In the last three years, mobile traffic has increased around 5000% and most estimates expect that number to increase 18 fold by 2016. So obviously there is reason to think about mobile technology, it seems like everyone is talking about it at the moment. But breaking down these mind blowing statistics, we can see that there are some really interesting trends that stand to have a massive impact on which companies will succeed in the future.
One of the more eye-popping statistics out there has to do with what people are doing on their mobile phones. There are almost as many mobile users in the US as there are citizens, and 75% of users watch videos on their mobile devices.
A lot of talk has focused on how money can be made off of advertising to these millions of users, but this explosion of mobile technology is resulting in more than just those annoying pop-ups you have to deal with while playing Words with Friends. Citizen TV is a great example of how new sites are turning this mass of mobile technology users into a wave creative types can ride in order to achieve a bigger goal.
Part Social Network / Part Crowdsourcing Platform – Totally Revolutionary
Trends in video sharing and viewing across mobile devices will only increase as quality and access to technology also increases. Citizen.tv is jumping into the ring at what appears to be a key moment in digital media history. They have recently launched an app on iTunes and are steadily gathering a following of users who want to share videos and tap into the kind of collective creative potential that can only exists on the internet.
The app is an extension of thier web platform, and in addition to giving content producers an opportunity to win some of the $1.2 million in prize money given every year it also lets users:
- upload videos directly though the app
- have a tailored video browsing and viewing experience
- share, comment on, and rate their favorite videos
- connecting with friends and their favorite content producers
At first, Citizen.tv may seem like a standard social network. It has a bright and pretty layout, and lets users share and discover video, pictures, and other content with other “citizens” on the website or on their own social media pages like Facebook or twitter. What makes this platform different is how it approaches video sharing. Unlike say YouTube, Citizen.tv is clearly driven by the idea of forming an online community and helping their users tap into this pooled group of awesomeness.
In addition to this social networking funtction, the site (and now the app) serves as a platform for creatives to collaborate with each other and get the financial and creative support they need to get projects into the production phase. In this sense the site also serves as a crowdsourcing platform. Potential donors get to check out projects and ideas that interest them, and have a vehicle to become a backer for something they see as having potential.
It’s not just about money though, idea-makers get to throw concepts out there and can solicit hands-on support from potential crew-members and collaborators. The site serves as spot where people with ideas can connect with people with skills and the functional know-how to make the project a reality. It’s not another YouTube, it’s a platform for artists and creatives to meet and creative together.
On top of this, Citizen TV is driven by a mission to discover and reward great ideas and new talent. One of the ways they do this is by awarding over a million dollars in prize money through contests for things like “video of the month,” or best overall video in categories. Sometimes awards can seem gimmicky, but in this case I would argue that Citizen.tv is providing users with the tools and incentives to generate quality social media.
