To receive The Leap’s weekly newsletter in your inbox, click here.
“Usher in” that money flow with merch!
= You realizing that you could be making bank as a creator.
Listen up. If you were on the fence about being more serious as a creator, it’s time to pick your butt up and make the leap. Sure, there are a lot of creators and influencers out there already, but for every success story, there are the people who are “retiring” from the gig to slow down, have families, take on different projects, or transition to other work. For every gap left behind from someone on sabbatical, there’s lots of space for your voice and your perspective to feed that audience. Not to mention there’s really no one like you!
So, what are you waiting for?
– The Leap
Gen Z Wants the Real Thing
YouTubers, don’t sweat over content going viral. Your audience just wants you, the real you, to share content that resonates with them. In its latest Culture & Trends Report, which dives deep into the ways Gen Z creators and audiences participate in digital culture, YouTube is telling us that younger viewers care more about personally relevant content than videos that are trending everywhere.
A classic case of quality over quantity (even though the algorithm rewards you for posting frequently), your audience is actually interested in something a little more thoughtful. It’s good news for storytellers and creators of “normal” day-to-day stuff – the pressure is off to find that wow-factor, shock-inducing thing.
Little Extras
Creators – nice for what? For starters: building your business, marketing products, promotions, events, etc. They’re not just nice to have, they’re the (not so) secret sauce to keeping business afloat and flowing. Ride that wave, creator pals!
Damsel in Dior? More like Damsel in Distress. This fashion influencer and stylist was riding her horse to victory while burnout and loneliness followed closely behind. Consider this a cautionary tale for all aspiring influencers (don’t worry, there’s a happy ending).
Kombucha Girl isn’t banking on doing this forever, which is why she saves 50% of her income. Brittany Broski, who became a meme in 2019, is encouraging influencers to have an “adult mindset” when it comes to income, saving, and planning for that dreaded tax season. Alright y’all, better start adulting.
TikTok is officially testing a new shop feed tab, because clearly you weren’t spending enough time on the app, now you should also be spending all of your money. Is TikTok copying IG? As long as the algorithm shows us exactly what we didn’t know we needed, there are no complaints here.
Building a community > building an audience. Brands are realizing that to harness customer loyalty, the focus should be on growing a community of people who want “in” status. Like Glossier’s ambassadors, the goal is FOMO and club-like (cult-like?) dedication.
MrBeast or bust. If you’re going to take advice from anyone, it should probably be someone with 98 million YouTube subscribers. Jimmy’s latest prediction? Short-form video is here to stay and it’s the best way to improve your content game. Tell us, MrBeast, what else do your hawk eyes see?
Give Lynette Adkins her flowers! From quitting her full-time job in big tech to becoming a full-time content creator, Lynette now has a combined following of 300k. If you needed the inspiration to take the leap, look no further.
Once upon a time, everyone wanted to be in the limelight, to be the poster face for whatever thing or cause. Now they want to be anonymous online. From alias names to apps that promote secrecy, Gen Z is bringing back privacy and safety in a fight against “presentation culture.”
“You can’t make money as a creator without brand partnerships.” Oh yeah? Watch this.
It turns out that branded merch is still popping off, picking up steam, and generating real revenue for creators. Creator brands are the perfect match for merch: they’re niche, highly personal, and beloved by a devoted following. Known for saying something iconic? Put it on a T-shirt. Organized a meetup? Sell attendees commemorative swag. How do you do it? We gathered what you need to know:
