.
Aaron Orendorff says
Thanks so much! (Always happy to include your awesome work.)
Good point about building an encyclopedia “over time.” Plus — with a bit of editing — it’s much easier to put together genuinely ULTIMATE resources with that kind of personal repository to draw from.
Odira says
Thanks so much for the post.
Aaron Orendorff says
Happily! Thx for the comment. 🙂
Arjun says
This is a great piece of work!
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