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- Influence Weekly #349: Creator Economy Job Listings Surge 66% In Q2: Which Skills Are Most In Demand?
Influence Weekly #349: Creator Economy Job Listings Surge 66% In Q2: Which Skills Are Most In Demand?
Aussie influencer is closing her fashion brand because she’s too busy
Nii Ahene
August 09, 2024
Spotlight Stories
Creator Economy Job Listings Surge 66% In Q2: Which Skills Are Most In Demand?
Poland’s Catholic influencers spreading the faith on social media
Aussie influencer is closing her fashion brand because she’s too busy
Why ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Other Broadway Shows Are Turning to Influencers
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Great Reads
Kamala Harris' presidential campaign has led to a surge in social media engagement, benefiting both the campaign and content creators. After Harris announced her candidacy, the KamalaHQ TikTok account saw a fivefold increase in followers within a week, amassing 232 million views and over 33 million likes.
Political influencers report significantly higher engagement on Harris-related content compared to previous Biden-focused posts. The campaign is leveraging this enthusiasm by remixing supporter-created content and participating in platform trends.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's TikTok engagement appears to be declining since his initial launch on the platform. Campaign officials suggest this may be due to Trump's team not fully understanding how to effectively use TikTok.
The creator economy job market is showing strong growth, with job listings increasing by 66% in Q2 2024 compared to Q1, according to a report from Creator Economy Jobs.
Engineering roles dominate the market at 29% of listings, followed by sales at 16.8% and marketing at 10.6%. The sector shows a preference for experienced professionals, with mid-level positions comprising 44.8% of listings.
While the U.S. remains the primary location for these jobs, it saw a 26.7% decrease in listings. Remote opportunities also declined by 41.1%. However, markets like Indonesia and the UK saw significant growth.
Despite the overall increase in job listings, the sector experienced layoffs affecting over 1,300 positions in Q2. Top hiring companies include Coda Payments, Figma, and Podimo.
The report also notes a 200% year-over-year increase in Google searches for "creator economy jobs," indicating growing interest in the field.
TikTok star Nara Smith, known for her "trad wife" content, has addressed controversy surrounding her online persona in a recent GQ interview. Smith, 22, has gained over 9 million followers by sharing videos of herself cooking elaborate meals for her supermodel husband, Lucky Blue Smith, and their three young children while dressed in 1950s-style clothing.
The couple faced criticism for allegedly glorifying outdated gender roles, with Smith reporting "hateful" comments online. However, they maintain their relationship is a "partnership," with Lucky Blue participating in household chores.
The GQ photoshoot, featuring the family in mid-century attire, has sparked mixed reactions. Some praise the aesthetic, while others express concern about the messaging and Smith's young age as a mother of three.
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Campaign Insights
Catholic influencers in Poland are using social media to reach younger audiences as traditional religious participation declines. Notable figures include Dominican monk Adam Szustak, whose YouTube channel has over 900,000 subscribers, and Natalia Ruś, a controversial TikToker with half a million followers who promotes traditional Catholic values.
Former footballer Marcin Zieliński has also gained a large following through evangelistic sermons and claims of miraculous healings. These influencers blend modern technology with religious teachings to appeal to youth.
This trend comes as Poland sees a significant drop in religious affiliation, particularly among young people. The number of Poles identifying as Catholic has fallen from 88% to 71% in the past decade.
Experts suggest that these influencers' use of popular platforms and relatable content may help stem the flow of people leaving the church, even as it grapples with controversial stances on social issues.
Dre Hopkins, a Dallas-based social media influencer, has collaborated with Cinnaholic, a cinnamon roll chain, to create a limited-time offering called the 'King of Dallas Roll.' The roll features Cinnaholic's cinnamon roll base topped with banana frosting, strawberries, bananas, and a chocolate drizzle. Hopkins, known as @DreinDallas on TikTok with 1.2 million followers, gained viral attention earlier this year for his comedic review of a Crumbl Cookie product.
The collaboration comes amid ongoing discussions about pay equity for Black creators in influencer marketing, where a recent report identified a 35% pay gap between white and Black creators despite Black influencers outperforming their non-Black counterparts in several metrics.
