TO many of us, social media is a space we use for entertainment, to pass time, stay abreast of news or keep in touch with those close to us.
According to Forbes, in 2023 an estimated 4.9 billion people world-wide use social media – more than half of the world’s population. Your attention and interaction with content on social media attributes to revenue for a select few in the social media landscape. These select few are called content creators or influencers.
The influencer industry is no small part of today’s social media landscape.
In an article in the Harvard Business Review in 2022, Does Influencer Marketing Really Pay Off?, the influencer industry was quoted as a US$16.4 billion industry, and 75 per cent of brands were said to have a dedicated budget for influencer marketing.
But how does influencer marketing work in TT, and is content creation a viable option for entrepreneurs?
Business Day interviewed five people who work in TT’s digital media industry to understand the business of content creation in today’s landscape and how influencing works in this country.These content creators were: Keron Rose, a Business Day columnist, digital strategist and e-commerce specialist of eight years; Anastasia Mootoo, a digital content producer and social media consultant of eight years; Ayodele Gomez, a travel content creator of three years; Brent Coutain, head of IuGo Digital for Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi; and Darren Hosang-Rudder, co-founder of Restayge, an intermediary that helps connect stakeholders within the influencer space.
Influencers or content creators?
Before there are any discussions about the influencer landscape or the monetisation process, we must first define a content creator and an influencer.
There was a consensus about the definition of a content creator. Each interviewee, in their own way, described a content creator as anyone who creates content such as videos, images and blog posts for consumption.
They believe an influencer is something different.
Rose said, "There is a misunderstanding of what a content creator and an influencer is.
[caption id="attachment_1066863" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Keron Rose, digital strategist and e-commerce specialist, at his home studio on December 29, 2023.Photo courtesy Kambe Lovelace[/caption]
"I think everybody is a content creator or can be a content creator. I don’t think everybody is an influencer."
Gomez said, "A content creator aims to create content with the intention of sharing information or their experiences to their audience within a particular niche."
When it comes to someone with the title of an influencer, the consensus was that an influencer is someone who can influence a populace, no matter how big or small.
Coutain, of Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi, said, "An influencer is technically anyone who has influence. Your mom is an influencer to you."
But what differentiates a social media influencer from your mom?
There are many factors that together give someone the title of influencer.
Coutain said, "
