Relevant content doesn’t belong in your archive.
Some blog posts aren’t intended to last. And that’s OK: we write them for specific time or place. When their time has passed, it’s good to let them fade away into your content archive. But every now and then, you come across a post, and the wisdom seems as relevant today as when you wrote it ages back. So what should you do with this old content?
Don’t relegate compelling content to your archive if it’s still relevant. Put it back in front of your readers where it can do some good. And in the process, you establish your credentials as a savvy and forward-thinking source.
So, following our own advice, here’s a selection of our best past posts. These represent some of our core beliefs and our best advice.
Do you need to know your audience?
How do you focus your site design on usability if you don’t know who your users are? We believe that good web design begins with knowing the end user and understanding their needs. That’s why we have a bonafide anthropologist to analyze user data to understand how user experience and design intersect.
From our account manager and UX expert, Alex Beaudin: What the hell is audience analysis?
Does your content strategy need help?
Is your content strategy working for you? Or do you feel like you’re just treading water in a fast current. We salute you efforts to make headway in the fast-paced world of online content marketing. But if you’ve jumped in without a strategy in mind, your hard work could be letting you down.
From marketing director Matthew Perkins: Is Your Content Strategy Killing Your Online Efforts?
Does your web design get to the point?
Does your website suffer from TMI? Waffling copy? Rambling menu structure? We’ve seen it all, and we know how hard it is to cut down a design to fit a specific purpose. But bold, opinionated design will get you a lot further than an indecisive layout. So focus your design and let it speak for you!
From our creative lead, Ian Wilson: Opinionated Design: Stop making me think!
Should you send out that RFP?
You’re planning a new web project, and you want to find the best firm for the job. Will an RFP help you find that firm? Drawing on first-hand experience, Eric Lynch lays out a critique of the RFP process and offers an alternative approach.
From our principal and sales lead: RFP : WTF?
Have you made this CMS mistake?
One of my favorite ways to repurpose our content archive is as instructional material for clients or new hires. If you have a good post that answers an FAQ or a common training issue, share that blog! For my part, I wrote a post a little while ago addressing a common problem for many CMS users. And I still share this when training clients and new hires how to publish blog posts.
From the copywriter, Laura Lynch (that’s me!): Word, the Web, and the Dangers of Pasting HTML
What can you bring back from your content archive?
Don’t let your good content go to waste. Here’s how to bring back material from your content archive:
- Backlink to old posts where relevant
- Bring them back on social media
- Send them out to clients if they address a specific question
- Use them as training material for new hires