Maker Content Hub

Influencers and the creator economy

Share Your Power by Smasung, #SafeToPlayHub by Durex, Fizz Up Studios by Pepsi and, last but not least, #EstiMaiPuternicaDecatCrezi powered by Regina Maria.

Now, you might be wondering what all these campaigns have in common, why they are so important to mention. If you promise to share it with everyone you know, we’ll let you in on the secret: influencers. Yes, you read that right, the success of these projects comes from the fact that key representatives of Gen Z have been speaking out for their followers on topics that older generations are used to shoving into the drawer of sensitive conversations.

The input these content creators brought to brand campaigns generated strong reactions online, but perhaps the strongest voice was from those who don’t usually have the courage to come forward. Because, in the end, that’s what the new generation is all about: it has that boldness, the lack of inhibitions and fear are only advantages for young people who advocate for their followers.

This, and the fact that they bring a huge amount of creativity, led us to come up with a new approach to embedding influencers in campaigns. We want to make a connection with Gen Z and how else can we do that but by working side by side with them, engaging them less as a marketing tools and more as consultants offering their social media expertise.

Maker Studio is our idea of building a safe space for the younger generation who wants to get involved instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching. And campaigns will shift from influencer-based projects to actions that are aligned with the real wants and needs of a community of hundreds of followers.

The intention is to show brands that the personal touches inserted by the chosen influencer into the campaign will bring a much more human touch, thus giving the audience a reason to follow the message they want to convey through the product. And new trends and approaches are starting to move away from classic marketing strategies, the need to see the product in the spotlight in a very obvious way is no longer liked by Gen Z. What they want is to understand why that product, why in that given context, why the influencer they have been following for so long agreed to be associated with that campaign. Story. A relevant endorsement of the message. A subtle product placement meant to depict a real-life setting.

Gen Z is not a difficult audience, they are perhaps the easiest to approach generation, but what makes this a tricky task comes from their frankness, from the fact that they are not afraid to tell you when you’ve screwed up or pretended to know better than them what a concept implies.

In short, instead of casting a few actors who probably don’t even fit the age category and offer no insight of an entire generation, why not tackle someone who has built a community of thousands based solely on real, time-tested feedback.

Particularly when talking about content creators because, as Nicole Quinn, investor, said in an October 2021 case study on the Creative Economy, “all influencers are creators, but not all creators are influencers”.

What did the author mean?

Let us enlighten you.

Over the years, the internet has abounded with talented people from different industries. Many of them have built communities around that talent: smaller ones, larger ones, ones that have continued to bring people together and ones that have stagnated. But from here to being an influencer, someone with the power to persuade millions of followers, is a very, very long way.

So, Influencer 101

• Be constantly active.
• At least once a day to stay relevant in your followers’ feed.
• Think outside the box.

If you use the same approach you did five years ago, chances are the only people who will know you online are your mom, your best friend, a high school teacher and your neighbor on the third floor. A fresh approach will reinvigorate your content and bring entertainment to audiences that will grow organically. In this case you need to trust the process, because it’s going to take a while. But it’s the only way to build a stable community that doesn’t unfollow after the first giveaway.

The Trend, your comrade in arms

The speed of algorithm change is currently faster than CFR trains. So buckle up and get ready to use the latest: effects, sounds, transitions and ideas that are top of the search and popping up all over your feed. This time you really need to be like everyone else.

Now that we’ve established the 1, 2, 3 steps to a successful career as an influencer, the last thing is the niche you want to tackle. It’s a process similar to sorting by house at Hogwarts, only much broader. Among the most popular categories, besides Lifestyle & Beauty & Fashion, are:

Through Maker Studio we want to give influencers a chance to be heard when they have an opinion, which is often not just about them individually, but about a whole host of people with common interests and desires. From TikTok to Instagram, back to YouTube and even Facebook, if necessary, Gen Z is the expert you need when you want to infuse a new, young and current vibe. And dynamic, most importantly. Because their most prized quality ties back to their ability to create short content in a way that makes you want more. In forty seconds they made two transitions on a popular trend, using the newest sound.

As the same 2021 study showed, creators want to feel appreciated, not just used as a piece in a puzzle. Of Lego. It’s a comparison that conveys a powerful pain, equal to their need to be recognized for their work.

Of those surveyed, 46% are influencers who have been building their community for more than four years and know its needs better than an outsider. And 36% say they would refuse to work with a brand that doesn’t give them freedom in the creative process.

Gen Z knows how to adapt to the new, so if the strategy becomes too rigid they will be the ones to set the wheels in motion again. No, that’s exactly the point that needs to be made here – at Maker Studio we don’t use influencers as “secret little gems”, on the contrary, we give them the status of consultants & creatives & voices for the audience. They won’t just be extras in a campaign, but will develop the idea together with the whole agency team.

So, until keep and eye on us to learn how new advertising is born and what lays beneath those addictive TikTok videos.

See yaa!