By now, you should be well aware of the role content plays in the success of your physical therapy clinic. It can help you build awareness, boost your rankings, get more people to visit your PT’s website, and nurture a lucrative relationship with them. Content is so valuable that nearly 92% of marketers say that it represents a crucial business asset.
But, while you’re using different content frameworks and staying on top of the latest news in the industry to boost your traffic, you’re probably ignoring one tactic that could turn your PT’s blog around.
We’re talking about evergreen content.
Think about it this way: an article about the latest tools in physical therapy is short-spanned. New devices are being developed almost every year, and you will need to constantly update the content with new information. An article about the symptoms and causes of sciatica, on the other hand, can bring in a steady flow of readers regardless of the changes that occur in the industry.
Read on to find out more about evergreen content and how to create it to take your physical therapy clinic’s website to the next level.
What Is Evergreen Content and How Does It Work?
As you’ve probably guessed by now, the main characteristic of evergreen content is that it’s timeless. That means that days, months or even years after you’ve published it, the content remains relevant and interesting enough for people to read.
Because evergreen content has the power to attract readers regardless of seasonality or market trends, it can increase your traffic and lead generation. Not to mention, it will always be shareable on social media because it never loses its relevance.
Here are some examples of evergreen content:
Why Do You Need Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is a vital component of your marketing strategy because it can help you build trust in your physical therapy clinic.
Here’s the thing: patients don’t just pick the first PT clinic that pops up in their online research. When it comes to their health, people are extremely careful and do extensive research before making a decision. However, more often than not, they base their decision on trust.
Your PT clinic may be equipped with the latest technology, and you may use only the best practices, but prospective patients consider the human factor as well. High-quality content can humanize your brand and help you build a relationship with prospects. When they can find the information they need on your blog, they’ll start to see you as a trusted partner and not just a greedy business interested only in their wallets.
How to Create Evergreen Content
Here is a breakdown of the process you should follow if you want to create evergreen content:
Ideas will come and go, and if you don’t write them down the moment you get them, there’s a high chance you’re not going to remember them later. Keep track of all your fleeting thoughts either the old school way, by writing them down in a notebook, or by recording them on your computer or phone. The best part is that most of these flashing ideas will probably be evergreen content material since they’re likely to appear in moments when you’re not necessarily reading the news.
Make it a habit of gathering your team round for a brainstorming session every month or so. You’ll be surprised by what you can get when different minds focus on the same thing. Write everything down, no matter how crazy you may think the ideas are. However, don’t use them immediately. Let everything sink in for some time, and then decide what makes the most sense to your audience.
Like previously mentioned, it’s important to write down every idea, no matter how over the top it may seem at the moment. Keep everything around so you can browse through them later, for inspiration. Sure, some of them may still seem ridiculous even after a month, but you never know what other ideas they can trigger.
After you’ve chosen the right idea to write about, it’s time to move on to the research stage. The first step is to find out if anyone else has had the same idea and has already written it. If that’s the case, then you need to work on a different angle on it or at least come with a new approach to ensure the content will be original.
The research stage will probably leave you with a lot of disparate pieces that you now need to put together and organize into something cohesive. The easiest way is to just start with the basic concepts you want to present. If the piece doesn’t have a timeline, stick to showing the big picture first and then delve into the details.
Using the outline from the previous step, you can start writing the content. Don’t worry about any details or editing at first. Write as much as possible and put everything you have to say on paper. Only after that, you can go through it, re-organizing it, and editing it to make sure the article is logical and easy to read. Also, don’t forget about the finishing touches – grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be flawless.
Don’t be afraid to post your content with a date, even though you want your piece to be timeless. Just make sure you don’t put any traces of date in the post’s title, as it will ruin the evergreen feeling of it.
We know self-promotion is something many of you hate, but it’s vital if you want to get your piece out there. Tell your network about what you’ve written and encourage them to share it with their friends. Don’t be afraid to reach out to influencers in your niche and ask them to take a look at the article and share it if they like it or think their audience can benefit from it.
Even though your content is timeless, you will still need to review and update it now and then. Some information can become outdated, some links can disappear, and developments may appear in the meantime. Make sure to update your pieces regularly so that your content stays evergreen.
How to Take Your Evergreen Content to the Next Level
Coming up with evergreen content is not so easy, and will require serious research, documentation, and work to put it together. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you create the best, most appropriate evergreen content for your physical therapy clinic’s website.
Yes, your article should feel professional, but don’t fall into the trap of using language that is too technical just to show off that you’re an expert. Remember who you’re writing for – you’re writing for regular people, not experts, so sticking with a more simple language would be a better approach. Assume your audience has little to no understanding of the subject, and try to make the content as accessible as possible.
If you want your content to be viewed by as many people as possible, then you need to make sure that they can find it. So, don’t forget to include keywords and scatter them throughout the entire article. That way, your readers will know what to expect when they stumble upon your content in search results.
We know you are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to physical therapy and could probably write about anything. However, you should decide on a particular topic for your content strategy, and focus your energy on becoming an authoritative figure in that specific niche. Think carefully about what that niche will be, as you will need to deliver professional content on a regular basis.
Surely you have a few great pieces of evergreen content that have had success over time. Take your inspiration from them, and think of ways you could repurpose them. Give them a different spin or change the point of view to turn them around.
Evergreen content can take many forms. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), how-to guides, testimonials, tutorials, glossaries of terms and phrases can all be examples of evergreen content. If you’ve run out of ideas, each one of these is a great start. But, don’t forget that evergreen content doesn’t always have to come in the form of written articles – consider videos, images, or infographics, as well.
If you want to be able to craft relevant evergreen content, you first have to understand what evergreen content is not. Articles with numerical reports or statistics will, most probably, become out of date, regardless of how analytical and in-depth they are. Also, holiday or seasonal articles do not usually fall into the evergreen category, but if the content is general enough, they may get more traffic than usual.
Yes, it’s true: people don’t have the time or the patience to read an article word by word. But, they still pay attention to the details. Thorough articles will always be considered more professional and trustworthy. So make sure you provide a unique spin on the topic and support any claims with facts from trusted sources.
Conclusion
Evergreen content can be hard to create, but it can bring numerous rewards in the long run. It’s like a gift that keeps on giving since its importance and relevance will remain intact.
The most important thing you need to remember is that your articles need to be helpful and add value to your audience. That way, you can rest assured that they will return for more.
If you need help creating timeless content, then we here at PatientSites can guide you in this endeavor. Contact us today and let’s discuss your content strategy.
Do you want to take your physical therapy marketing to the next level? Download our Free Evergreen Marketing Blueprint for Physical Therapists and start creating long-term assets that generate new patient bookings for years to come.
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