Generally, content marketers strive for content that’s “evergreen,” which could theoretically remain relevant forever. But because we often write about news and emerging technologies, this isn’t always possible. We’re often stuck with obsolete posts that can do no good for anybody, buried at the bottom of our content feeds, but still there for the world to see.

There are a number of kinds of “obsolete” content beyond just news-based posts, too. For example, old real estate listings and job ads become irrelevant quickly, and old products on e-commerce platforms can disappoint people more than anything else.

What can we do with these obsolete posts? I have seven suggestions:

1. Delete It Without a Trace

Your first option is the easiest, but it’s not without its drawbacks. With this option, you’ll simply delete the content and pretend it never existed. You won’t acknowledge it publicly or draw any attention to it. Instead, you’ll remove it altogether and set up a 301 redirect page so that any external links pointing to the page aren’t completely discredited (and inbound users aren’t totally alienated).

This option is good for content you aren’t proud of. But remember: Deleting pages altogether takes away from the total amount of real estate you occupy on the web, and might negatively affect your domain authority.

2. Delete It & Let Users Know About It

If you need to delete something, but you want to let users know why you’re deleting it, this is the best option. For example, if you have a post or a dedicated page that details a popular item that you simply don’t sell anymore, you’ll want to acknowledge and inform your interested visitors without giving them direct access to that old content.

You can do this by either setting up a custom redirect message that lets users know what’s going on, or by leaving part of the page intact with a message that informs people that the item is no longer available.

3. Update It

This is one of the least disruptive options on this list because the original page won’t disappear for either search bots or human visitors, and you won’t be calling any extra attention to your changes in any other format.

Here, your job is to update the obsolete portions of your content to be relevant for the modern era. For example, if you have an infographic with population data that was relevant back in 2011, you could easily update it with statistics from 2015 to make it relevant today. You could even move it to the top of your rotation to get some new visibility.

4. Create a Follow-Up

If you made a bold prediction about the future back in 2011 and it didn’t exactly come true, you can write a follow-up piece explaining why it didn’t come true (or why your line of thinking was flawed). Doing so calls back to the original piece, allowing it to continue existing, while simultaneously giving your readers something new to consume. As an extra measure, update the original piece with a link pointing to the new follow-up.

5. Make Fun of Yourself

If your original content is extremely old or if the information in it is laughable, you can easily make fun of yourself to your current readers and followers. Re-submit the piece with some commentary, pointing out the flaws in your thinking and the obsolescence of your information.

This is perfect for a podcast or a video where you take some of your old content and reexamine it. It shows that you’re willing (and human enough) to laugh at yourself and that you’re present enough to realize when your content hasn’t aged well.

6. Archive It

Some brands have implemented an archive system, which allows them to keep some of their older, less relevant posts without making them easily accessible to new users. Doing so can keep fresh eyes away from your stale, old content, but still preserve the writing and structural presence of the original material.

For this purpose, it’s helpful to have a running banner on all your posts that informs readers that the post is a part of an archive—otherwise, rogue followers of old external links could mistakenly think it’s still relevant.

7. Leave It Alone

Of course, you could choose to leave your old content alone entirely. Chances are, not many people are finding it on their own (unless you’re actively syndicating it), and you’ll still get the authoritative credit for having it. As long as your content isn’t too destructive or misleading, you generally don’t have to panic about leaving it up.

No matter what you choose to do with your obsolete posts, you should choose to do something. This was once-valuable material that could theoretically be recycled (or at least peeled away like dead skin). There’s no way to prevent all your content from one day becoming obsolete, but you can mitigate these effects by striving to make your content as evergreen as possible.

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The post 7 Ways to Handle Obsolete Content on Your Site appeared first on Relevance.

Unfortunately, the importance placed on headlines has led to some questionable practices in the content marketing community. Desperate to attract attention for their writing in whatever ways they can, writers and marketers concoct sensationalized headlines that deviate from the topic or resort to cheap tricks that make readers feel cheated or put off. These gimmicks might earn you a few dozen extra clicks in the short term, but if implemented consistently, they can ruin your brand’s reputation.

Seizing reader attention is important, but not at the cost of your business’s image. When creating your headlines, stay away from these seven dubious tactics:

1. Implying a Threat Where There Isn’t One

Readers are often driven to articles (or landing pages, for that matter) because of a sense of urgency. If a headline implies an article isn’t very important, it has a very low likelihood of being clicked. The extreme opposite, however—trying to imply that there is a threat to the reader when there isn’t one—is a surefire way to lower your reputation.

For example, if a new study finds that a small percentage of bananas have a strain of relatively harmless bacteria, the headline “Deadly New Bacteria Found in Common Household Food” would imply a threat that simply isn’t there. It creates a “cry wolf” scenario; once the reader finds the headline to be untrue, they’ll be unlikely to trust you again.

