I recently picked up the Amazon Fire TV Stick so I could stream movies from Amazon Prime on my TV for the kids and stuff. I figured it’d be a little more “family” feeling than watching off my 11 inch laptop screen. I suddenly learned so much more about visual media and how much it’s coming to mirror the way USA Today thought about delivering information from as far back as when they launched in the early 80s. We love molecular media.
Molecular Media
We read listicles more than we read lists. We love Pinterest and Instagram more than full blown in-depth articles (most of the time). Sites like BuzzFeed and Upworthy have changed how we consume, what we consume, and how we want it packaged. Have you noticed how Huffington Post resembles BuzzFeed in a lot of ways these days? That’s what I’m talking about.
My kids don’t like full length feature movies. They barely endure episodic TV (my daughter loves anime, or else that would be out). We are all (mostly) watching clips more than the full shows and sites like Hulu are fully aware of this.
We Don’t Really Care Much About the Source
It’s all about our interests, not where we found the information. With the Amazon Fire TV Stick, I’ll throw something I was looking at on my phone from YouTube onto the big screen and my kids will gather around to check it out. Online, I’m almost never (almost never) reading or watching a full news source. I’m chewing on specific articles or specific interests. The “whole” paper isn’t my thing. Unless the paper is meant to be bite sized (ergo, the USA Today wisdom).
Unless They Get Really Into a Source
My almost-9-year-old son watched video after video yesterday by BuzzFeed (run by old friend and hero Ze Frank (how I miss “The Show!”). He rarely binge watches anything. But suddenly, he’s coming over to tell me cooking advice, tell me to stop microwaving things in plastic bowls, and worrying that my level of flying might be affecting my tastebuds. Why? Because BuzzFeed Video makes really fricken interesting videos, the kind that keep low-attention-span people like my kid enthralled.
As With All New-But-Not-Really-New Things
Some people will say “where have you been, this is old news” while others will say “that might be the case for you but it’s not for me,” but that’s not what I track. I track a few things: the use of certain technologies by “normal” people (not us weirdos) and also the spending of money by “normal” companies in these weird places, like Red Lobster buying ads on Hulu.
What Does It Mean for You
As Owners, you have some options here. You can learn. You can adapt. You can take what you’ve just read and apply it to how YOU make media and how you use that media to grow your own business opportunities.
- Make your media bite sized.
- Package your media to be funteresting.
- Assume your audience is smart.
- Share it more than hoard it.
- Create new material often (volume matters).
We live in a fascinating time. I’m glad you’re here. If you found this interesting, I work with owners like you to make this stage in your life the very best for your life and your business. Grab my newsletter here.