The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

Brian Solis
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November 8, 2010View Comments

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ABOUT ME

Over the years, social networks have lured us from the confines of our existing realities into a new genre of Brian Solis is
digital domains that not only captivated us, but fostered the creation of new realities. As George Bernard globally recognized
Shaw observed, “Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.” Such is true for social as one of the most
networks and the digital persona and resulting experiences we create and cultivate. It was the beginning of prominent thought
the shift in behavior toward an era of digital extroversion, self-defined by varying degrees of sharing, leaders and
connections, and engagement. published authors in
new media. A digital analyst, sociologist,
On Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, et al., we were attracted by the promise of reigniting forgotten relationships and futurist, Solis has influenced the effects
and enamored by the sparking of new connections. These relationships evolved into our social graphs and
of emerging media on the convergence of
ultimately our interest graphs and forever changing how we discover, share, and learn. We are now the
architects of our own experiences, forever changing the information super highway and the paths for marketing, communications, and publishing.

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The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

connecting people, information, and events. In doing so, we literally make the world a much smaller place. He is principal of FutureWorks, an award-
winning New Media agency in Silicon Valley,
With each new connection we wove, we were compelled to share details about ourselves that we might not and has led interactive and social programs
have divulged in real life. And the more we exposed who we were, our aspirations, our hopes, and our for Fortune 500 companies, notable
challenges, the more we rewarded with responses and requests for new connections. The distance between celebrities, and Web 2.0 startups. BrianSolis.
what was, what is, and what will be, was then defined by what we share, who we know, and what we
consume. In social media, we are measured by our actions and our words as well as who we know. com is among the world's leading business
and marketing online resources.
Our concerns of privacy or the lack thereof, now require education. We shed the semblance of privacy in
order to unlock a new sense of digital freedom. Indeed, we are the last generation to know privacy as it was
and is now something that has to be taught in order to cast digital shadows that unlock opportunities rather
than close doors.

Engage: The New Book

The Social Genome
The activity that defines the social web is as diverse as the personalities of its inhabitants. We are driven for
many reasons to share and interact online and the motivation for doing so, changes with circumstances,
intentions, and experiences. I call this behaviorgraphics.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Books a Million | Borders

Get the App: iPhone and Android

Get the App

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The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

RECENT TWEETS
❍ @briansolis Revisiting @charleneli's
appearance on (R)evolution http://bit.
The social landscape is populated by individual presences, but charted by its connections and how in turn, ly/9gnU5L #openleadership
they move information between them. These conduits represent the opportunities for brands and media to
participate in and steer the sharing of useful and mutually beneficial content. Much in the same way that Recent Comments:
people align through diverse behavior, Forrester research tracks how this behavior factors into the adoption ●
of social technology.

Two and a half years ago, Forrester introduced Social Technographics. To this day, it’s widely regarded in its
ability to help us understand the need to create targeted content designed for the groups of individuals who The Three C’s of Social Content:
each process information differently. As social media moves across the adoption bell curve from the left to Consumption, Curation, Creation
the right and also from the edge to the center, we see that individuals within each of the categories shift in Rusty, absolutely. The research...
usage, both up and down. November 9, 2010
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The Three C’s of Social Content:

Consumption, Curation, Creation
In all our enthusiasm for the...
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Hello Garrett…I work with...
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Fascinating, Never thought...
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(R)evolution: Frank Eliason on

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Brian and Frank, thank you. I...
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The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

FLICKR FEED

This year, we learn something new about the way individuals are embracing, using, and ignoring certain
designs and intentions of social networks. Social networks, for the most part, are still on the rise with
“Joiners,” those who maintain a profile on a social network, growing by 8% since the last Social
Technographics report was published. ●

Contrary to this growth, content-based networks, those that require users to create content, have seen no
substantial growth since last year. In the U.S., only 10% of online consumers actually upload videos for
example. These “creators” though, represent the elite group who power social content within these networks
and it is their content that is consumed and shared within multiple networks. And, the audience for their
content is only growing with 68% currently defining the “Spectator” group, 19% in the “Collector” category
and 33% commenting their way to “Critics.” Most markets around the world saw an increase in “Spectators”
and this is likely to continue. ●

The 3C’s, Consumption, Creation, and Curation

Bucking the trend of growth in the “creator” category, Twitter, for instance, grew by 30 million users in the last
few months. Twitter isn’t so much driven by pure creation as it is rich with a combination of curation and
consumption. And, while the services require its users to “create” content, doing so within 140 character ●
doesn’t constitute creation in the same way a blog, YouTube, or Flickr account demand. It’s worth noting
however, that creators still account for almost 41 million US online adults.

