Keeping Content Fresh and Interesting

From involving your audience with content decisions to inviting more people in, here are 18 answers to the question, “Can you share your most helpful tips on how to keep content (blog, podcast, social media content, etc.) fresh and interesting?”

• Ask Your Audience About What They’d Like More of
• Collect and Curate Ideas from Multiple Sources
• Collaborate With the Audience and Content Creators
• Explore a Topic and Dig Deeper
• Use Impactful and Complementary Visual Content
• Leverage the Latest News & Industry Updates
• Make Humor and Scarcity Your Friend
• Have a Social Media Takeover
• Include Information from the News Sites
• Run a Series
• Master Your Headlines
• Interview Guest Contributors for Your Content
• Search Using Google Discover
• Focus on Helpful Advice and Thought Leadership Content
• Think Way Outside of the Box
• Tell a Story
• Set a Schedule to Update Your Top Blog Posts
• Inviting Others in

Ask Your Audience About What They’d Like More of

Getting your audience more involved in the decision-making process is a great way to ensure you’re creating relevant content and helps build a good rapport with them, too. You’re acknowledging that they play an important role, and it emphasizes your dedication to making this a valuable experience for them.

More often than not, you’ll be introduced to many new ideas and topics that you may not have even considered in your creative process. Or, you could even run a poll every week to learn more about what subjects they want to learn more about. Either way, there aren’t any downsides to being communicative with your listeners and readers; it only goes to show that you value their feedback and preferences.

• Harry Morton, Founder, Lower Street

Collect and Curate Ideas from Multiple Sources

Having a collection of materials to pull from can be an essential tool for keeping a blog and social media content fresh and engaging. Not only does this enable one to respond quickly with relevant updates as news breaks or trends appear, but it also grants the opportunity to combine ideas from a variety of perspectives in order to create original content that is both interesting and meaningful.

Sourcing material for collections can come from articles about industry news, finding authoritative sources on social media, or looking for existing connections between topics that have been overlooked. Storing and organizing these materials is essential in ensuring creative content remains productive yet captivating.

• Michael Sena, Founder & CEO, SENACEA

Collaborate With the Audience and Content Creators

Collaboration is a great way to keep our content fresh and interesting. Apart from getting content that is familiar to the audience, we also add extra excitement by collaborating with the audience or other content creators.

The simple way to collaborate with our audience in the content’s creation is through social media polls, surveys, or Q&A sessions, which can help us gain a deeper understanding of what our audience is interested in and what type of content they prefer. We can also invite them to do guest blogging or be podcast guests, as well as invite other content creators to create new content.

• Georgi Todorov, Founder, ThriveMyWay

Explore a Topic and Dig Deeper

Keeping digital content interesting can be a struggle sometimes, but the important thing is that there are plenty of things you can do about it. My favorite way of keeping content fresh and interesting (especially blog and social media content) is to explore your area of expertise.

People often only scratch the surface of a topic, wondering why they don’t have a steady number of recurring readers or visitors. People who are interested in, let’s say, fishing, won’t be interested in reading only about the basics.

Basic information is available all over the internet because of amazing search engine options and AI tools. That’s why I highly recommend digging deeper into a point of interest of your readers/listeners and trying to offer them a piece of quality information that they would otherwise hardly find. This is especially easy if you have a podcast since new guests and interlocutors can widen the range of information that you offer to your audience.

• Dejan Kvrgic, Founder, ProContent Services

Use Impactful and Complementary Visual Content

When you create written content for your blog and social media handles or even produce audio content for your podcast, it is essential to add a visual medium. Social media posts can include images or graphic representations of your writing.

In blog posts, they can be relevant pictures that draw attention to the post’s message. Or, even when you’re spreading the word about your podcast, the images accompanying these posts can represent the episode. By adding matching and impactful visual content, you draw your audience in and keep them engaged until they discover what your content has to say.

