Evergreen video content refers to marketing content or collateral that stands the test of time. It continues to support the brand and its goals regardless of the small, typical changes that a business (or the market for that matter) will undergo throughout its growth.

There are a number of reasons to ensure that you have evergreen video clips in your marketing arsenal. Cost is near the top of the list. “You want to live in world of video maintenance, not video re-creation.”
When you purposely create content that can be reused or slightly revised over a long period of time, you won’t need to pay a video company to overhaul it. You won’t have to re-learn how to use the camera gathering dust on the shelf.

You want to live in world of video maintenance, not video re-creation—a world of video modularity, where parts can be changed and repurposed without a “from scratch” remake.

Then, you’ll have less of a need for video equipment, processing, casting and scripting.

Ok. Great. So how do we get to the world of “video maintenance?”
Here are some valuable tips to help you hit the mark on your first try.

Make sure your video team is on the same page.

Everyone involved with your video’s production, be it for a small blurb or larger documentary, should understand that evergreen content is a goal from the start. If your scriptwriter knows to avoid mentions of current events or fads, your stylist knows to use neutral-styled clothing and your camera operator knows to keep the frame focused on speakers and not surroundings, you’re well on your way to evergreen success. Coach any speakers in your videos to use general terms like “social media” instead of specific websites, such as Snapchat or Tinder (lol), which may not be as relevant in the years to come.

Stick to what will always be important.

If you ‘paint yourself into a corner’ by enumerating exactly what your company is doing the week the video is shot, you may find yourself with outdated media faster than you’ve anticipated.
So, stick to the values & issues that will always be important to the market. Stories of client successes, your process to ensure quality, the company’s genesis, company culture, etc. These stories are timeless and always have a place in evergreen video.

Also, “evergreen” doesn’t have to mean “forever.” Maybe your content needs to have relevance for only 1 year. This may come into play when you’re creative video content centered around certain non-permanent issues. Whatever your evergreen needs are, just make sure it’s defined at the outset.

Think “Modular”

When planning the scenes for your video prior to filming, consider how easily they can be edited and re-arranged. It’d be great if you could easily employ the video content in more than one way or tactic. Think modular, says CMO and B2B marketing thought leader, Kyle Flaherty.

“One aspect of video marketing that people don’t seem to understand is that it is not only highly scaleable to your time and budget, but it is also modular. One video can be shared in multiple ways, from a blog post to targeted email marketing. “One video can be shared in multiple ways, from a blog post to targeted email marketing.” There are not many better mediums that can be sliced and diced in so many ways to meet vastly different marketing objectives than video.”

So, during the strategy session, ask your team about how else a video’s content could be used in the marketing or content program.

Ask “What If?”

What if Ed from engineering gets canned tomorrow? Can you easily replace him or edit him out? What if you change your logo next year or get acquired? Remember, evergreen video is about “video maintenance,” not video re-creation. By asking yourself these “what if’s” you’ll make it much easier on your team when changes happen.

Evergreen video content can seem a little tricky at first, but if you keep these tips in mind, you’ll prevent some serious headaches.

Also, don’t be afraid to engage a video company with an evergreen video concept in mind. Chances are they’ve done it before and can help you execute.