The creator economy is a whopping $100 billion industry, and the number is set to get even bigger thanks to all the buzz surrounding the creator economy. When other sectors suffered during the pandemic, the creator economy blossomed to a staggering height.
It is the future of work and has revolutionized marketing and business strategies as brands now rely on creators to get the word out. However, there are some emerging trends you should be aware of, be you a creator or a marketing agency.
This article will explore these creator economy trends you can expect throughout 2022. The awareness will help you plan and be on top of things as they unfold.
Let's explore!
1. Mid-influencers Take The Spotlight
This year, brands are starting to value engagement over follower count, making micro and nano influencers a hot cake for brands looking to get their brand out there. With the rise of TikTok and authenticity being valued more than ever, influencers who can create a genuine connection with an engaged audience have become a need.
Unlike before, brands are beginning to see mid-influencers' relevance, mainly due to the bond they create with their audience. Small creators are so relevant now that brands leverage them to break through the noisy world of phony advertising.
The reason is glaring - small creators have higher engagement rates with a targeted audience. Moreover, with their small following, creators can interact with their audience on a personal level, unlike a mega influencer.
2. Short Video Formats
It began with TokTok, then Instagram; before we knew it, short video formats became an upward trend on virtually every platform. So far, TikTok holds the top spot for the most downloaded app in 2021 and 2022, with a total of 3.5 billion downloads worldwide.
We can't deny that TikTok led the trend, but Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms perfected and made it a banging success. If you look at YouTube's shorts, with over 1.5 billion active users watching Shorts regularly, it proves that short-form content isn't going away anytime soon.
Perhaps what triggered this trend was our deteriorating attention span or, better yet, how quickly one can devour short-form content. Whatever the case, short-form content is one of these creator economy trends that are here to stay.
3. NFTs Dominate
The most expensive NFT (non-fungible token) digital art was sold for $69,346,250, and so far, the market has surpassed $40 billion and is still climbing. Although this industry is still in its infancy, the demand for blockspace is rising.
It offers creators an opportunity to boost their bank balance simply by leveraging on NFTs, allowing creators to target the most loyal fans and earn money selling exclusive rights to their content.
Believe it or not, NFTs are among the top creator economy trends that will revolutionize the creator economy while allowing creators to make extra bucks with their content.
4. Long-term Brand Relationships
Gone are the days when brand collaborations used to be a one-off thing. Today, brands are the creator's best friends, and they are now looking to build a solid long-term relationship with their creators.
Brands are starting to understand that creators shouldn't be treated like advertising spaces and that they can achieve more with a long-term relationship. For creators, this means they can finally accelerate their creator career without jumping ships multiple times.
Do you know the best part? More brands are now willing to listen to creators like yourself cause it's now evident that you are the boss. So think about it; brands will leverage creators earlier for campaign consultations, even asking the creators how best the brand should communicate with their audience.
5. Gen-Z Driven
One of the most admirable things about Gen-Zers is that they can build businesses in a highly non-conventional manner by relying on a decentralized team to get the work done remotely. Unlike a conventional business model that demands employees to be physically present, Gen-Z can get a lot done right from their bed.
The future of work is in the hands of the Gen-Z workforce, thanks to the Gen-Zers' background and exposure to different perspectives and settings, which contribute to why they think the way they do.
Their requirement for diversity and inclusion is evident in multiple surveys, including Monster.com revealing that 83% of Gen-Z consider an employer's commitment to inclusion and diversity.
This is coming together and working with people regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability, identity, and views, and they are quick to call out any injustice, inequality, or irregularity.
Wrapping Up!
The creator economy is here, and as a creator, you have a lot of opportunities to create something impeccable and build a successful career.
We are fully aware that the path of a creator is not easy. But you don't have to worry! We are with you on this journey and want to help you in every way possible through our guides.
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