There are a lot of different ideas out there about what it means to “do marketing.” Some strategies focus heavily on “launch” marketing, while others focus on creating content that is “evergreen.”

I tend to see that when companies don’t understand marketing, they go into full launch mode. Every piece of content is about them, their process, their product, their behind-the-scenes, how-to, how the gears work, and how the sausage is made—all of that really deep knowledge. Understandably, they want to talk about all of this. Without that deep knowledge, the product or service wouldn’t exist.

This type of content has its place, but what people don’t understand is the difference between launching something and creating content on an evergreen basis.

Launch Marketing

Launch marketing is heavily focused on creating urgency. This is something we frequently see on Black Friday or other holiday sales. It also includes limited-time discounts and temporary coupon codes.  It is a great strategy when you have a new product or service to expose to the world. It gives you a chance to explain new products or updates to existing services. It also brings attention to your offer and compels people to take you up on the deal before it is gone. However, over time it can begin to seem intense. It’s not the kind of thing you can do consistently.

Evergreen Marketing

Evergreen marketing involves creating a content marketing engine that works for you all the time, not just when you have something new you are launching. It is creating content that is just as relevant now as it will be in six months.
Without this evergreen mindset, you’ll begin to believe that you can’t actually have a conversation about anything unless you are actively selling something. Just because you don’t have a new product or service to talk about doesn’t mean your marketing job is done.

Transformation Stories

You didn’t create your product or service for yourself. You created it to solve a problem. Because of that, you are making a difference in people’s lives. Sometimes it’s something that saves time or money. Sometimes it improves your client’s happiness. Whatever it is, every single offer on the market is either a transformation offer or a commodity.

The best way to continue having conversations when you aren’t launching is to talk about the transformation of your client’s experience. What is life like for people after they buy into your offer? How have their personal or professional lives improved since working with you? 

When you focus on the “before and after,” you create content that people want to engage with. You don’t need or want to explain all the steps of your transformation process, but you want to tell a story about someone who was experiencing one of the problems you solve and how your solution changed their lives for the better.

When you do this, you’re building a robust content strategy that is evergreen. It’s more hands-off and less intense. This strategy is focused on creating a long-term relationship. 

Creating content that tells a story allows people to see themselves in those stories and experience how your offer would change their lives. Not only that, but you’ll be creating content that can be used over and over again, freeing up your time to focus on doing more business that matters.