Mediaclub

This is a cross-post from Altimeter Group Researcher Jaimy Szymanski. I excerpted from the article:

"Curation is taking over the digital content scene. With related applications and platforms multiplying, the act of collecting and sharing content has become second nature for most of us.

When talking data it’s far simpler to look at all the content out there and curate, rather than analyze the gaps and create new, original content to fill them.

This brings up some unnerving questions as well:
- With curation on the rise, what effect will this have on the creation of new, interesting, valuable and thought-provoking content online?
- When (if at all) will curated content be accepted as unique content?
- What happens when curators far outnumber creators?

But, upon taking a closer look behind the why of curation, the researcher found potential value pulling some data from Trendstream.

***Motivations Behind Content Curation and Sharing:

1) Motivations behind curation are positive: to share a good experience, to help consumer pick out good product and to encourage company improvement.

2) Millennials share content focused on “self.” As generations get older, secondary motivation shifts to a bigger picture though, to helping consumers. Add to that the fact that many have grown up recognizing technology as a platform for both utility and self-expression or promotion.

3) Fostering expertise is among lowest motivations. I predict that curated content will increasingly be more accepted as “original” content over time, as long as it contains some unique insight or alteration.

***Where Curation Opportunities Lie:

Curation will prove to be a very positive trend for marketers who are looking to affect their audience via way of content marketing.

It’s quite possible that content curators will also begin to be recognized as influencers in their respective industries, and organizations will treat them as such.

I’ll end with a few final thoughts: 

1) The amount of content curated will rise and fall in cycles, as shared content depends on original content creation to survive.
2) Organizations will weave curation into their content strategies, at the very least to ensure sharing of their content is as simple as possible for consumers.
3) Application development – both web-based and mobile – will continue to support the curation trend."

Read full article here: 
http://www.altimetergroup.com/2012/03/content-curation-truths-threats-motivations-and-opportunities.html