The challenges and opportunities faced by Gen Z influencers and online creators
Gen Z may be on track to conquer the world, but as any world conqueror will tell you, the road to global domination is never smooth.
Because there is no precedent for the online world, it is both a scary and exciting place to be. It’s not for the faint of heart. But for the bold, it offers an enticing, ever-evolving melange of obstacles and open goals.
The hard stuff
Life as a content creator can be awesome but it is not all peaches and cream.
Here are some things you need to know before you hand in your notice at your uncle’s accounting firm.
It’s all on you: Being a content creator is no different from any self-employed venture. It gives you freedom, which is great. But as Michael Gerber pointed out, this can often mean that instead of working for a jerk, you end up working for a maniac!
It can be a grind: With modern-day tech, content creation has never been easier. But it is still difficult! You can’t just be good on camera – you need to have a host of technical skills such as lighting, editing, and scheduling. And content creation is only half the story.
Businesses don’t run themselves: In addition to being good at content, you need to be good at the business of making content. All the behind-the-scenes work on monetization, management (if you are involving others), community engagement, and handling sponsors.
It can take over your life: In between working ‘in’ and ‘on’ the business, you also need to figure out how to carve out some time for yourself.
People can be…tricky: Haters aside, your fans can be demanding. Since you are perceived as having ‘made it’, people won’t necessarily want to hear you complaining about your mental health.
None of the above is a reason not to go into the online space with all guns blazing if you have something to give and you are prepared to go through hell to get to heaven. You probably know the answer to this already.
Still interested then?
Online content creators are more than just businesses.
The really exciting thing? No one actually knows what they are.
The whole concept of one-to-many broadcasting is itself a fairly new one, and until recently was in the hands of a privileged few. It’s not clear what happens when this power is redistributed.
We have an inkling of what comes next by looking at how concepts such as financial advice are being adapted to a Gen Z model. Previously, this was the closely held domain of mega-corporations like Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab. Not “Finfluencers” like Brandon Schlichter and Vivian Tu. And yet, here we are.
Content creators are also cultural terraformers. Gen Z understands the power of memes better than anyone (including – apparently – the guy who invented the word). They are currently being actively deployed as part of the Ukrainian war effort. If you have access to a time machine, have a go at explaining that to a 2010 version of yourself.
The real answer to the question of ‘what are the opportunities for the influence and content creator community’ is not to be found on Google or OpenAI. The history of the future is not ‘read-only’ but ‘write-only’.
What do you want it to say?
