For even the savviest of digital marketers, it can be difficult to identify when your marketing content has passed its expiration date. This effect is compounded by the fact that certain types of content are not exactly cheap to develop, so the tendency is for marketers to hang onto content that really should be updated or replaced. However, it’s important to note that expired marketing content not only loses its luster for potential customers, but it can actually drive away business by giving an impression of stagnation.
So when is it appropriate to update marketing content? The answer depends on what sort of content it is we’re talking about. The lifespan of social content is not at all the same as video content. Below are some key ways you can identify that your content is due for replacement, or at least a decent facelift.
Photographic Content
Photo content is one of the longest-lived types of marketing content. These days, professional-grade photos are of such high resolution that future advancements in camera technology will likely not result in your content showing its age. It’s likely that the subject of your photography is the driver of a need for an update, rather than the image quality. Marketers typically consider it best practice to update photographic content when that which is portrayed is no longer relevant or accurate. For example, a company headshot from 20 years ago is probably due for an update. Similarly, a company photo that includes employees who have left, or excludes key members, warrants an update. If one of your pictures portray time-sensitive factors, such as newspapers, then you should schedule an update in advance, preferably within a year or so to avoid an anachronistic effect.
Note: Trendy photographic content for certain time-focused industries can require frequent updates. Like any art, trends come and go, which is why you stopped seeing sepia-toned content as much as you may have a couple of years ago.
Video
Video is the type of marketing content that requires content managers to exercise the most discipline. Between advances in video quality, animation techniques, and the expiration of subject matter, videos can expire far more quickly than we might like. Therefore, you’d do best to keep your eyes open to make sure that the trend isn’t leaving your marketing department behind. The same restrictions apply to video subjects as they do to photos. Anything that is no longer relevant to your company necessitates an update. Further, if your content does not meet the general standard for online content, it’s time to get rid of it before it harms your brand. There isn’t a rule on what this standard is, but it’s safe to say that your awesome video that plays at 240 fps is past expiration.
Finally, trends in video change quickly and often suddenly. You might have noticed that fast-draw style videos vanished quite suddenly from your social feeds, and now they seem anachronistic. Ensure that content is relatively fresh and keep your eyes open when online to make sure you’re keeping up with the web and competitors. It’s the only way to guarantee content always reinforces your brand.
Social
Nobody likes the answer “it depends”. But in the case of social media, content’s longevity depends on the platform that you are using and your goals. As a general benchmark, it’s typical for a company with a strong (but not intense) social presence to follow this schedule:
Facebook: 5-7 posts per week
LinkedIn: 2-5 posts per week
Twitter: 12-20 posts per week
However, thanks to the format of social media, if your content is not updated at this regularity, it’s unlikely that the stagnation will hurt your brand. Furthermore, it’s important to have consistency in certain aspects of social, such as your profile picture. Therefore, the importance of updating content is to maintain engagement and to stay top of mind to your followers, and your post consistency should reflect this.
Note: reposting tosses a wrench in the works for social. If you use an automation service, it can be hard to track when your social content may need to freshened up. To stay safe, you should probably avoid any reposts 6 or more weeks after your original post.
Blogs
Here is some relieving news for all of you budget-conscious marketers: blog content is often evergreen. As long as your content is meaningful, well-written, and decently researched, there’s often no harm in leaving it online to populate your blog library. The reverse-chronology of blogs means that the freshest content appears first, and if your visitors are looking for something specific, the relevant post does remain indexed by Google. For example, unlike with other forms of content, it’s perfectly acceptable to leave your post up about why HD Dvd-not Blu Ray-is the future! The “netiquette” and format of blogs means that such articles only serve to show that you have a history of thought leadership. Just be certain to justify an assertions made.
That said, the frequent updating of blog content can be a valuable tool in feeding your social media accounts with post content. Furthermore, you can leverage the power of RSS feeds to effectively drive digital marketing and online engagement with frequent posting. Therefore, you might find it no less necessary to frequently supply new blog content.
All told, perhaps the most important take-away is that you must keep your eyes open for trends in marketing, and adjust according to what’s going on. While it’s beneficial to do something different from everyone else, it isn’t good to be behind the pack.
What sort of benchmarks do you use to make sure your content stays fresh? Join the conversation in the comments below!
