Oh, no! The Future of Content Creators is in Danger
More importantly, how can we safeguard ourselves from it?
I know this is supposed to be a weekly newsletter but I write on Wednesdays too.
And because I didn’t know if I’d be able to be consistent with this, I didn't mention it anywhere.
The whole purpose of this newsletter is to inform you and entertain you. I aim to do both all the time. In the meantime, I’m learning a lot about writing and storytelling myself.
So, without any further ado, let's get into the title of today’s letter and find out what are the potential dangers that are lurking at the creators’ economy that every one of us needs to know about.
From writers to short-video creators, I have covered them all.
This blew my mind
I was watching videos on YouTube and in one of them I came across this term: Virtual Influencer.
Wait, what? Aren’t most of the influencers virtual influencers? Because they influence us through our teeny-tiny devices.
It turns out that isn’t what that means.
Virtual influencers or virtual creators is a digital character that was created using computer graphics software.
These VCs (Virtual Creators and not Venture Capitalists) have realistic characteristics, features, and personalities of humans.
And the startups and companies making them are aiming to make it even more hyper-realistic. To the point where it becomes nearly impossible to make a distinction between who is a human and who’s a CGI.
That feels futuristic, isn’t it? But guess what, it can come across as a blow to the creators’ economy.
According to an article at Influencer Marketing Hub, virtual influencers can offer nearly three times the engagement rates of real influencers.
Christopher Travis, the founder of VirtualHumans.org, says: “virtual influencers can do anything that human influencers can do, but with more control and engagement.”
And because they are infinitely scalable, they can possess a serious threat to the booming creator economy.
Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation…
Suppose Instagram officially launches one virtual creator for every popular niche: fashion, lifestyle, photography, vlogging, etc.
And heavily promotes it. For example, if you create a new account on Instagram, you’ll be already following them. It’s possible, isn’t it?
And because Instagram has a ton of data for what works the best on the platform, they can create content better and faster than any other creator. Exceptionally so.
And before we have a moment to understand what’s going on, they have already become the monopoly in the sphere.
Don’t believe me?
She is Lil Miquela, and if you think she’s a real “human” influencer, you’re utterly deceived. She’s a virtual influencer created in 2016 with the use of motion graphics.
Not only this but she’s also worked with top luxury brands like Prada and Calvin Klein and has gone viral a lot of times.
There’s no lack of examples of virtual creators with millions of followers on Instagram.
Take for example Lu do Magalu, who has more than 14.6 million followers on Facebook and 6 million followers on Instagram.
I know it’s highly unlikely Instagram would ever create its own Virtual Influencer, but again, it’s not impossible, right?
If Instagram doesn’t do it, maybe a new startup will do that. Sooner or later. A couple of them are already in their nascent stage, by the way.
Can you believe you can spend hours and hours on TikTok without “searching for any creator”?
They are lessening your dependence and association with any particular creator. They are taking the reins of control back into their hands.
They have advanced their algorithm so much that they are confident they can keep you hooked to the platform for hours without you needing to search for anything.
And this took TikTok what, 5 years.
Imagine how much this scenario can change in the next 5 years.
Now let’s move on to the writer’s sphere, shall we?
The rise of AI writing tools
I must have read at least a few dozen articles on this topic on Medium itself.
Every day someone is talking about a new AI writing assistant and someone else is criticising it.
And I am sure you would have too if you are interested in this topic.
This thing is in the air on Medium these days, it seems.
Though I am yet to use any of that software yet, their rising popularity can’t be denied.
Some of the platforms I keep hearing about every now and then include CopyAI, LightKey, etc.
The next big question: how can we mitigate the risk?
Mitigate the risk of going obsolete.
I would like to borrow that piece of the puzzle from the startup world.
Yes, the same startup world that’s creating the cutting-edge technology to “assist” writers and creators that can at any time outperform them.
I am not being dystopian, but at the same time can we afford to be utopian?
The magic potion to keep in the background of your mental arsenal all the time is the two basic ingredients for successfully running a company.
What are those?
Product
Distribution
“Why those are even important to me? I am not building a startup.” Give me a moment to explain.
On one hand, where startups are spending money like crazy on building distribution, we as creators already have that.
So do we need to build a product? That can be a good first step if you ask me.
But nowadays, even a product can’t offer you that moat because of the fact that creating a product has become so effortless. No-code platforms like Notion and beginner-friendly design software like Canva and Figma, among hundreds of others, have already democratised the space.
You have tools for everything and someone can build a product identical to yours within a day if they wish.
So, what do we do?
You need the perfect mix of both of them. In other words, the best of both worlds. So that you can secure yourself from any tides this ever-changing landscape has to offer.
Look, a company has a product, and a creator (can be a writer or a YouTube creator) has a distribution.
The optimum way for any one of them to thrive is to have both.
That’s why you see creators launching products and selling merch and companies pouring millions of dollars into advertising.
Got what I am talking about?
The north is to create your unique personality.
Closing thoughts
The creator space is going to become more and more competitive with every passing day. That’s new to nobody.
But how will it change, that no one knows. The change can be subtle or dramatic.
And if we want to survive, we should be aware and prepared for every possible scenario.
I hope this letter was able to equip you with a novel perspective. Until next time!