A new political campaign is targeting Latino voters through YouTube influencers, recognizing that Latinos spend roughly twice as much time on the platform compared to other demographic groups. The effort by Priorities USA and Somos Votantes features lifestyle and entertainment influencers with large followings delivering sponsored political and get-out-the-vote messages.
The goal is to build trust with low-propensity Latino voters by using authentic messengers they already follow. While Democrats are playing catch-up to Republicans' effective use of YouTube influencers, the campaign aims to test what resonates best in reaching a key voting bloc that spends significant time online. With over 36 million eligible Latino voters this year, harnessing YouTube's influence could prove pivotal.
UK-based fitness apparel company Gymshark announced the appointment of fitness influencer Whitney Simmons as the first-ever Creative Director of its Adapt Seamless line.
Simmons has long advocated for the Adapt Seamless range. Her new role involves shaping the line’s future direction.
“Adapt has always been that little confidence boost when I needed it most,” Simmons said in an interview with Gymshark. “I know the impact this collection can have on women everywhere.”.
“So, to become its FIRST-EVER Creative Director? Humbled, honored, and speechless,” Simmons added.
As Creative Director, Simmons plans to maintain the core elements of the Adapt line while introducing new aesthetic details and expanding the range with new patterns, silhouettes, and colorways, focusing on confidence-boosting designs.
The travel industry is experiencing a significant rebound, with international tourist numbers up 20% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, and airlines expected to break passenger records. This resurgence has led to increased spending by travel companies on influencer marketing to reach and inspire holidaymakers, particularly the younger generations. Influencers on visual platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest have become effective in showcasing travel experiences, with influencer transactions related to the experience category rising from 1% to 6% between January 2023 and 2024.
This trend reflects a shift in how trips are marketed and enjoyed, with Gen Z showing a preference for sightseeing and city activities over partying. Influencers have become travel agents for a new generation, with their authenticity and word-of-mouth recommendations resonating more than traditional advertising. As a result, 75% of marketers plan to dedicate a budget to influencer marketing, recognizing its effectiveness. However, proper execution is crucial, and working with influencers through affiliate platforms like Awin can mitigate risks and ensure cost-effective, performance-based campaigns.
TikTok creator Mary Korlin-Downs has accused luxury brand Marc Jacobs of copying her video concept in a recent viral ad featuring influencer Nara Smith. The controversy highlights growing tensions between creators and brands over content ownership on social media platforms.
Korlin-Downs, who previously collaborated with Marc Jacobs, claims the brand's new ad closely resembles her earlier videos. This incident follows similar accusations by other creators against brands like Cetaphil and eos.
Legal experts note that while general ideas can't be copyrighted, specific expressions in videos are protected. Creators are increasingly using social media to call out perceived plagiarism, often leading to public responses from brands.
The situation underscores the complex dynamics of the creator economy, where the lines between inspiration and imitation are often blurred. It also raises questions about proper crediting and compensation for creators whose ideas may influence brand campaigns.
Marc Jacobs has not commented on the allegations.
Interesting People
Formz is an artist and content creator who went from viral TikTok freestyles to performing at the prestigious F1 Silverstone event. Formz's journey showcases the convergence of music, sports, and digital media.
From humble beginnings asking his mom for random words to freestyle on TikTok, which led to exponential follower growth, Formz adapted his content strategy by incorporating his passions like soccer and Formula One. This pivot paid off, culminating in his Silverstone performance in front of 60,000 people. His authentic approach to content creation fostered a deep connection with fans and opened doors to brand partnerships like Pepsi.
Looking ahead, Formz aims to evoke emotions through his art, focusing on building narratives around his music. His rise exemplifies how creators can leverage social media to turn their passions into viable careers by staying true to their vision while adapting to emerging trends. The creator economy rewards innovation and authenticity, allowing multitalented individuals like Formz to thrive.
Australian influencer Tahlia Skaines has announced the closure of her fashion brand, Skaines The Label, citing time constraints and a desire to focus on her influencer work. Skaines, who has over 900,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, says she's become "time poor" due to multiple commitments, including renovating a house in Australia.
