The Rise of Read-it Later Apps and The Implications to Content Marketing

In today’s digital age, content is “Always On.” That means there is always something to be read, thought, or spoken. Every day more content is being created almost faster than the speed of light. That also means that the attention of readers is moving just as quickly. 

While a new article, buzzword, or idea might have landed on the attention of the right reader, there has been a historical disconnect: timing. The unfortunate result is that some of the most well-created pieces of content have been left unread or forgotten.

With the new generation of readers as technologically savvy as they are, their thirst for great content is insatiable. Yet, these readers also want the content to be convenient, diverse, and easily accessible. These exact requirements have given rise to what is known as Read-it later apps. 

Read when you want and how you want

Many readers find read-it-later apps like Instapaper and Pocket very useful because they can digest self-curated content from various sources at their leisure on a single app. Readers no longer sort through their unorganized bookmarks for the content they want to consume later. 

Read-it-later apps empower users to save articles with a single click, organize those articles and access them whenever, wherever. In addition, users of these apps are looking to customize their mode of reading, like light mode vs. dark, and save content on one device and seamlessly access it. 

The use of read-it-later apps also stretches far beyond the use case of personal content consumption. Many tools used to manage content in the workplace need to be functional to allow readers to search, browse, save, and share content. Read-it-later apps have this ability.  

It gives teams, collaborators, or groups the chance to actively search for great content on various topics and work on it collectively and efficiently while still offering each individual the convenience of accessing the content at their leisure. 

How marketers can keep up with this trend

Since the popularity of read-it-later apps has exploded, more publishers and content creators have taken note and have begun adjusting their publishing strategies to fit this new market. Organizations like Texas Monthly have seen a tremendous rate of return 17% higher than average by having their content on read-it-later apps like Pocket. The Pocket app touts over 35 million monthly visitors with no signs of slowing down. 

As readers look for other sources of information and content outside of traditional channels, evergreen content will be the driving force in read-it-later apps. Publishers and content creators alike must produce content that is informative, remains relevant, and that is ultimately timeless.

Keeping readers engaged and highlighting content that readers find valuable for SEO is what read-it later apps do best. The goal should always be to drive more traffic while building a target audience of readers. Creating evergreen content for read-it-later apps with this in mind is the sweet spot you want to be in.

Making content easy to discover based on a reader’s preference is the key to success for both read-it-later apps and content creators. 

Readers find that having a central place to store their favorite is invaluable. Publishing companies and writers, both large and small, that understand this concept will benefit from read-it-later apps the most. The opportunity to reinvent readers’ content experience is here, and those apps make content consumption charismatically possible.

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