2. Strongly Picking a Side of a Controversial Issue

There’s a caveat to this gimmick. In reality, picking a side of a controversial issue can be very beneficial for your reputation. It shows integrity and strengthens your identity, but only if you commit to your position through logical argument and substantial content.

Deeply committing to one side in your headline immediately alienates half of your audience and forfeits any chance of winning their respect through the strength of your content, so be sure it’s something you’re ready to stand behind or don’t pick a side at all.

For example, the headline “Social Welfare Programs Need to End. Period,” would only harm your reputation, but rephrasing it as a question (“Do All Social Welfare Programs Really Need to End?”) takes a more neutral approach.

3. Using the Word “Secret”

There are certain innocuous uses of the word “secret” in headlines that can be permissible—such as when “Top Entrepreneurs Share Their Biggest Secrets” or something else that downplays the significance of the secrets themselves.

“Secret” becomes a problem when it’s played up as the only reason to click on the article in the first place. For example, using the title, “This Deeply Hidden Secret is About to Change Your World” for an article about cupboard organization barely warrants such strong wording.

Using headlines to tease your content is a good way to attract some extra links, but when you exaggerate the significance of your material to this degree, you’ll only end up disappointing your readers and damaging your reputation.

4. Making Bold or Unsubstantiated Claims

Outright lies in your headline will damage the public perception of your plan—I would hope this much would be obvious. But making bold exaggerations or citing possible facts as absolute can do just as much damage.

For example, introducing a new medical technique by stating “This New Technique Has Saved Thousands of Lives” without empirical evidence to back up your facts will do more harm than good. Readers will actually turn against you when they click through and see nothing of value or significance (or truth) on the other side.

5. Suggesting Content That Isn’t in Your Article

Thankfully, this technique is being used less and less. Since Google, Facebook and other publishers are using bounce rates to indicate the level of authority in a given piece, inappropriate titles naturally work themselves out of circulation.

Still, if you use irrelevant titling for your piece and start attracting clicks, you may find that your readers leave with a negative perception of your brand. This gimmick is easy to avoid; just make sure your article title is relevant to the content it headlines.

6. Using the Phrase “You Won’t Believe”

This phrase, in its many forms, has come to represent the entire “clickbait” phenomenon. Titles like “A Dog Walks Up to a Little Girl—You Won’t Believe What Happens Next,” or “You Won’t Believe What Doctors Have Been Keeping From You Your Whole Life,” are alternative forms of the “secret” problem I mentioned above. They imply a level of significance and urgency to an article that probably isn’t there, and readers click through seeking only to satisfy a fleeting curiosity. When the content doesn’t live up to their expectations—and most of the time, it won’t come close—they leave, and they’ll be far less likely to ever trust your brand again.

7. Using the Word “Click”

This, too, is becoming an antiquated practice. Google explicitly forbids the use of the word “click” in its PPC advertising as well as headlines that make it to its News section. Similarly, Facebook and other syndication platforms are weeding out content that contains the word click. Based on sight alone, many users will instantly get a bad impression of your brand if you try to entice more clicks directly. It’s a form of cyber-begging that comes off as desperate and annoying.

Don’t be afraid to use simple tricks to make your headlines stand out—compelling action words, short phrasing, and numerical references are just a handful of examples of healthy tactics. The problem comes when the structure of your headline takes precedence over the quality of your content. Extra attention is good, but only when your brand’s standing is positive, so keep your reputation as the ultimate priority in your content marketing strategy.

The post 7 Headline Gimmicks That Can Ruin Your Reputation appeared first on Relevance.

Pinterest, the image-based social network that allows users to pin visual items to boards, is growing rapidly, with a recent valuation of $11 billion. If you aren’t already, it might be time to start using Pinterest to grow your audience.

The Power of Images

Pinterest meets the needs of a visually-driven social media user base, allowing members to share pictures of items and ideas they like. Those things could be delicious recipes, fun hairstyles, tips and tricks to make their job easier, or the perfect outfit. Other members can interact with users based on those posts, commenting or liking them in a manner similar to the way they interact on Instagram.

By pinning items to their boards on Pinterest, members can keep track of things they like, while also gathering feedback from others. One member may be able to help another member find an item she’s admiring, leading her directly to the store where she can purchase that item of clothing. Members may also connect over content they’ve found to be especially helpful or insightful. Those who comment and like items have the option to pin the pictures to their own boards, as well.

The Business Connection

With such a large membership, Pinterest could be a fountain of opportunity for brands looking for a unique way to market products and content. Pinterest’s demographics skew female and much younger than people tend to think, with 18- to 29-year-olds edging out 30- to 49-year-olds in adoption. Suburban residents are also more likely to use Pinterest than those living in a big city, according to research.

