The Creator Economy Is Here To Stay

IMAGE SOURCE: DIGIDAY

With fewer of us spending our days scrolling through the Facebook newsfeed, it's become increasingly apparent that the typical newsfeed-based media system is no longer how many of us get our content.

That's a big deal when you think about the way that brands get stories out into the world, and it's potentially an even bigger deal for the people who make stuff on the Internet.

The Creator Economy

Just in the past few years there's been a surge in opportunities to earn a living online:

• YouTube's monetization is not new, but a growing number of people are earning money through their video channels, and they keep adding new features to make that easier (they report paying creators over $30 Billion over the past 3 years).
• Twitch has continued to grow in popularity, offering creators the opportunity to charge monthly subscriptions to their channels, and to accept tips in-stream from fans.
• Substack was built to make it easy for journalists and other writers to connect directly with their audiences, charging as much or as little as they can for content and newsletters.
• OnlyFans is a social platform that allows users to charge their followers for access to premium content.
• Patreon is a simple platform that enables subscriptions to content and has become a favourite amongst small-scale podcasters.
• Direct relationships with brands are exploding as marketers look to diversify away from the Facebook/Google duopoly.

The media landscape is (and always has been) shifting, and the move towards a creator-based economy is just the next evolution.

Written by Conner Galway, Junction Consulting