The invention and popularization of TV during the first half of the 20th century changed the way the people communicated and interacted with the world around them. It saw people move from art theaters, carnivals, and circus shows to their living rooms, huddled around their TV sets. TV became a powerful tool for content consumption, a position they still hold in the modern world.
The tech boom of the 2000s, catalyzed by the internet, expanded options for content consumption. Suddenly, content wasn’t restricted to TVs anymore. Consumers could watch their favorite movies, TV series, music, and other digital content on PCs, laptops, and smartphones just as easily as they would on TVs. Plus, with improved bandwidth and better cloud infrastructure, content could be accessed in real-time.
For businesses, the evolving nature of technology has spawned new ways of content creation and marketing. Many disruptive technologies continue to drive content creation strategies for reaching out and interacting with customers. Check out how the following tech trends are changing the way businesses are approaching content creation.
1. Content Streaming
Driven by tech innovation and the cord-cutting generation, streaming has finally caught on. Over half of American consumers now stream their favorite TV shows and movies, highlighting a shift in content consumption that increasingly favors access over ownership. Traditional multimedia accessories such as Blu-ray discs and DVDs are gradually being replaced by Netflix, Hulu, and other OTT provider subscriptions.
Streaming has become popular over the years as bandwidth restrictions become less of an inhibitor. Plus, consumers have access to a large selection of content on-demand, which means you can stream your favorite music album from Spotify at the gym or watch an episode from your favorite TV series at the office.
Do check out the infographic by Ooma in this link for an idea of how the landscape is shifting from DVDs to Netflix.
2. Social Media
It’s hard to imagine how life was before the invention of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Social media has completely transformed the way we consume content. We spend close to 20% of our time on the internet on social media, dwarfing other media categories like video, music, and other media forms that only take up 12% of our time.
Additionally, social media marketing agencies are using almost every other content platform to drive visibility on social media, which should see content marketing becoming more popular on social over the next few years.
3. Mobile
Mobile devices have almost single-handedly driven the shift in content consumption over the past few years. Between 2013 and 2015, content viewership on smartphones grew by 78%, which accounted for over 92% of the total growth in content consumption.
Smartphones are also being used to access more types of content compared to laptops and PCs. In a Hubspot survey, a majority of respondents said they would want to access social media, videos, and news articles on their smartphones over other devices, including PCs and tablets. As smartphones and mobile apps continue to evolve, the mobile platform will remain an important differentiator for content creation agencies in the coming years.
4. Artificial Intelligence
In 2016, investments in artificial intelligence touched the $2.4 billion mark, over three times more than the $700 million recorded three years prior. AI also turned heads at the CES 2017 in Las Vegas where it made its mark in everything from consumer products to next-age autonomous cars.
AI is also revolutionizing content consumption in a number of different ways. Many home entertainment gadgets and electronics like the Amazon Echo and DingDong will help you choose music and content according to your mood and taste.
Smart AI algorithms are helping music producers create music, which has the potential to lower the costs of music production for video games, apps, and online videos.
5. The Internet of Things
Like AI, the Internet of Things is exciting everyone who happens to get trapped in its complex matrix. Even though the concept of the IoT is still in its infancy, the intricate web of “things” or devices within the matrix are making it easier to access content, create immersive experiences, and improving personalization at all levels.
IoT makes it possible for gadgets to recognize an individual via sensors and present customized content for that individual on-demand. A good example is a smart watch that monitors your vitals and, for instance, and shows relevant health-related content on a connected smart TV.
The Future
Even with all the advances in tech, there is still so much more in store for content creators and consumers. Developments in this area won’t come without their challenges, especially regulatory and security issues. However, with the right, innovative approach, technology should improve overall quality for consumers while improving profit margins for businesses in this space.