According to Forrester Consumer Insight Analyst Jackie Anderson, “The initial wave of consumers using
social technologies in the US has halted. Companies will now need to devise strategies to extend social
applications past the early mavens. This means that it’s necessary to understand how consumers in a target
audience use social media.”
●

I recently conducted a survey with Vocus to understand the qualities that equate to influence and the
characteristics that define an influencer. The number one reason we found that consumers follow or Like an SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
individual or brand is the consistent creation of compelling content. I believe that it is the discovery and
consumption of compelling content that helps individuals shift from consumption to assume a contributing ● This is Your Time to Engage
role of curator…a meaningful step before creator. Curation drives a significant volume of Tweets and it is February 20, 2010
also curation that balances the art and science of engagement between creation and conversation. Topic:

Businesses must join the elite and integrate the creation of compelling content into the social marketing mix. ● Book Club: Putting the Public Back in
Doing so gives consumers reason to share, expanding the role of curator within the 3C’s of Content and
Public Relations
earning authority and influence in the process. I highly advise Forrester to introduce the Curator into the next
version of its Social Technographics Ladder. November 15, 2009
Topic:

● Learn How to Connect with Audiences to

Build Loyal Communities
August 25, 2009
Topic:

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The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

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80% of people in the US engage with social media, which is equal to the number of people who text via SMS ● May 2009 (9)
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or equivalent to the ubiquity of those who own DVD players.
● April 2009 (22) 2006 (13)
While it’s new, its value is not to be minimized. Social media users already number in the hundreds of ● March 2009 (20) ● November
millions, providing the reach of traditional media but also the precision of one-to-one service and attention. 2006 (23)
Forrester notes that just a handful of “Mass Connectors” will create 256 billion influence impressions in the ● February 2009 (15)
US this year. ● October 2006 (35)
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As our social graphs propagate, the information that passes within it also multiplies. Individuals are not only ● December
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socializing, they are sharing information and creating content. In doing so, updates serve as social objects, 2008 (16)
becoming catalysts for increased interaction and overall reach. As a result, participants and their social ● August 2006 (37)
presences are amplified within existing social graphs and now also extend across a rising category of ● November 2008 (6)
nicheworks or interest graphs – social graphs united around common interests and themes. ● July 2006 (14)
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We are the architects of our own experiences and we are also the hubs of relevant content, resembling ● September ● June 2006 (8)
production foremen as we develop workflows and processes for consuming, curating, and creating content. 2008 (5) ● May 2006 (13)
● August 2008 (6) April 2006 (2)
As sociologist Robin Dunbar once theorized, we are limited to the number of meaningful relationships we can ●

manage as human beings. That number is estimated between 130 – 150. The average number of friends
maintained on Facebook today is 130. Coincidence? I don’t think so. The numbers are consistent across
other social networks. Today, MySpace users connect with an average number of 107 individuals and on
Twitter, the number is 77 (today). I believe these numbers are only going to grow.

I call this “Social Graph Theory.” There’s a reason why Twitter recommends people “like” you and Facebook CATEGORIES
also suggests “recommended friends.” The networks realize that as your networks both grow and
contextualize, your presence increases exponentially in value and they can sell against it. Social Graph ● (R)evolution ● New Media
Theory suggests that the size of our social graph will grow year over year, leaving behind Dunbar’s number University
● Books
and establishing a new genre of relationships (strong ties), relations (purposeful ties) and associations (weak
or temporary ties). ● Speaking
● Conferences &
Events ● PR 2.0 – New
As you’re presented with like-minded individuals and at the same time, as your organic friend requests Communications
escalate as a result of everyday social networking, the size and shape of social and interest graphs will only ● Business –
expand. You will spend more time adding than subtracting…until you have to. With every new node that Marketing ● Social Media
defines our social network, we increase value beyond just the host networks. Brands realize that by
connecting with the right people, their presence and value proposition can also rise with the tide.

Forrester groups social catalysts in two categories…

Brian
Mass Connectors: Those who create a great number of impressions about brands and services in social Solis
networks such as Twitter and Facebook |
All
Mass Mavens: Individuals who create and share content about products and services in other social
Rights
channels such as YouTube, blogs, forums, or ratings and review sites.
Reserved
|
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The Three C’s of Social Content: Consumption, Curation, Creation

Theme
by
W3
EDGE,
WordPress Experts

Indeed, a minority of social media users, defined as the elite influencers, drive the majority of the
conversations across the social Web.

For brands and businesses looking to engage in social media, a unique understanding of the “egosystem” is
not open for discussion. The 5th P of the marketing mix is crystal clear. People account for everything here
and businesses must recognize the channels for influence as well as identify the influential voices leading
conversations and steering decisions. The next step is to develop engagement programs that activate the
various roles of the social consumers and empower them with useful and beneficial content and incentives to
convert conversations into clicks to action.

Connect with Brian Solis on Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Facebook

___
If you’re looking for a way to FIND answers in social media, consider Engage!: It will help…

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