Many modern media commentators describe television as the dinosaur of communications. Television as we know it is becoming extinct, as we herald in a new era offering tailored content which is adaptable across several devices, depending on the consumer’s preference.
It is very clear to see that users today are abandoning the traditional concept of television to view material which is displayed on online and mobile platforms. Media companies that fail to identify and adapt to these consumer behaviour trends risk becoming irrelevant and die out.
An example of a company which is adapting to this new landscape is BBC News. The news station produces fifteen second videos for Instagram followers.
Content is king
The change in landscape which is slowly making traditional television irrelevant shows that content is indeed king. The device on which the content is being displayed on is less relevant. The priority is the content itself and how the audience engages with it.
People today are constantly on the look-out for original content, which at most times is uploaded and published on YouTube. Research shows that over half the views of original content come from outside the country that the content was created in. This undoubtedly shows the extent of the opportunity that everyone has to create content. In today’s world, it is not just the television broadcasters who have the power to create material. With these tools, anyone can create content and share it on a global scale.
YouTube today has around one billion users and six billion hours are spent every month in watching videos. Video viewing is increasing every year and with it, the revenues for content creators.
What is also interesting is the fact that people have now shifted to smaller screens, where content is mostly viewed on mobile devices rather than large television sets. Statistics show that a lot of people view content on YouTube and other social media from their mobile phones.
Distribution is queen
The reality today is that media executives need to utilise a large number of media platforms to distribute their content. Restricting your content to just one platform does not help. For example, most content which is uploaded on YouTube is not necessarily viewed on YouTube, but could be engaged with on Facebook or LinkedIn, depending where the video link was shared. People today have choice, which shows why they are steering away from the traditional concept of television.
Although people are seeking more tailor-made content options, there are still some television programmes which attract millions of viewers. In this case, it would not make sense to change the winning formula and shift away from traditional television. So what do you think?