This decision reflects a growing trend among influencers shutting down their brands. Recent examples include fitness influencer Ashy Bines closing her activewear label and comedian Christian Hull ending his novelty goods shop due to financial challenges.
Industry observers suggest these closures may indicate a shift in consumer trust towards influencer-branded products. Some speculate that audiences are becoming more aware that many influencer products are manufactured in the same factories with only branding differences.
Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, one of YouTube's most prominent creators, is facing backlash over resurfaced offensive comments from 2017 and allegations against a former collaborator. Controversial clips show Donaldson using racist, homophobic language and making inappropriate remarks about a minor. Simultaneously, longtime collaborator Ava Kris Tyson resigned amid accusations of interacting inappropriately with underage fans.
While Donaldson has evolved his content to philanthropy with videos garnering over 100 million views, the controversies threaten his $700 million empire's reputation and partnerships. Donaldson acknowledged his past behavior, stating he has learned from increasing influence. However, experts warn charities cannot risk association with mounting controversies. The 307 million subscriber creator's response and investigations' outcome remain to be seen.
TikTok sensation Sa Nguyen's a 19-year-old Vietnamese-American gained millions of followers for her relatable, unfiltered mukbang videos filmed spontaneously in her dorm room. Offering glimpses into her daily life, Sa's content resonates through its refreshing lack of curation. Despite challenges balancing content creation with school and volunteer work,
Sa remains grounded, planning to use her platform to inspire good deeds. Her journey exemplifies how genuine personality can captivate audiences more than careful editing in today's creator economy.
YouTube veteran Semion Kremeniuk has co-founded pin.top, a fintech tool that enables a transactional approach to influencer marketing. Pin.top allows creators to list their services with set rates, and requires brands to fully prepay for orders, addressing key pain points in creator-brand relationships.
With global payment options, competitive 9% fees, and creator-focused features like revisable "rate options," pin.top aims to streamline negotiations and build trust. Despite challenges in onboarding creators initially, successful use cases reinforce Kremeniuk's vision of making influencer marketing faster, easier and more effective through pin.top's comprehensive solutions for sourcing, managing and paying creator campaigns.
Industry News
Meta reported a 73% surge in second-quarter profits to $13.5 billion, driven primarily by its advertising business across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Despite heavy metaverse investments leading to a $4.5 billion loss for its Reality Labs division, Meta's core ad revenue offset these losses.
The company projects Q3 revenue between $38.5-$41 billion and initiated its first dividend, signaling a maturing business model. Cost-cutting measures like layoffs helped Meta achieve over 40% profit growth for five straight quarters. Its stock rose after the earnings beat, continuing a strong rebound from 2022 lows.
PartnerCentric, led by industry maverick Stephanie Harris, has developed a groundbreaking technology that tackles a widespread issue in influencer marketing - "commission poaching." Up to a third of partner marketing spending is lost due to misattributed conversions. PartnerCentric's FUSE Incrementality™ platform and Conversion Origination feature accurately identify the true drivers of sales, ensuring fair compensation for influencers who drive product discovery.
This data-driven approach optimizes brand spending, addresses income disparities, and supports the convergence of the creator and partner economies. Harris envisions a future where influencers are valued as essential partners, fairly rewarded for their contributions to brand success.
Chinese companies are creating AI-generated digital avatars of real people to serve as virtual influencers and presenters, reducing human workload. Livestreamer Wang Xue'er can now run up to 10 simultaneous e-commerce streams using her AI avatars created by Nanjing firm Silicon Intelligence.
While potentially addressing labor shortages, the unregulated technology raises ethical concerns around credibility, ownership rights, and lack of disclosure requirements. While advanced avatars are costly, companies are also hiring humans to wear AI face filters, creating a new job category. As the AI labor model evolves, it generates both efficiency gains and novel human employment opportunities in China's booming creator economy.
CreatorFest, an event focused on helping content creators monetize and build sustainable businesses, is quickly gaining prominence. Founded by event veteran Iconic Becker and Stem Media CEO Patrick Israel, it prioritizes financial strategies and requires speakers to have proven seven-figure success. The event aims to bridge the gap between social media popularity and financial success by facilitating direct connections and providing tactical advice from industry leaders.
