How The Pandemic Has Reshaped The Creator Economy

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Gatis Dukurs - Forbes Councils Member

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Technical co-founder of Printify, a print on demand network to help merchants make more money in a simple and easy way.

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Throughout the past year, many people worldwide wondered how the new normal would look after the global pandemic reshaped the world and changed everything in our daily lives. In today's world of constant social connectivity, getting attention online has become one of the more effective ways to make a living.

We saw how the pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of our society. It also brought the importance of creators to an all-time high. Many companies have successfully incorporated creators into their campaigns, representing a massive opportunity to reach new, wider audiences and sell more products.

On the other hand, independent creators are motivated to build their communities and start working with businesses to help them grow.

What Opportunities Has The Global Pandemic Brought For Companies Working With Creators?

The concept of building an online business and making money through it is nothing new. Influencers have been capitalizing on their social media following for years now. The difference is that more and more companies are looking to start their campaigns with creators now because online content is constantly changing and has more extensive visibility.

If your company is looking to expand its reach by creating fresh content, there are several directions to go:

Work With Content Creators Online

The global pandemic has pushed us to stay online as much as possible. People spend more time on the internet than ever before — watching countless videos on YouTube, reading blogs and listening to podcasts about topics they are most interested in.

This inspires more and more creators to consistently start sharing their work online and growing an audience through that. Companies can benefit from their traction and partner up with these creators to introduce products to the new audience.

There are several types of creators that companies can benefit from:

• YouTubers. If your audience loves watching new videos daily, then working with YouTube influencers might be a great idea for your business. It can help you have a high reach, build your community and commercialize their performance effectively.

• Bloggers. These types of creators share their passions and effectively educate their audience while gaining exposure and building authority online. They can feature your products or services in their content pieces, which can help you bring traffic to your website and get more customers.

• Podcasters. These people love connecting with others and having interesting conversations with them. Offering podcast hosts a special deal for their audience could help them attract listeners to your product and come to your website to learn more.

• E-commerce sellers. Shopping online has become very popular during the last couple of years. The print-on-demand concept can allow creators to design an online store filled with digital products. Companies can form partnerships with these creators and produce merchandise that is associated with their brand. It can be a great way to promote products and reach wider audiences. 

Organizations can determine the most suitable creators to work with by assessing their business needs and aligning collaborations to their goals and objectives. For example, if your company's objective is to advertise a product, you should aim to work with YouTubers who can tell their followers about it.

It is important to understand where your audience likes to search for information and who the creators are that they follow.

Work With Social Media Influencers

During the pandemic, many creators realized that it was time to increase social media activities and produce more content on those channels. The goal was to entertain the audience while they were stuck at home.

Many social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Clubhouse saw a massive increase in their users during the lockdown. On the other hand, social media apps changed their approach and prioritized creators to give them a more organic reach.

Now, many companies are actively partnering with social media influencers and creators to reach more audiences and sell their products in their communities.

There are many ways for different organizations to start promoting their products or services online with the help of influencers. They can do it with help of agencies or simply by reaching out to the influencers themselves. 

The biggest challenge is to understand the different types of influencers. There are micro, macro and celebrity influencers who can be used for various purposes depending on your campaign's goals, objectives and budget. 

Finally, it is important to understand that online creators have built strong relationships with their audiences, and it can be very beneficial for businesses to promote their products or services with them. The creative industry is growing fast, and more people are trusting creators' advice now more than ever.