{"id":13545,"date":"2022-05-06T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-06T10:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/?p=127072"},"modified":"2022-05-06T10:00:43","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T10:00:43","slug":"to-date-or-not-to-date-thats-the-wrong-content-question-rose-colored-glasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=13545","title":{"rendered":"To Date or Not To Date? That\u2019s the Wrong Content Question [Rose-Colored Glasses]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wanna start a fight among content marketers? Ask four content marketers whether blog posts should include the date of publication.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll probably get five or more opinions. Yes, you read that right \u2013 at least one of the people you ask will likely have at least two opinions.<\/p>\n

There are good arguments on both sides. I see the point made by those who say that you can\u2019t correctly cite any content that isn\u2019t dated. And I understand the argument that says including the date will eventually make your content seem old, even if it\u2019s \u201cevergreen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing. A timeless piece of content doesn\u2019t automatically mean the content will stand the test of time. And content that stands the test of time isn\u2019t necessarily timeless.<\/p>\n

A timeless piece of #content \u2013 one without dates or era-specific references \u2013 won\u2019t automatically stand the test of time, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The difference between timeless and classic content<\/h2>\n

When trying to create evergreen content, content marketers typically avoid including anything that links the piece to the time it was made. They\u2019re trying to create something that will be relevant to the desired audience now and in the future.<\/p>\n

This seems like an impossible task. Writing in a particular time imbues context that can\u2019t be removed \u2013 you can\u2019t know which details will make your piece seem dated in the future.<\/p>\n

But if this is true, how does any content last beyond its own time? How does something become \u201cclassic\u201d in the dictionary definition (a work of art of recognized and established value)?<\/p>\n

The short answer: Because it turns out that way.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s unsatisfying but true. Classic works aren\u2019t classic because the author tried to avoid the context of the time in which they created them. They become classics because the care, depth, and creativity poured into the piece continue to resonate with new audiences.<\/p>\n

I love how author Italo Calvino described a \u201cclassic\u201d<\/a> in his essay, Why Read The Classics? He characterizes it as something \u201cwhich, even when we read it for the first time, gives the sense of rereading something we have read before.\u201d A classic, he says, is \u201ca book which has never exhausted all it has to say to its readers.\u201d<\/p>\n

I just finished rereading Basic Marketing \u2013 A Managerial Approach, by E. Jerome McCarthy, for the third time. Even if you haven\u2019t heard of the book, you\u2019re probably familiar with one of the concepts it introduced: The \u201c4 Ps<\/a>\u201d of marketing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a classic marketing text. But, having read it three times, I can tell you it\u2019s clear this book was written in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

Likewise, I believe the LEGO Movie is a perfect example of a modern-day classic. It offers creative storytelling<\/a> with a very distinct point of view and \u2013 unlike most \u201cevergreen\u201d content \u2013 trendy, topical characters. Despite that, The LEGO Movie is also something that families can enjoy watching again and again. The movie never exhausts all it has to say to its audience.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a classic that stands the test of time \u2013 it has warranted sequels and spinoffs and remains a core piece of the LEGO content strategy.<\/p>\n

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: 5 Evergreen Content Tips for a Year-Round Marketing Strategy<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n

Can you create classic content marketing?<\/h2>\n

I once asked some clients (without irony, mind you) if they could envision creating a thought leadership paper that was timeless (meaning evergreen) and classic (meaning something people enjoyed so much they\u2019d read it again and again). <\/em><\/p>\n

They laughed. But I was completely serious. Can you create a classic thought leadership paper? Is it possible to produce a classic video series on SEO? Can you create a classic Thanksgiving Day turkey recipe?<\/p>\n

You probably thought, \u201cOh, sure,\u201d about the recipe. But didn\u2019t the other two seem odd?<\/p>\n

Classic content provides new audiences with value and goes one step further: It provides existing audiences something they can return to time and again.<\/p>\n

I continually return to Theodore Levitt\u2019s paper Marketing Myopia<\/a> to refresh my marketing chops despite its analysis of industries that date it to the 1960s. Dumb Ways To Die<\/a>, a content marketing effort by the City of Melbourne Australia\u2019s Metro organization, continues to get tens of millions of views every year despite being almost nine years old.<\/p>\n

Classic #content provides new audiences with value and gives existing audiences something they can return to time and again, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

A formula for content that stands the test of time<\/h2>\n

You can\u2019t know if a piece of content is a classic until it \u2013 well \u2013 becomes a classic. It must stand the test of time. And for that, you need time.<\/p>\n

But can you increase the chance that your content\u2019s value will last?<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t know if a piece of #content is a classic until it stands the test of time. But you can increase the chance its value will last, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I think you can. Whether you are writing for B2B or B2C, fiction or non-fiction, I\u2019ve found that classic content pieces tend to share these traits:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Memorable, diverse characters or points of view.<\/strong> Every classic story \u2013 even Marketing \u2013 A Managerial Approach \u2013 offers something incredibly memorable. In McCarthy\u2019s book, the 4 Ps concept lasted. What\u2019s the thing people will remember from your content?<\/li>\n
  2. A fully realized setting. <\/strong>Whether you\u2019re writing for B2B or B2C, think about building a world for your audience. Rich detail allows the audience\u2019s minds to connect to other stories they\u2019ve heard and experiences they\u2019ve had (and that\u2019s a mark of a classic).<\/li>\n
  3. A distinctive style.<\/strong> Develop a style<\/a> (for words and imagery) and stick to it. Be consistent.<\/li>\n
  4. Larger truths.<\/strong> I teach this one in all my storytelling workshops. Every great story should attempt to illuminate a universal truth that will change the reader somehow.<\/li>\n
  5. Nods (and connections) to tradition. <\/strong>Embrace the tradition of what you\u2019re writing about. Find a way to celebrate it or escape from it.<\/li>\n
  6. Structure<\/strong>. Classics follow a story structure. That doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t stray from traditional structures (I\u2019m looking at you, Ulysses). But most have a story structure that provides a foundation the audience can follow.<\/li>\n
  7. Ambiguity. <\/strong>Classic content leaves room for audiences to find their own way, come to different conclusions, and interpret the work in ways the author may not have anticipated.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The bottom line? Focus on great storytelling, exploring topics deeply, creating distinct points of view<\/a>. And don\u2019t shy away from using timely examples to help tell a story. Create content that people will want to revisit again and again.<\/p>\n

    Then, it doesn\u2019t matter if you put a date on it.<\/p>\n

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    Get Robert\u2019s take on content marketing industry news in just three minutes:<\/h2>\n