There are many ways to reach your audience of consumers, including social networking on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, keeping an up-to-date, user-friendly website, posting videos on YouTube, and writing blog posts packed with updated information and relevant keywords and links.
You may have some questions about your blog posts, such as, should you timestamp each post? Time stamping your blogs, which may seem trivial, is actually quite important. Here's why.
Does A Blog’s Time Stamp Matter?
Some experts may believe you shouldn't time stamp your posts to make them more evergreen (content that is always relevant) and to keep them from becoming outdated. But in reality, time stamping your blog posts makes them more valuable because it gives consumers a date of reference. If your buyers are looking for a post about the best MP3 player or best smartphone in 2014, and your blog post was published in 2013, it’s outdated. Providing a time stamp lets the reader know if your blog is relevant to their search. Without dates to look at, readers won't know if your blog post was written yesterday or last year, and that can be harmful.
While some information is always evergreen, with today's ever-changing products and technology, consumers want to stay up to date, and using a timestamp is one of the best ways to guarantee they are getting the most current information. That doesn't mean your blog posts that are older won't be useful; plenty of information can be gleaned in a general sense, and updated to include current information, but specifics may rely on updated, new content. Make sure to update your blog several times a week if you can, so you always have fresh information on hand for readers to peruse.
Time-stamped posts also make your brand look more informed and trustworthy. Readers know you're up on the latest information according to the dates you wrote the posts. If readers see outdated posts, they won't assume you don't know what you're talking about, because all they need to do is look at the date to know the information was written a while ago and isn't current.
If dates on all of your blog posts make you uncomfortable, you can always judge by the content whether or not you should have a date on your post. For instance, a blog about something timeless, such as how to take great photos, may not need a date because the information won't change. But a post about something like top tablets or smartphones will change, so you may want to put a date on that.
What Else Can I Do To Keep My Blog Fresh?
If you are keeping a blog and updating it frequently, don't forget to include other content that's related, such as YouTube videos, which can garner more visitors based on search results. Even better, post videos of your products or how to use them.
Add links that go back to pages on your website, and add buttons for users to post and share your content in other places, such as Facebook. Another good idea is to have a spot for readers to sign up to receive an email when you update your blog or sign up for your business newsletter by inputting their email address or other information.
Need help trying to figure out what to blog about? When blogging, always remember your Buyer Personas. For more information about developing your buyer personas, download our free eBook!