CreatorFest distinguishes itself by openly discussing monetization strategies and maintaining stringent speaker selection criteria based on expertise over popularity. It caters to creators at various income levels, offering guidance on scaling their ventures into six-figure media companies. With a vision of democratizing management and empowering creators to diversify income streams, CreatorFest represents a shift towards treating content creation as a serious business endeavor within the evolving creator economy.
In a legal escalation against AI companies, a class action lawsuit accuses OpenAI of transcribing millions of YouTube videos without creators' consent to train its language models like ChatGPT. The YouTuber plaintiff alleges OpenAI's actions constitute unjust enrichment and unfair competition, seeking at least $5 million in damages.
This lawsuit expands the ongoing legal battle over unauthorized use of copyrighted works by AI firms to train their systems, with creators across industries taking legal action against companies like OpenAI for exploiting their intellectual property without compensation or permission.
Marc Snyderman, a legal industry veteran, co-founded Ukreate to bridge the gap between brands and micro-influencers. Ukreate focuses on connecting smaller creators with modest but engaged followings to brands, contrasting with competitors prioritizing top-tier influencers. The platform uses robust filtering to match suitable creators, facilitates secure transactions, and aims to protect both parties.
Snyderman sees micro-influencers and user-generated content creators playing an increasingly crucial role in brand marketing, often providing better value and authenticity than traditional advertising. He envisions empowering underrepresented creators through Ukreate's collaborative approach and potential profit-sharing model. However, challenges like capital constraints, the marketplace dilemma, and social media's bot problem remain obstacles to overcome in the evolving creator economy.
As athletes increasingly leverage their social media influence for brand partnerships, a new breed of agency has emerged that combines traditional sports management, influencer marketing, and content production services. Companies like Klutch Sports Group, Status Creative, Ten Toes, and B-Engaged represent athletes while facilitating brand deals and creating sponsored content. This hybrid model caters to the evolving nature of athlete sponsorships, which now resemble influencer campaigns focused on social media reach rather than long-term ambassadorships.
These agencies ensure branded content feels authentic while meeting advertisers' demands. With the rise of women's sports and the NCAA's NIL ruling, opportunities are expanding for agencies specializing in managing female athletes and college stars. As the creator economy intersects with sports marketing, these agencies bridge the gap between athletes, brands, and platforms, shaping the future of athlete endorsements.
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Broadway shows are increasingly turning to social media influencers to attract younger, more diverse audiences. "The Great Gatsby" musical, for example, hosted an album release party for about 40 TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube creators, aiming to boost awareness and ticket sales.
This strategy appears to be working, with "The Great Gatsby" reporting up to 21% increases in website traffic following influencer collaborations. Other shows like "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" and "Mary Jane" have also seen success with similar events, reporting significant spikes in ticket sales.
Theater influencers, while having smaller followings than those in other industries, can effectively reach niche audiences. Producers are learning to leverage this new marketing approach, with some shows even inviting influencers to dress rehearsals or organizing unique promotional events.
Seventeen-year-old Demetra Dias has become a powerful force in teen consumer marketing, with her TikTok fashion videos influencing millions of young shoppers. Dias, who charges around $20,000 per sponsored post, has partnered with major brands like Steve Madden and PacSun.
Her influence is part of a larger trend, with brands expected to invest $24 billion in influencer marketing in 2024, up 50% from 2022. Companies are targeting the significant spending power of teens, who average $2,263 in annual purchases.
Dias's success highlights the growing impact of micro-influencers on youth consumer behavior. Despite her newfound fame and income, Dias maintains a balanced approach, focusing on her studies and planning for college.
This phenomenon underscores the evolving landscape of marketing to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with brands increasingly relying on relatable teen influencers to connect with young consumers.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging the popular video-sharing app illegally collected personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuit states TikTok knowingly allowed underage users to create accounts, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and a 2019 agreement with the government to safeguard children's privacy.
The DOJ seeks court-imposed fines on the companies for the massive-scale violations of children's privacy. TikTok disputes the allegations, claiming many relate to past practices that have been addressed, and maintains its efforts to protect young users' privacy.