• Brendan McGreevy, Head of Strategy, Affinda

Leverage the Latest News and Industry Updates

I believe that staying on top of the latest news and industry updates is a great way to make sure your content remains fresh and interesting. Not only can you use these stories as the basis for new blog posts, podcasts, or social media content, but they also give you an opportunity to emphasize unique points of view that may not have been explored before.

Plus, since everyone else will talk about the same events and trends, it makes it easier to engage with potential readers/listeners who are interested in keeping up with current events. In other words, don’t shy away from using hot topics to create interesting content—just make sure that you provide an original take on them so your audience knows you bring something new to the table and not just rehashed content.

• Arkadiusz Terpilowski, Head of Growth & Co-Founder, Primetric

Make Humor and Scarcity Your Friend

People like to learn and laugh. To capitalize on the ineffective habit of multitasking, I attempt to keep content fresh and interesting by aiming for people to learn and laugh at the same time. You can find humor in almost any situation if you can envision an alternative mindset to the issue.

Pointing out the humor while also providing insight keeps your content fresh and memorable. If you limit posts to once a week and consistently publish at the same time each week, a scarcity of content also creates interest. Your audience will not want to miss your humorous, weekly musings if you set the stage correctly.

• Stacy Berg Jackson, CEO & Chief Executive Coach, SBJ Consulting, Inc.

Have a Social Media Takeover

Try out a social media takeover. Having a new face run your social media accounts for the day is an easy way to get a fresh feel for your feed. You can have an employee, client, or influencer take over your stories and channels to share how your company has impacted them.

Particularly with clients or influencers, these takeovers will also expand your engagement and following, as some of their own followers will probably tune in for the takeover. Social media cross-posting gives you new material with a bigger audience.

• Brian Munce, Managing Director, Gestalt Brand Lab

Include Information from the News Sites

News channels and daily updates help me get fresh information for my posts. It is the best and easiest way to keep a blog, podcast, social media content, etc. fresh and interesting. There are many authenticated news channel websites, apps, and tools that you can access with the help of your computer and smartphone.

However, not all pieces of news are valuable for all posts because the information in the article or blog should apply to the topic. So, I always look for the latest information in the news that is related to the niche. If the site is authenticated and most trustworthy, you can quote it in your content. Include the names of some recent reports mentioned in the news in your blog post.

This way, you can easily improve the quality of your content. Make sure you focus on natural language processing while writing to keep the content interesting and readable.

• Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Manager, Technource

Run a Series

Running a series of content will help you keep your content fresh and interesting by allowing you to cover a specific topic or theme consistently. It will also give your audience a reason to keep coming back.

There are many series you can run, from a “how-to” series that educates your audience on a specific topic, to a series that explores a particular story or experience through a series of blog posts or podcasts, to hosting different collaborators each week to speak about topics relevant to your industry.

No matter which format you choose, it’s crucial that you have a simple plan and schedule lined out before creating new content. It’s a good idea to even publish a schedule so your audience knows what to expect and when to come back to engage with your content.

• Jonathan Krieger, VP of Sales, Fabuwood

Master Your Headlines

Before anyone views your content, it needs to be acknowledged and clicked on. This is where the power of the headline comes in. Whether it’s on a search engine, your blog, or social media channels, your headline will be the first thing people see. Simply, if your headlines are boring, then people have no reason to click.

Clickable headlines leave the viewers wanting more, and create a sense of curiosity. Don’t give away the intrigue—instead, pique the reader’s interest by motivating them to consume your content.

For example, instead of your headline saying something concrete like “Men Eat More Than Women,” create intrigue by saying “This Is Why Men Eat More Than Women.” Sometimes it’s the simplest of adjustments that are the most critical for writing headlines that inspire people to read or consume your content.

• Dakota McDaniels, Chief Product Officer, Pluto

Interview Guest Contributors for Your Content

One great way to freshen up your content is to invite guest contributors to write posts or to be interviewed as the basis for your own post. For example, let’s say you’re writing a post on starting a daycare. Adding quotes and insights within your article from a successful daycare owner will enhance your content quality and give your audience a fresh perspective.

