Refreshing your blog with new content is easy: Get inspired by work you’ve already done.
1. Update (and republish) your posts.
Take a look at some of your oldest posts, looking for entries that correspond to “hot topics” in your industry today. Even “evergreen” content – material that offers ongoing interest to readers – can be enhanced.
When you’re ready to improve and republish these posts with a current date, jumpstart your writing by thinking about how much your industry has changed, how your business has expanded or how much you have learned. If those entries continue to attract regular visitors via search engines, don’t change or kill your keywords by overhauling the entire post. Simply add and highlight new information in appropriate places, such as “Editor’s Note: Since this post was first published in (Date), our company has grown to include…”
2. Look for spin-offs.
As you review existing work, new ideas can surface. Consider whether your proposed additions to an old post could, instead, form one or more new posts. Ask yourself:
- What questions do my customers have?
- What new questions might be created by this post?
- Would splitting this revision into more than one post make the information easier to digest?
3. Avoid a 404 error.
This “Power Up” title and URL belonged to the first version of this website, which was more of an online resume, and the biographical post described how happy I was to land in Georgia after too many cold winters in another zip code. I could leave the original Power Up entry intact, I could delete it (creating a 404 error for search engine “crawlers” and bots unless I chose a remedy such as a redirect) or I could use the title again in a different context. And so, here we are.
As you write content that is friendly for people and search engines, most of your titles will be more specific and intentional than this one. But for those of us who also sometimes write for pure joy, there will be some quirky titles in the mix, waiting to be recycled into another fun-but-informative post. I’m not suggesting some sort of SEO sacrilege or using random posts to fill some quota you’ve set for yourself. Write with a purpose, keep your customers in mind and show your brand’s personality.
BONUS: To uncover even more inspiration, delete all those dusty ideas you have in your Drafts file.
Yes, delete. Downsize your Drafts file. Discarding concepts you’re not ready to use or ideas that do not generate enthusiasm for you makes space for new inspiration to arrive. Think of this as feng shui for your database, a digital decluttering. Then move on to your closets…
Candace Schilling, publicist, offers PR Communication and Training to spiritual teachers and faith-based communities. For more inspiration as well as tips about marketing and strategic communication, check out her articles or find Candace on LinkedIn.