As fall begins to usher in cooler temperatures, a rush of pumpkin spice, and a landscape of changing leaves, holiday content crunch-time looms large for brands. Many face tight budgets, few resources near the holidays, and a lack of fresh content ideas. While AI-powered content creation is a great tool that’s helped streamline the brainstorming and writing process, your customers still have a thirst for quality content that only real thought leadership can bring. So, what now?
The good news is that you may already be sitting on a goldmine of high-quality content that’s been widely ignored.
A state of content atrophy
The term “evergreen content” used to refer to timeless pieces that would stay fresh indefinitely—without the need for any updating. Here, we use the term a little differently.
For many brands, there’s often an overlooked stockpile of great content right under their noses, sitting in a state of atrophy. Content atrophy occurs when companies invest a lot of time and resources in creating high-quality pieces, only to see them enjoyed (and ultimately forgotten) by a small audience—instead of being repurposed or “tweaked” for a wider audience in order maximize their potential.
From first-hand experience, we can tell you that many companies face similar scenarios right now. Brands across several verticals, from retail, automotive, healthcare and electronics, to technology, travel and beyond, have created a wealth of content, but sometimes in a format that’s limited in either its searchability, reach, long-term availability—or all of the above.
From stagnant to fresh
By rewriting, updating, optimizing for SEO, and repurposing this existing content (rather than reinventing the wheel), brands will be able to maximize the benefits, while minimizing the cost and effort. Potential examples include:
- Last year’s holiday articles, gift ideas, and how-tos: Enjoyed by a few for a limited time
- e-newsletters: Sent to some customers but not leveraged further
- Press releases and product emails: Announcements of new products, services, case studies, product partnerships, deals, etc., but without wider distribution
- Digital magazines or catalogs: Engaging content with a limited shelf-life
- Social media posts: Missed cross-promotion opportunities for creating content
- Infographics: Fun, easy-to-digest formats, but with valuable info that’s sometimes overlooked for other uses
- Videos: Left only in this form, they’re often not used to their full potential
Repurposing for maximum impact
This type of existing content is likely already well-written, researched, and on-brand, but hasn’t been stretched to meet its full potential. For example:
- Outdated holiday content can often be reused (rather than rewritten from scratch) and updated with fresh wording, new SEO elements, refreshed product lists, updated branding/style and more.
Some content can even change form entirely:
- How-to videos can be turned into how-to articles, for example.
- Infographics can transform from just an image, into an article, social media post, and beyond.
- FAQs or Q&As can be re-worked into helpful articles or YouTube videos that guide users through a particular process.
Another potential benefit to repurposing content? Legal reviews may go a little faster since similar content has been approved and already exists.
Go unbranded
Don’t overlook the fact that even branded content can be repurposed into unbranded pieces for the holidays, helping you build customer relationships and position yourself as a trusted ally—not just a company trying to sell, sell, sell. For example, your company writes a press release about its brand-new, kid-friendly smartwatch. You may be able to leverage that press release to also write a well-researched, SEO-friendly, unbranded article about the best gift ideas for smaller children (e.g., Holiday gift ideas: Kid-friendly smartwatches vs. smartphones), while outlining the features parents should look for in such a device and linking back passively to your product.
Have an evergreen strategy in place
While repurposing valuable content helps save time, money, and effort—it’s still critical that you continue creating fresh, new content. But for every new piece you create, think outside-the-box about how to magically transform that one thing—into many.
By redefining “evergreen” and implementing a slightly different strategy, you can maximize your impact, connect with a wider audience, and strengthen your brand presence over the holidays and beyond.
At iCrossing, we specialize in leveraging the right tools and technology, combined with human touchpoints, to build digitally resilient strong brands. If you need an agency partner that can transform brand experiences into superior business outcomes, get in touch with us today.