With the fast-paced nature of the internet, trends are shifting more quickly than ever. As someone running a business or creating content, you may feel immense pressure to keep up or even excitement that there are so many trends going around.
Staying relevant is crucial to success, but the dynamic nature of online content makes relevancy a little harder to predict.
Luckily, there are ways to craft content that keeps you relevant for years to come without needing a crystal ball — unless that’s trending, of course. It’s invaluable to keep up with trends, as long as you learn how to do so in a way that resonates with your audience.
Fostering Adaptability Without Compromising Authenticity
It may be tempting to pump out content that goes along with every trend or hot topic. Whether that’s short-form social media videos or blog posts about current events, you might feel like you have to jump on the bandwagon in order to see success.
Following trends is useful and can boost your brand’s presence immensely — but only if you follow trends that are relevant to your brand and adapt them to your unique purpose.
Pumping out content while sacrificing authenticity will lose credibility for your brand in the long run. Instead, focus on creating content using your authentic voice that will remain relevant to your audience long after a trend has passed. Think about how brands are gaining traction online to gain inspiration.
In 2023, authenticity sells. The customer becomes the influencer, and user-generated content can be powerful in gaining trust. Platforms that prioritize immediacy are key, like TikTok and Instagram reels. Whatever you do, do it with transparency and show the real aspects of your brand — rather than a polished, edited, sometimes fake version of it. Your customers and your bottom line will thank you.
The Usefulness of Trendy Yet Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is content that stands the test of time. It doesn’t have an expiration date like much of the trendy, fast-produced content does. If you create this type of eternally useful content, you can increase the dwell time on your site. Readers are more likely to spend a longer time digesting your content if it is useful beyond a passing fad.
To create evergreen content for your brand, make the trends work for you — don’t work for the trends. Consider some of the following tactics:
- Answer specific questions with a high level of interest, incorporating trending formats, such as videos;
- Conduct keyword research to see what relevant-to-you keywords users are searching for consistently over a long time period — and see what trends match up with those keywords;
- Repurpose blog articles into e-books, tutorials, or whitepapers but also trending short-form videos and social posts.
If you’re catering to sustainable topics, your content will appear in search results and will be shared far past the original posting date. While virality is fun and exciting, the real value comes from creating content that is useful and able to be repurposed into other content.
Think about how you can add the most value to your audience, and start there. Then it can be applied easily and consistently to fun trends you find.
Resonating With Your Specific Audience
Trends are also generally applicable to large groups. If your content strategy is smart, you will have niched down to appeal to a smaller audience. Instead of trying to appeal to the masses, you can gain more traffic with less competition if you cater to your specific audience.
Moreover, catering to your specific audience can also translate into better conversion rates and a higher return on investment for your business.
By tailoring your content to align with the values and preferences of your niche, you can attract a more qualified and receptive audience. These individuals are more likely to convert into leads or customers because they see your content as directly relevant to their needs.
To make this jibe with current trends, take something that’s trending and apply niche content to it. For example, if you see a video using a trending cat sound but your business sells dog food, make a new version of the sound with woofs and barks. Getting creative with trends is a great way to make them your own while still enjoying increased traffic.
Keeping Content Accessible
While you don’t want to solely target the masses, you should make sure that all of your relevant readers are able to access your content. Accessible content involves making sure your website is able to be used easily by anyone living with disabilities or accessibility needs. It should also be mobile-friendly, intuitive, and simple.
Again, honing in on a specific audience doesn’t mean excluding people who want to consume your content. Jargon is bad for readership because it inhibits certain viewers from easily understanding your content.
If your intent is to teach readers something, don’t assume they are well-versed in industry-specific jargon. If you need to use it for the topic, define those terms for your readers along the way.
Provide context and explanations for technical terms when they are necessary. This practice not only aids in comprehension but also educates your audience, making your content a valuable resource for both beginners and experts in a given subject.
This way you empower your readers to better understand complex topics, fostering a sense of trust and credibility in your content. This approach ensures that your content remains inclusive and valuable to a dynamic and diverse audience, ultimately enhancing its reach and impact.
Maintaining Visibility Above All the Noise
The dynamism of modern content also makes it crucial to stand out above all the noise. Readers are bombarded with more options than ever, and it doesn’t slow down with time. For your evergreen, useful content to stick out and actually reach your specific audience, you have to focus on visibility.
One effective strategy to stand out among the sea of content is the use of topic clusters. A topic cluster is a content strategy that revolves around a central pillar topic, supported by a network of related subtopics and articles.
This approach sends powerful signals to search engines that your website is a knowledgeable and authoritative source in a specific industry or niche. Therefore, your pages may come up higher in search results and be seen by more people.
Evolving With Trends
While it’s beneficial to create evergreen, authentic content, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t keep an eye on trends. Trending content can let you know what resonates with a particular audience, and you can always adapt your content to follow suit.
Consider the long-term implications of the particular trend. Some trends are fleeting, while others become more enduring.
Focus on those that align with your brand’s core identity and values to ensure that your content remains relevant over time.
As long as you are staying authentic to who you are as a brand, evolving with trends isn’t always a bad thing. Your audience will likely take note of your ability to adapt and keep up while remaining true to your original content, instilling in them a more favorable perception of your brand and the likelihood of becoming loyal followers.
