Humans have been content creators since as far back as the history of humankind goes. Long before the term “content” existed, people produced it in the form of stone carvings and shadow puppetry.
It has since evolved to books, movies, television programs and, most recently, TikTok videos. The snowball effect has created a boulder of content that is only getting bigger and rolling faster with time.
Escalating consumer standards
With the prices of technological devices decreasing and the cost of content creation dropping, content of all shapes and forms has become ubiquitous and, in some cases, arguably overwhelming. People have developed higher standards and niche preferences when it comes to the content they choose to consume. As a result, the power has been taken from hands of content creators and placed in the iron grip of the audience. Needless to say, the phrase “the customer is always right” has taken a far deeper and more profound meaning. Now, in order for content creators to make it in this cut-throat market, they must listen to the people, who are asking for a lot and expecting plenty.
Content joins the social club
“Content is king,” as Bill Gates once said, is very much still relevant in our current reality. However, content alone is no longer enough. Content must now up its game with the help of dialogue and socializing, as people are interested in content consumption being a social activity.
Some content creating giants have already tested the waters and found out what the people want. Take Teleparty for example; the application, previously known as Netflix Party, synchronizes video playback to Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon Prime, and enables group chat.
Things, however, are not that simple. The younger generation are over the idea of being too sociable and would rather share content and collectively consume it with a select number of close friends and family. Teens and twenty-something year-olds are fans of what is known as the “dark social,” where they can share content through private channels like WhatsApp and other messaging apps. While that might be hard to size-up and track, it is where all the content sharing magic is currently taking place. Younger consumers are demanding exclusivity, privacy and a greater sense of control over what others can view and access on their profiles.
Out with the old and in with the new
With today’s fast-paced world, “traditional” and “classic” are not always good qualities, especially in the world of content creation. People want new ideas, innovative platforms and mind-blowing content experiences. Content consumers expect creators to be one step ahead and know what they want before they themselves realize they want it themselves.
To make it in this field and come out on top, content creators must keep up with what the people are interested in and find new and creative ways to cater to these wants and needs. Content needs to be engaging, compatible with a number of different platforms, interactive, bite-sized and light, of high quality and one of a kind. Is it too much to ask? Perhaps. Is any of it negotiable? Not really.
