There is a lot of hype around social networks and creators. Since the turn of the century with Fotolog and Myspace, users have been involved in creating content on the web. The turning point came in 2009, when according to Micky Ribera, CEO and Co-Founder of BeAgency, “influencers made it to the first division”, occupying the front row of the fashion world. More than ten years later we find ourselves in the midst of another boom. This time caused by new channels and the exponential growth of the audience. The result: confirmation that content creation on the internet can be a well-paid job and a key asset for brands.

Take Aways:

• Turning a passion into a business is possible thanks to new broadcasting and production platforms.
• Big funds are looking to invest in platforms that promote disintermediation.
• Specialised content builds audience loyalty.
• Big growth of live streaming as a sales channel.

Passion economy

Kids no longer want to be astronauts, now they want to be youtubers. Turning their passion into a business through digital platforms. More than two million people around the world are already doing it professionally. They produce their content and manage the community of fans, an audience that, thanks to disintermediation, perceives the creator as someone close to them with the same interests. The more specialised the content, the more loyal the audience.

Monetisation

Platforms, advertising, subscriptions, events, merchandising, collaborations, tips. The ways to monetise are endless and platforms are increasingly improving their collaboration conditions to attract creators. An example of this is the migration of youtubers to Twitch. Another proof of this empowerment is OnlyFans, “one of the first models where the big winner is the creator”, explains Micky Ribera. 

The next step is influencer incubators. Business models that have already appeared in China (Ruhnn Kol) and are based on creating influencers from scratch for different verticals. This process involves three steps: influencer, community, products.

Social Shopping

Live streamings has been discovered as a very interesting sales platform because of the engagement it creates with viewers. Live content keeps viewers’ attention 15 times longer than recorded content, and influencers provide the aspirational and notoriety component. In China the format is already successful on platforms such as Alibaba, and in Europe and the United States Amazon Live is already experimenting with this new form of e-commerce. 

AudioTech

The new audio trend after podcasts is called Clubhouse. Created in Silicon Valley by entrepreneurs and investors, it has all the ingredients for success: easy, non-invasive (it allows multitasking), exclusive (access is by invitation) and close. These factors have turned this platform into a unicorn, the company is valued at more than a billion dollars and accumulates more than 10 million weekly active users.