Businesses that target those groups of customers are finding huge value in Pinterest, but new users to the site may not know how to most effectively reach Pinterest’s 70 million users. True success on the site requires pinning items that resonate with users in a way that makes them want to not only comment but share with others.

Images, Videos & More

As I mentioned in How to Use Pinterest in Your Online Marketing Initiative, making the most of the Pinterest platform requires being selective in the posts you pin to your board. Instead of unloading your entire product line or library of ebooks on the site, you have to choose one or two of the best items as a teaser, sending users to your site to learn more. Pinterest doesn’t limit users to just images; short videos can be another great way to promote your products and marketing content.

Instead of only turning to Pinterest when you have a product or new blog post to promote, give your followers other fun items of interest. Link to interesting articles and pin photos that your consumers will find interesting. Most importantly, be sure to bring your brand’s unique personality to life with every pin. Your boards should be a reflection of your company, reinforcing the image you’ve worked so hard to cultivate.

Partner Up

Influencers have the ability to help brands reach large numbers of people. On Pinterest, those influencers are called Super Pinners, which designates them as having a high level of activity on the site. These top pinners not only have numerous followers, but they also interact with other users and forge relationships on the site that ensure that when they post something, people pay attention.

As demonstrated by a Target campaign on Pinterest, finding influencers can help a campaign go much further than it would have if the brand pinned an item on its own board. Target partnered with some of the top pinners on the site to launch a new party-planning collection to great results. Those pinners were invited to create their own collections on their boards. Some of these pinners have millions of followers, compared to Target’s 185,000, giving them the ability to reach new customers that might not have otherwise seen the new products.

Connect Accounts

As you deploy your Pinterest campaign, don’t forget about your other social media sites. Your Pinterest account should prominently feature a link to your website, as well as an invitation to find you on Twitter, Facebook and any other active sites for your business. You should also use every opportunity to invite people to check out your Pinterest boards

In addition to putting icons and links on your various pages, write an update or tweet inviting your followers to check out a new board. Instead of mentioning the product, mention the board. Consider creating boards celebrating big events or special holidays to bring extra interest to your Pinterest account.

Remember Search

Pinterest images frequently show up in user image searches, so make sure your descriptions include terms consumers are most likely to enter into Google. When you name the file you’re uploading, be sure the name is likely to be searched, too. The more descriptive, the better. If you’ve simply described your image by a one-word term, you’ll be less likely to show up in searches than if you include the brand name and other descriptors like the color or size.

Also, pay attention to your board names. There’s an art to creating memorable board names just as there’s an art to naming your business or your products. Take time to come up with names that will make users want to tell others about your board. To avoid putting out the same board with the same name thousands of other users have created, do a search for your topic and find a way to set yourself apart from everyone else.

Have Fun

A business that just thinks of Pinterest as another way to obtain new customers likely won’t do well on the site. Pinterest’s members are passionate about their boards and they want to find other members who have the same passion.

Chances are, you’re passionate about the products your business sells, so find a way to bring that passion out on your own boards. Find other members who share your interests and share their pins on your boards to both give your followers something interesting to read and catch the interest of other members on the site who don’t yet follow you.

If your target audience matches the demographics of Pinterest’s user base, the social media platform can be a gold mine for distributing your marketing content to grow your audience. Creating and pinning beautiful, compelling imagery is the first step, but successful influencer marketing can really take your Pinterest activity to the next level, as can cross-platform promotion of your pins and boards. Lastly, give pins the same SEO treatment as you do your other web imagery for increased authority in the SERPs.

Soon you’ll have built an audience that shares your interests and may even inspire you as you choose new product lines and develop new content campaigns.

The post Using Pinterest to Grow Your Audience appeared first on Relevance.

The following content marketing myths are some of the most prevalent – yet misinformed – I’ve seen. Make sure you and your organization don’t buy into them.

Myth 1: More Is Better

Content is valuable, and the more content you have, the more likely you are to catch somebody’s eye or offer the specific solution they need to a given problem. However, some people take that idea and interpret it as a single truth: that more is always better – that having more articles at a longer length is the best strategy, and the more you have, the better your campaign will perform.

This is simply untrue. While quantity can give you more visibility, quality is far more important. A series of five 1,200-word articles that only covers the basics is less valuable than one 600-word article that goes into great detail. If you can produce several high-quality articles, go for it – but don’t ever sacrifice quality for quantity.

Myth 2: Anybody Can Write Content

Many business owners are successful as content marketers because they’re immersed in their industry and they have a gift for effectively communicating complex ideas. However, not everybody can write content successfully.

It’s not enough to simply put words on a page. You have to have to be a good researcher to find the most relevant, accurate information. You have to be a good writer in order to convey that information in an engaging, concise way. And you have to be a good marketer to know your target audience and cater to them.

