I recently saw thought provoking post by Chad Pollitt regarding how content curation really is delivering context to the consumer, here’s some relevant elements from that piece:
One compelling force driving consumers to social media platforms — whether they know it or not — is that there’s too much content on the Internet. This is why interest graph platforms like Twitter have become more relied upon for feeding content with context to consumers. There are many other social networks and distribution platforms for consumers like this including Pinterest, Reddit and Tumblr. Even niche media sites like GoodReads and Spotify can be considered interest graph platforms.
As the volume of web content continues to increase, so will the noise in consumers’ inboxes, Google searches and Facebook feeds. People will likely turn to even more niche interest graph platforms to find the content they want. From designer shoes on Pinterest to an artist’s portfolio on Behance, consumers are discovering and increasing their reliance on niche interests graph platforms. Delivering Context to the Consumer
Is that what is really happening here? Is it that consumers are so deluged with content that they seek that they revert to social media?
Or does it go deeper. Is it that at a core level we as humans just like connecting with people? Or possibly we like to showcase what’s going on to the most important person in the world… ourselves.
Or is it that consumers are just looking for ways to be entertained and informed and default to platforms they feel most comfortable?
As a side note: I’ve often wondered what social media would look like if you couldn’t share any external links or content. What if everything you shared was something you had to create. We get a taste of this on Vine and Instagram, people share snippets of TV shows, concerts, and other related content.
Chad does make a solid point on where we will end up:
Whether or not a consumer gets their content through people, interest graph platforms or a combination of both, this is a win for them and marketers alike. With more content being curated by individual consumers and the development and growth of their own interest graphs, marketers can get even closer to one-to-one marketing.
In a perfect world it would be a win-win for consumers and marketers alike. My gut tells me we are still a fair way off from that becoming a reality though.
