I won’t keep you long (this time). I know you’re probably looking forward to logging off and enjoying some quiet time. I’ll do that soon too — but not before I tell you about the two things that I’ll be watching closely next year. You may want to look into them too.
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The creator economy — tempting, growing, but also changing
Did you happen to notice how everyone takes their personal brand more seriously all of a sudden? 40% of 25 to 34-year-olds consider themselves content creators. This may not be their main job or business, but the proportion is astounding nonetheless.
Everyone and their mother has a newsletter and a social media presence that gets nurtured daily.
What happened to good old-fashioned jobs? Does no one want a cushy corporate position and a ladder to climb on? Well, turns out that corporate jobs aren’t that safe anymore — nor gratifying.
From the studios that brought you blockbusters like The Great Resignation, The Massive Tech Layoffs, and Quiet Quitting, stay tuned for The Creator Blowout.
And why wouldn’t we all try our hand at independence? The tech stack you need to get started is more accessible than ever — free and with a minimal learning curve.
Tempting, right?
Right! But also a tad dangerous.
On platforms like ConvertKit, you can collect email addresses, create landing pages, even sell your digital products. All without paying a dime until you start seeing some real growth. Validate your idea for free and then consider leaving everything else behind.
With economic uncertainty looming, the creator economy may be in danger before its large-scale validation. Buyer habits shift during (perceived or real) economic crises and faster-than-ever pivoting is the #1 survival skill.
Creators will need to adapt to the new context and find ways to stay relevant to their audience — better products, flexible pricing, and offers that help their clients weather the storm are a few of the things you’ll see in survivors’ portfolios next year.
I’ll explore the creator economy in a dedicated IPF edition next year. Until then, I’ll honor my promise to keep this short and move on to the second trend.
Social media gets decentralized
Billionaire-owned social media platforms start to lose terrain. The recent Twitter changes implemented by Elon Musk prompted a massive spike in Mastodon downloads. Jack Dorsey (the Twitter co-founder and ex-owner) launched Bluesky Social (in beta right now), another decentralized alternative to Twitter.
This trend goes hand in hand with the creator economy. The need to own and control the access to your audience turns creators away from traditional social media platforms where you have little command over your feed and your reach.
Granted, the belle of the ball is still getting users to a platform you own. Social media is a means to an end — and the means just got more decentralized and democratized.
Of course, it remains to be seen how well these new social platforms fare in the upcoming years. For instance, Mastodon users have to deal with the tech infrastructure on their own, which can get quite pricy, especially for large publishers and media companies. Moreover, can the decentralized social platforms uphold the freedom they tout in the face of an ever-evolving legal compliance battle?
We don’t know yet — but I, for one, am excited to see how everything unfolds in this space.
What about you? What is one thing that gets you hyped for 2023?
That’s it from me today!
Happy Holidays! And if you’re not celebrating anything this December, I hope you still manage to squeeze in some rest and some quiet days!
Always in your corner,
Adriana
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