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6 Content Marketing Mistakes App Developers Make

Here are 6 mistakes app developers make with their content marketing strategies that turn readers right off (and what to do instead).

Content marketing is a goldmine that is yet to be fully tapped. While successful app developers (and entrepreneurs in general) keep churning out great content that promotes their mobile app, inexperienced app developers keeping falling short.

Here are some of the mistakes app developers make with their content marketing strategies that turn readers right off.

 

1. Not researching what the audience wants

In every niche, there are certain topics that will always attract your audience. Successful app developers usually conduct a thorough research to find out the kind of topics their audience enjoys.

 

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On the other hand, inexperienced app developers will usually base their decision on mere assumptions and end up distributing content that is just not attractive. Take the time to research what will keep your audience asking for more. That way, visitors will continue to increase in number and brand popularity will follow.

 

2. Creating long-form content without subheadings

Nothing is as boring as reading long-form content without subheadings or bullet points. The truth is not everyone wants to read your content from start to finish. A lot of people may skim your content. With subheadings, they can quickly access information that is relevant to them. In fact, sometimes, the subheadings are hooks that keep readers engaged.

Break your content into subheadings and write catchy headings to keep readers interested. Keep in mind, readers access your content from various devices (e.g. laptop, desktop, smartphone, tablets, etc.) so it should be easy to digest and platform agnostic.

 

3. Submitting content without videos or images

Even after you create compelling content, it won’t be as interesting as content with images and videos. Moz found that incorporating video into a blog post attracts three times as many inbound links compared to blog posts without video. However, make sure you own the rights to the multimedia you use, or you can easily be sued for copyright infringement.

 

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Photo: LinkedIn; YFS Magazine

As Lifehacker explains: “If you took the photo or created the graphic and are not subject to a Work For Hire agreement, then you likely own the copyright and can do whatever you wish.” Meanwhile, “taking another person’s image or graphic and giving them a ‘shout out,’  linkback, or any other type of attribution does not negate copyright infringement.” To avoid complications, use stock image websites (free and paid).

 

3. Back your claims with verifiable statistics

When you make a claim in your content, you should always back it up with verifiable statistics and include a link to the source. When you state a fact without evidence, readers will take it as your personal opinion and unless you are viewed as an expert it carries less weight.

When you properly source your content readers will assume you conduct thorough research and you’ll build credibility. In a nutshell, don’t make the mistake of making bold statements without proper evidence. People prefer facts and not personal and unqualified opinions.

 

4. Making your content way too long

Creating longer, more in-depth content that provides tons of value to your audience can be a very successful part of your content strategy. In fact, Wordstream mentions how they tripled average time on site from 1:33 to 4:35 with this approach. Also it can have a positive impact on search engine page rank. However, what is too long when it comes to content?

Based on data from Medium.com, the ideal blog post takes seven minutes to read and is around 1,600 words long. However, “If you’d like people to read your content, rather than simply sharing it, shorter may be better,” says writer-editor Susan Wiener. And some topics simply don’t warrant a lengthy discussion. “If you emphasize length over content, you’ll end up with repetitive, boring blog posts.”

 

5. Not developing evergreen content

Will your content attract readers a month or year from now? If not, it’s probably not evergreen content. Some topics will only attract visitors for a few days (e.g. news articles, statistics, seasonal news, trends, etc.) after which the topic will no longer be relevant. A lot of content marketers develop all of their content around such topics. This is not a sustainable approach.

 

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“Couple amazing content with timelessness, and you start to see the value of evergreen. Traffic, engagement, and conversions don’t just peak once and then trail off. They grow over time.” Evergreen topics will attract readers five years from now.

Select a topic that will help you generate leads and remain relevant for months and years to follow. As Buffer App explains, the key to creating evergreen content is to: a. Be the definitive source; b. Write for beginners; and c. Narrow your topic.

 

6. Creating content that doesn’t solve a problem

People don’t read their favorites online magazines and blogs simply for entertainment value. They are looking for solutions to certain problems. Unfortunately, many app developers create content that doesn’t solve a problem and expect people to read it.

For instance, if you’re marketing a weight loss supplement, content that shares reasons why people fail in their weight loss quest will attract people who are working on their weight loss goals. Within the content you can then list primary reasons (e.g. taking the wrong supplements). This allows you to introduce your product naturally. But if you go straight to a hard sell people will tune out because the content is too salesy or promotional.

 

Kenneth Evans is a Content Marketing Strategist for Top App Development Companies, a research platform for top app development companies in the world. He has been contributing to various blogging platforms and Forums.

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