Content on the web is being created at ever increasing rates. Technologies such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and WordPress make it easy for the masses to produce unique web content. They also allow traditional content creators to engage their readers more frequently…even in real time. Subscribing to RSS feeds have become very popular and many folks use tools such as Google Reader as their primary method for aggregating and consuming this content.
In addition, users of social networking tools rush to build their networks only to find themselves drowning in a flood of information overload. For example, my information feeds on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn fly by so fast that they have little value as an information source. This creates a great opportunity for startups who are able to solve this problem.
Over the next two years, everyone will be looking for the best solution to present only relevant information in the stream. This will be a unique crossbreed that is half newspaper and half real-time feed. The hard part will be getting the “relevance” right. Based on what I do, what I read, what I watch, etc. give me a stream that matches my interests. This will obviously be unique for each user. The advertising industry will be able to benefit as well because they will be able to better target users who will want to buy their products. The consumers will in turn only see ads for things they would want to buy.
This is a great (although lengthy) panel discussion on the subject:
Roundtable: Filtering The Stream. Getting Rid of the Noise
“Over the next two years, everyone will be looking for the best solution to present only relevant information in the stream. This will be a unique crossbreed that is half newspaper and half real-time feed. The hard part will be getting the “relevance” right. Based on what I do, what I read, what I watch, etc. give me a stream that matches my interests.”
This paragraph twigged a vision: an application that allows us to build our own feed spheres and link with other spheres to build a galaxy of spheres.
Each galaxy would have a Word Cloud that advertisers could tailor ads to.
Been done?
Michael Holloway
Hey Michael! Thanks for the comment. Your idea sounds interesting, but I’m not sure I understand what you mean by “feed spheres”.
We do know that advertisers want to target the individual’s interest more surgically than its done today. Advertising that is good enough cannot be distinguished from content.
In the case of a social event, like a concert, I could see the benefit of advertising to a sphere of influence instead. Entertainment is often more fun when shared with others you know.
What are your thoughts?
Joe