The best part is that it’s easy to find experts. Backlinks are valuable, and giving the guest contributor a backlink provides them plenty of incentive to respond. You can use tools like HARO and Terkel, which connect content publishers with expert sources for free, to find experts fairly quickly.

• Axel DeAngelis, Founder, Jumpcoast

Search Using Google Discover

One of my best tips for keeping content fresh and interesting is to use current news events as inspiration when crafting content. Staying abreast of the latest happenings and trends can help you create content that is both timely and relevant, making it more engaging for your audience.

You can also stay ahead of the curve by seeing how topics are unfolding in real-time, which will enable you to provide insights that your readers wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere. This could make your content stand out from the rest, ensuring that it stands the test of time.

One of the best-kept secrets to keep your content fresh and interesting is through leveraging Google’s Discover platform. By optimizing your content for this platform, you can make sure you reach more readers who may not have otherwise found it. This can also help you build engagement over time and drive more organic traffic to your website—all of which could be beneficial for helping to grow your online presence.

• Jeremy Reis, Founder, Explore Startups

Focus on Helpful Advice and Thought Leadership Content

My best tip for keeping content fresh and interesting is to focus on creating content that adds value to your audience. Think about what kinds of topics, questions, or conversations would be beneficial and interesting to them, then create content around them.

Content doesn’t have to be complicated or niche-specific—it can be as simple as sharing a new insight or idea you had recently, giving people a glimpse into how you work or operate day-to-day, or providing an in-depth analysis of an industry trend. By focusing on providing helpful advice and thought leadership through your content, you’ll keep your followers engaged and excited about what comes next!

• Ai Hiura, CMO & Co-Founder, Faverie

Think Way Outside of the Box

If you want to keep your content fresh and interesting, one of the best tips is to focus on creating unique and creative content. This means thinking outside the box and coming up with new, exciting ideas that will capture the attention of your audience.

To do this, it’s helpful to research and analyze what other content creators in your space are doing, and then brainstorm ways to make it unique. For example, if you’re creating a podcast, you could look at the topics that other podcasters are discussing and then add your own spin to it. This could be as simple as having a unique format or inviting different guests.

• Michael Lazar, Executive, ReadyCloud

Tell a Story

Experts in social media refer to this as “emotional marketing.” Your customers desire to like you. Give an honest account of a client you have assisted to connect with them.

For instance, if you run a business that rents out medical equipment, tell them about the shut-in you just helped by coordinating with her insurance provider to get a capable home health care aide. Or if you run a landscaping company, explain to them why you bring treats for the pets of your favorite customers. These stories lend individuality to your company and are typically simple to write about.

• Michael Lees, Chief Marketing Officer, EZLease

Set a Schedule to Update Your Top Blog Posts

After you’ve been blogging for a few years, it’s important to review your top posts and update them. While you don’t need to update every post you’ve ever written, you do want to make sure the highly trafficked posts are still up to date.

The frequency of updates depends a bit on ‌your blog—for a fast-moving niche like tech, you might need to review quarterly or even monthly. Other niches might be fine with an annual update. The primary goal is to make sure your content still feels relevant to your readers, regardless of when they find your article.

• Larissa Pickens, Co-Founder, Dapper Confidential

Invite Others in

People get to know your voice when you are writing a blog and continuing that through will be an important part of keeping your readers engaged, but that doesn’t mean it can’t ever be different.

Something that could be quite successful and bring in a bit of diverse conversation is inviting guest bloggers. You don’t have to make it part of your core offering, but you could have a weekly, fortnightly, or even monthly slot where different writers put in a piece.

This brings in more expert opinions, some different ideas, and a way for you to see what is landing with your readers. It doesn’t always have to be the same writer either; you could bring in a variety of writers who will also help to expand your readers through audience sharing, with them likely announcing they have been featured on your blog.

• Shawn Hill, Owner, The Grilling Dad