Today I learned what Walking Dead group I should be in, how well I knew my classic Disney timeline, and even what cocktail I actually am (a “Sex on the Beach” apparently, in case you were wondering).
I also learned what the 21 most traumatizing things that could happen to a competitive person were (which I can attest to as an athlete) and another 21 life-changing things to do with cheddar cheese.
More importantly though, I read up on why nurses are concerned about their preparedness for Ebola, picked up on the current status of marriage equality rights in Alaska and even checked up on the Dropbox hack issue. All of this from one site.
Of course we all know what site I’m talking about: Buzzfeed. As both a collegiate journalist and business student, I’ve taken a liking to the site and what it’s managed to do in relatively no time at all. Consider the rise of Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest; these online vessels for information are nothing but that: bodies through which content is distributed and absorbed.
Those of us who have been on these sites since their inception can admit to moments where content ran dry and using Facebook became nothing more than staring at pointless dribble of what your neighbor had for breakfast while experimenting some no-car-no-protein-no-sugar diet.
Enter Buzzfeed, and all of a sudden we’ve got daily content to view, digest and interact with; not only is the stream persistent but its relatable.
There’s no easier product to sell than the life we’re all living. Capitalizing on the near-instantaneous nature of social networking and our ability (and eagerness) for us to spread the content, and they’ve got a winning formula.
For those looking for news or current events in any area of life, there are few faster or more immersive sites that we all use and enjoy so much.
This means important news like the conflicts in Syria or Ukraine, or threats like ISIS and Ebola can all be covered and consumed by you and me without so much as a need for milk to wash it down.
At this point this probably sounds like a promotional piece, but I’m not without my concerns. The day in and day out publication of the relatable life posting and pop culture information is something that may oversaturate feeds, desensitize audiences and perhaps drive people away; all of which would be exceedingly unfortunate given the important role Buzzfeed has developed as a legitimate (and enjoyable) news source.
It’ll be interesting to see how the site grows and decides to drive traffic to various subject matters, or if new sites like Play Buzz pick up second mover advantage and steal attention away.
It really is a worthwhile business case study. So think of this little editorial as little more than outward thought and stated curiosity.