Full Stack's
2021 Technology Trends
Trend Insight 3 - Content may no longer be king, but it is no joker
The rise of user-generated content, through platforms like the Facebook eco-system, YouTube and TikTok had its complete parity moment in 2020. With professional content production reduced to Skype and Zoom calls recorded for entertainment and news, the differences between professional and personal content creation narrowed.
The rise of streaming services continued to occur, and cord-cutting in South Africa accelerated. This raises concerns over Netflix and their ilk's impact on local content production and TV licence fees. Simultaneously, shows like HBO Max's Raised by Wolves used the local film production industry to significant effect.
As this relates to software development, a new wave of content management technologies is starting to break on the shore in 2021. The headless CMS for larger organisations is finally taking hold. Traditional dominant players such as Adobe, EPiServer and WordPress are finally seeing their stranglehold being loosened. The cause of this is content has stopped being "a happening" as much as it is a stream to be consumed as publishers see fit.
While custom publishing continues to leave customers underwhelmed with its advertorial nature, product placement and in-experience advertising and endorsements pioneered in podcasts and YouTube have become accepted parts of life to most modern content consumers.
In 2020, Full Stack saw content management initiatives and re-platforms succeed by driving relevant content; the old rules still apply – people engage with relevant content. In 2021 we can see that businesses who invest in refining and optimising their content platforms will continue to a significant return on their investment.
When we look back at one of our first projects when we were founded in 2014, we see a custom CMS still operating. This reminds us that content management systems have long usage horizons. When coupled with high class enduring design, it can bring about meaningful value for all content creators and users for many years. We expect 2021 to continue this need and trend.