The Tyranny of Evergreen Content: Why I Keep Repurposing the Same 10 Posts

By Ken Hollow, burnt-out digital manager and reluctant advocate for recycled mediocrity

Evergreen content. Just hearing the phrase makes me want to curl into a fetal position next to my pile of unpaid invoices and half-empty coffee cups.

It’s the darling advice of every content strategist and SEO guru since approximately 2012: “Create evergreen content! It’ll work forever!” Except, of course, it won’t. But that hasn’t stopped me — or anyone else — from shamelessly repurposing the same 10 posts on an endless loop because, depressingly, it still works.

Let’s unpack why “evergreen” has become synonymous with “lazy but effective,” why I hate it, and why I keep doing it anyway.

🔹 What is Evergreen Content (and Why Is It Gaslighting Me)?

In theory, evergreen content means posts that are “always relevant.” Think “How to Wash Your Face Properly,” “5 Tips for Better Work-Life Balance,” “Moon Rituals for Glowing Skin” (thanks Nana). The kind of posts that are supposed to attract traffic forever, long after you’ve moved on or died.

But here’s the trick: evergreen doesn’t mean “fresh.” It means “republishable without shame.” And I’m here to tell you that in 2025, evergreen is less about timeless value and more about creative exhaustion.

🔹 The Same 10 Posts (You’ve Seen Them — Because I Keep Reposting Them)

Here’s my personal hall of shame — the sacred scroll of posts that I recycle every month without blinking:

1️⃣ “5 Morning Routines for Creators” — A vague list that could apply to literally anyone with a coffee mug.

2️⃣ “Why Consistency Matters on Social Media” — Irony level: high, given I haven’t posted anything original in six weeks.

3️⃣ “The Best Free Tools for Content Creators” — None of them are free anymore but no one checks.

4️⃣ “How to Avoid Burnout as a Freelancer” — Written from the depths of burnout itself.

5️⃣ “10 Easy Self-Care Ideas You Can Do Today” — Includes “drink water” and “take a walk,” every time.

6️⃣ “Top Hashtags for Engagement in 2025” — Just copy-paste last year’s list and add one new hashtag no one will use.

7️⃣ “Why Your Brand Needs a Content Strategy” — A masterpiece of generic advice.

8️⃣ “How to Write Captions That Convert” — I can’t even convert my attention span anymore.

9️⃣ “Why Authenticity Wins” — LOL.

🔟 “The Ultimate Guide to Repurposing Content” — This one has become meta at this point.

Every month I drag these out of their dusty Canva folders, slap on a new background image, tweak a line or two, and post them like they’re fresh wisdom.

🔹 Why It Still Works (Unfortunately)

Here’s the dark truth: audiences have the memory of goldfish and the attention span of squirrels. No one remembers that I posted “5 Morning Routines for Creators” four times this year already. And even if they do, they like it anyway.

Plus the platforms reward it:

✅ SEO loves consistency — and “evergreen” is a consistency cheat code.
✅ The algorithm doesn’t care if you wrote it two years ago; if people engage today, it pushes it today.
✅ Audiences appreciate familiarity — they might even prefer it. The comfort of seeing that same carousel about “top hashtags” while sipping their overpriced latte.

So yes, it works. And no, I’m not proud.

🔹 The Emotional Toll of Repurposing

If you think this is easy, think again. Recycling content is a soul-crushing exercise in pretending to care:

• Pretending that “5 Self-Care Ideas” is the groundbreaking insight they’ve all been waiting for.
• Pretending that “Top Hashtags 2025” isn’t 90% identical to “Top Hashtags 2024.”
• Pretending that my Canva templates don’t make me want to scream.

Even Nana, queen of cosmic recycling, has started to notice:

“Didn’t we post that moon ritual carousel last month, Ken?”
“Yes, Nana, but we added a crescent moon emoji this time so it’s new.“

🔹 How to Recycle Content Like a (Bitter) Pro

Fine. If you’re going to phone it in like me, here’s how to do it properly:

✅ Batch it all — Spend one night recycling every post for the next two months so you can cry freely after.
✅ Update just enough — Change one sentence, one emoji, and maybe swap the stock photo. Done.
✅ Cross-post shamelessly — If no one saw it on Instagram, it’s brand new on LinkedIn.
✅ Lean into the cycle — Accept that evergreen isn’t just a strategy; it’s a lifestyle of quiet creative surrender.

🔹 The Audience Doesn’t Care (And Neither Should You)

Honestly? No one’s paying that much attention. While you’re agonizing over whether that “5 Tips for Balance” post feels stale, your audience is doomscrolling between ads for ergonomic chairs and witchy skincare.

They will like, comment, and move on — and half of them will save it as if it’s the first time they’ve seen it.

So why exhaust yourself for diminishing returns? Post it again. And again. And again.

🔹 Final Thoughts (Because Even Evergreen Needs a Wrap-Up)

Evergreen content isn’t timeless wisdom; it’s timeless exhaustion disguised as strategy.

But it works. And I’m tired. And the algorithm doesn’t care where it came from as long as it’s formatted correctly and served with an acceptable ratio of hashtags and emojis.

So yes, I’ll keep repurposing the same 10 posts while pretending they’re fresh. I’ll keep “updating” them with one new sentence and posting them like I just had a brilliant idea. Because audiences love it, clients don’t notice, and honestly — I don’t have the energy to care anymore.

May we all embrace the tyranny of evergreen content… and may we do so while quietly questioning every life decision that led us here.

Ken Hollow, content recycler extraordinaire and exhausted victim of his own Canva templates