It’s true that anybody with a keyboard can type words on a screen, but it takes discipline and experience to write great content for a marketing campaign.

Myth 3: Content Marketing Is the Same as Blogging

The terms “content marketing” and “blogging” are related, but they are not interchangeable. Blogging is a specific strategy in the realm of content marketing, but not all blogging is content marketing and not all content marketing is blogging.

For example, if you write a blog regularly with no target audience, no niche focus, and no research to support your ideas, you aren’t adhering to the fundamentals of content marketing. Conversely, it’s entirely possible (though less efficient) to run a content marketing campaign without a blog—by leveraging guest blogging opportunities and social media marketing.

Myth 4: Content Marketing Is a Fad

Because content marketing has built such a buzz over the last several years, many entrepreneurs have inaccurately deemed it as a fad. For some, that means ignoring the strategy entirely and focusing on other long-term solutions. For others, that means exerting tons of temporary effort in order to claim short-term results with no long-term goal in mind. The former misses out on the opportunities entirely. The latter will ultimately fail.

Content marketing is about providing value to your users, which is a fundamental principle immune to the ebb and flow of marketing gimmicks. If you’re going to be successful in your content marketing strategy, you need to treat it as what it is: a long-term campaign for your brand.

Myth 5: Content Is Cheap

There are many writers and potential writers out there, all of whom have different rate expectations and different approaches to the craft. Some content marketing organizations take advantage of this by enlisting the help of the cheapest writers they can find, but this isn’t the right strategy.

Content marketing can be an inexpensive marketing channel, but great content doesn’t come cheap. If you hire an intern at minimum wage and expect them to write a series of masterpieces, you’ll be disappointed. For the most part, you get what you pay for, and the easiest way to ruin your campaign is to cheap out on inferior material.

Myth 6: Creating Great Content Is the Only Goal

The core purpose of any content marketing strategy is to produce content that’s valuable to your users, but that’s not the only purpose, nor is it the only goal of your campaign.

In addition to creating great content, you have to make sure people can find it and spark enough interest in it to get the attention it deserves. Over time, your brand will build a reputation to the point that your users will do some of the work for you, but it never hurts to give it an extra boost.

Publicize your content on social media and on external forums. Start public discussions about your topic. Develop an email campaign to make consumers aware of your content strategy. As s content marketer, generating attention for your marketing content is just as much your responsibility as creating the content itself.

Myth 7: Content Marketing Doesn’t Work for Everybody

Lately, content marketing has earned an inaccurate reputation of being useful only to B2C companies, or only to companies in a handful of industries. This simply isn’t true. Content marketing can be used by practically any company, though each company will require a different strategy.

For example, B2B companies might make better use of LinkedIn than Facebook for their content marketing strategy, due to the professional, targeted nature of LinkedIn. With the right adjustments and careful catering to a targeted audience, it’s possible to orchestrate a content marketing strategy that fits any business.

Myth 8: Automation Makes Content Marketing Easier

To save time and money, some companies use automated tools for their content marketing strategies. This can include social media scheduling tools, bulk post creation, or even content spinning to take one article and rewrite it dozens of different ways.

Some of these tools, such as advanced social media scheduling, can be quite useful, but the more you automate your content marketing, the less human and approachable your content becomes. If abused or used improperly, automation in content marketing can actually do more harm than good.

Myth 9: Content Marketing Should Be Handled Independently

While content marketing is unique and faces a series of distinct advantages and disadvantages, it shouldn’t be kept separate from your other marketing efforts. Instead, it should function as an extension of your current branding and marketing strategy.

Integrate your campaign by cross-marketing; take advantage of your traditional advertising to cultivate more interest in your content strategy, or redesign your website to show it off. Content should feed your overall branding just as your branding should feed your content.

Myth 10: If It Doesn’t Convert Users, Content Marketing Is Useless

Content marketing should be a measurable strategy—otherwise it’s impossible to tell whether or not it is working. But many content marketers make the mistake of placing 100 percent of the value of content marketing on its success at converting customers.

While conversions are highly valuable and a good indication of your content’s success as a sales tool, it is not the only factor that dictates the success of your strategy. Low bounce rates, high click-through traffic, and high numbers of social shares are just a handful of measurable qualities you should consider in addition to direct conversions, not to mention the vast intangible benefits content marketing holds for your brand.

In order to be successful in the content marketing world, you first have to understand what content marketing is and what it isn’t. Instead of thinking of it in terms of numbers or getting excited about the buzz surrounding it, think of it simply as an opportunity to bring value to your users. In the end, that new value is what matters the most to your campaign. With it, you’ll improve your brand’s reputation and inspire loyalty in your visitors.

The post 10 Content Marketing Myths that Could Crash Your Campaign appeared first on Relevance.