What I've learned from a year-long dive into the Creator Economy

Economic power shift with creator economy and the great resignation

We’ve also experienced an economic power dynamic shift away from big corporations running the show to individuals claiming more autonomy with The Great Resignation.

Trends:

1. Gen Z plays a critical role in the Creator Economy
2. The Creator Economy has changed marketing forever
3. Yes, the Creator Economy is booming — but it’s volatile

New kind of ad which is authentic

Today’s consumers eat these kinds of ads for breakfast. Why? Because it’s kind of like your mom shot a home video of this cool new cooking service she’s into and sent it to your email. It’s real. It’s honest . It’s trustworthy.

Creators who are like the people in your life

It’s why we follow our favorite creators—creators that are so normal they feel like trusted friends, or a younger sibling, or the neighborhood’s favorite adorable granny Consumers may not trust politicians, big media, and mainstream brands, but — We do mostly trust each other.

Authenticity and Self-deprecatin

Carson+Doyle, told me: “Gen Z likes campaigns that are self-deprecating. I’m not a sociologist, so I can’t tell you why, but it’s an inherent thing that we all love. We love making fun of ourselves and each other in lighthearted ways. Success for anyone trying to reach Gen Z is rooted in authenticity, especially on the brand level.

Easy to search for trends

Creators are often an easy go-to to help consumers with decision fatigue. For example, I don’t want to spend 800 years researching new fashion trends. I’d rather pop on over to TikTok, see what my fav fashion-fluencers are wearing, and make a purchase.

Creators are burning out due to:

• Frequent algorithm changes (65%)
• Difficulty making a living (59%)
• The Hamster Wheel Effect of content creation (51%)
• Follower count anxiety (51%)
• Hate and online bullying (42%)
• Imposter syndrome (29%)
• Backlash (19%)

Beating the algorithm does not work

VCs and start-up entrepreneurs recognize that “beating the algorithm” isn’t a sustainable business model and will lead to quick burnout.

Set boundaries for mental health

Various creators told me how they set boundaries to protect their mental health

Schedule and routine

Here’s what creators said to do to avoid burnout: Keep a schedule

Be yourself

Stay true to yourself - Create that only you can make and produce content that brings you joy.

Find support

Find support circles - It’s not up to you to emotionally support everyone else.

Find sustainable routine and monetising

Find sustainable ways to scale and monetize - Consider outsourcing tasks that take a lot of time but don’t bring joy