What’s The Opposite Of Evergreen Content? (And Why It Matters)

You’ve probably heard that you should be creating “evergreen content.”

But not all content can be – or even should be – evergreen.

Understanding the difference between evergreen and non-evergreen content helps you better see the big picture of your content strategy, make smarter decisions about what’s worth repurposing, and how to strike a balance between the two.

Let’s talk about the opposite of evergreen content, what it actually looks like in the wild, and the key differences you need to know as a business owner.

A Quick Refresher on Evergreen Content

Evergreen content is content that stays valuable and relevant over time. It’s often long form in nature, but not always.

Really, any content “format” can be evergreen – whether or not something is evergreen comes down to the actual content itself.

You’ve probably been told you need to focus on creating evergreen content. That’s likely because this kind of content works for you long-term and your efforts typically compound over time.

For example, I’m writing this blog post now with the intention for it to bring me traffic for months or years to come.

Types of evergreen content include:

• Ultimate guides
• Listicles
• Tips & how-to content
• Case studies
• FAQs

The Opposite of Evergreen Content: Timely Content

The opposite of evergreen content is timely content. This kind of content is also sometimes referred to as “time-sensitive” or “seasonal” content.

However you want to label it, it’s got the same definition: Content that’s only valuable for a specific period of time, tied to a specific moment, or that will quickly become outdated.

When you think of non-evergreen content, you probably think things like holiday content and news content. But sales and trend-based content also fall into this category. Basically, any piece of content that has some kind of expiration date for whatever reason.

The key difference you need to remember:

Evergreen content = timeless, always relevant

Timely content = expires after a certain point

Types of Timely Content

Here are the main types of timely content you’re probably creating – maybe even without realizing it:

Promotional/Sales Content

This is any content that’s tied to a specific offer, launch, or sale. Once the promotion or launch ends, the content is no longer relevant.

Here’s where it gets tricky, though: Some sales content actually can be evergreen. For example, content that’s used to market something you offer year-round and addresses timeless buyer pain points and foundational topics.

Where you see this: Sales emails, social media posts about launches, promo mentions in podcasts

Seasonal Content

Seasonal content is tied to specific times of the year – specific seasons, holidays, or other calendar events. This type of content can sometimes be recycled annually, but it’s only really relevant during that particular time of year.

Where you see this: Holiday-themed blog posts, seasonal newsletters, new year content

Trend-Based Content

If you’ve ever jumped on a viral moment, a social media trend, or a platform-specific feature and shared content about it, you created trend-based content.

While this kind of content has the potential to get you a LOT of reach really quickly, it doesn’t always draw in the right kind of people and has a very short shelf life.

Where you see this: TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, Threads/X posts about things happening RIGHT NOW

Current Events & News

This is any content that either talks about what’s happening in the world in general OR responds to things happening in your industry. This could be commentary on algorithm changes, new platform features, industry news, or even cultural moments.

Being quick to jump on things unfolding in your industry can set you apart, especially if you’re one of the first people talking about it. But as soon as the news cycle moves on or the situation changes, this type of content quickly becomes outdated.

Where you see this: Blog posts covering industry updates, newsletters reacting to cultural moments/news, “hot take” social posts

Personal Updates

Behind-the-scenes content, life updates, and “what I’m working on this month” are all timely because they’re tied to a specific moment in YOUR life or business. They don’t really provide long-term, evergreen value.

Where you see this: Newsletters, Instagram Stories, “monthly recap” content, casual social media posts

Timely vs. Evergreen Content

Having too much timely content means everything you create will have a short life, and you’ll be constantly working to pump out more – a fast path to burnout city.

But having too much evergreen content can make your brand feel stiff, stale, or stuck in time – maybe even like you’re not a real person.

You need BOTH types of content in your strategy. Evergreen content builds a long-term foundation for growth, while timely content keeps you present and relatable to your audience.

Evergreen Content:

• Works for you long-term
• Compounds over time as it gets and discovered by new people
• Brings in new traffic, subscribers, and sales for months or years after you create it
• Worth the extra effort to optimize, repurpose, and archive

Timely Content:

• Keeps you present and responsive to what’s happening now
• Often easier and faster to create (because you’re just reacting to the moment)
• Builds connection through relatability and showing you’re paying attention
• Serves its purpose once, then you move on – not really worth repurposing

Can Timely Content Become Evergreen Content?

Sometimes, if you strategically edit and repurpose.

But not every piece of timely content is actually worth turning evergreen. Some content isn’t really suited to live forever and it’s totally fine to let it expire if that’s the case.

BUT if you select the right timely pieces to repurpose, approach it with a solid strategy, and have a real goal in mind for why you’re repurposing, it can work wonders.

For example, a lot of email newsletters online business owners send include a lot of timely elements mixed in with amazing evergreen insights. In these instances, I usually recommend stripping out those timely elements OR updating them to something relevant when repurposing.

Want Help Repurposing Your Timely Content?

I specialize in helping online business owners transform their old email newsletters into longform, evergreen assets that bring in new traffic and attract more leads. Check out my content repurposing services or get in touch to chat about giving your emails new life.