Content is an essential tool for marketers. Digital marketing, especially, revolves around the creation of tons of content. But most of the content that you put out there has a particular shelf life and could begin to look a little stale or outdated in a year or two. So how exactly is a content marketer meant to overcome this challenge?
The key is that you don’t have to start from scratch every single time. A lot of your existing material can still serve your company very well with just a little refresh.
“Tweaking several content assets to revitalize what you already have might be all that your content needs. It’s a great way to maximize ROI for your content marketing initiatives.”
How to Choose Content that Requires a Makeover?
But which content pieces should you revitalize? A few indicators that are likely to help you choose the gems you need to polish are
-
Evergreen content
-
Popular content in terms of the number of hits or downloads
-
Content that is based on high-ranking keywords
These pointers are the right areas to start if you need help identifying content that would gain from a refresh. However, you do not need all three of the attributes above to certify. For instance, it could be the case that a great piece of content had not registered high readership/viewership numbers because it was launched at the incorrect time or not publicized well at first. However, it could do much better this time around after applying a few tweaks to your strategy.
How to Go About Refreshing Old Content?
Once you've selected the content pieces that need to be updated, you need to have a system in place to ensure that you're refreshing them tactically. Here are eight steps you can adhere to:
Add Them to Your Editorial Calendar
You shouldn’t go about refreshing and reposting just for the sake of it. Look at the content assets you're most likely to update and establish a timetable for when and how to roll them out. Consider elements such as timing and relevance while also tabling any new content you are publishing.
Make Sure It's Mobile-Friendly
It's clear that web browsing on mobiles has surpassed that on desktop computers. Also, if your website has been upgraded to a mobile-responsive layout, some of your older content might still not be optimized for smaller-sized screens.
“You can make your content mobile-friendly by ensuring images are centered (not right or left-aligned), buttons are big enough to tap on touchscreens, content is in short paragraphs, etc.”
Review Your Existing Top Keywords and Buyer Personalities
Update the content to reflect any changes in those areas. You may discover that the older web content had not been maximized for the ideal keyword, or that modern personas require different considerations and nuances in terms of language.
Update Areas Where Suggestions Are Outdated or Pointless
As you go through your content collaterals, ensure the piece reflects the current best practices.
Update Referrals and Stats
You definitely don’t want to republish outdated data or a link that takes you to content from 2010, or worse, an “Error 404” web page. Also, when you mention stats, it’s likely that there are more recent ones around than the ones you made use of. The same goes for web links too. Use the new data and web links to update your content.
Update the Website Design
Modern website design is usually clean and straightforward. Content that looks out-of-date feels old and can drive your visitor away before they have even read a word. Visitors to your website also anticipate an engaging and visually dynamic experience. You can change the look and feel of your website content by including photos, videos and interactive elements like social sharing buttons.
Re-date Your Content
If your content asset includes a date, such as in an article or blog post, add an "editor's note" saying that it has been updated from a previous version to assure readers/viewers that the info is current. You may also consider eliminating the date if your content has a long shelf life.
Check Out the Competition
In case you’re running out of ideas about how you should go about updating your content, explore what’s been put out there by your favorite brands and even your competitors. This will give you new ideas and aid you in fine-tuning your web content.
Conclusion
Refreshing existing content assets is a great way to keep your content calendar complete and get the most value out of some of the content you've already produced. It extends the life of all your best work and further engages your target audience, boosting your marketing initiatives.
References:
https://blog.marketo.com/2016/10/how-a-content-refresh-can-help-you-stay-relevant.html
