The images of several users taking selfies go viral on Instagram. What’s new? The images are not real but created with AI. The theme has opened further reflections on the transition from web 2.0 to web 3.0 and on the Metaverse, on who (always us or our avatars?) and how we will inhabit social networks in the near future.
The online experiences we have had in recent years have been shaped by at least three players: platforms, brands and influencers. The platforms they are the companies that have created and continuously update the digital places in which we move to relate to others. Their design and behavioral policies define what can and cannot be done within the confines of their worlds.
I brand they are among the bulkiest inhabitants of these digital places. They are the ones who have the power to invest huge budgets. Sports brands (also). As well as above all sporting influencers.
In recent years they have been just the influencer to shed their skin several times, interpreting the spirit of the digital age better and faster than others. In recent years it has been the influencers who have shed their skin several times, interpreting the spirit of the digital age and the changes in people’s needs better and faster than others.
Zuckerberg’s announcement: “In the metaverse we will also have legs”
by Bruno Ruffilli
It was social media that laid the foundations for the birth of this new figure. It was the fan/follower/subscriber metric highlighted that stimulated the search for visibility. And so the first characters emerged capable of capturing the
The operation
Bending Spoons bought Evernote
by Archangel Rociola
Over time, the first transformation into creator takes place. Their characteristic is not only that of amplifying messages on the net, but above all that of producing original contents according to their own style.
Social network
Can TikTok Save Publishing? The story of BookTok and how books went viral
by Francesco Marino
Hence the embryo of the growth of phenomena such as Tiktok which in the number of downloads records the fastest growth today and reaches 732 million users. Their large content output coupled with their ability to distribute to a global audience is reflected in the number of creators. It basically includes everything’ecosystem of digital platforms (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc…), tools used by creators to produce and monetize their content, companies that help creators reach brands and audiences (specialized agencies in Influencer Marketing, talent agencies, media centers, etc.).
Let’s talk about a’economy that includes 300 million creators and that in 2020 alone it would have generated over 100 billion dollars (Adobe, “Creators in the Creator Economy: A Global Study,” August 25, 2022). The main challenge for the next few years will be to create more opportunities for this new one “middle class of digital creators” i.e
that we manage to broaden the base of those who will be able to earn a living by putting their passions to good use. It is a goal that digital platforms are taking seriously also because creators are essential for their survival as they act as user attractors.
In short, something does not add up to the accounts of the web as it has been thought up to now. The Internet was supposed to be a land of opportunity for producers of value, but in reality the economic benefits have remained in the hands of the most powerful gatekeepers, the digital platforms.
And the first to understand this were the inventors of the platforms themselves who tried to anticipate the Metaverse, so as not to be flooded by a web 3.0 that aims to decentralize web 2.0 and the platforms themselves. That’s why we return to the invasion of AI selfies. Because this phenomenon is already happening and we are co-creators of it. Again more or less aware.
It is, it will be, there Community Economy without intermediaries and with a creator working model it will be completely revolutionized. In this new era, creators, in their latest form of co-producers, become real brands. But instead of focusing exclusively on creating the content that characterizes them, they are driven to become entrepreneurs to attract capital, marketers to activate relationships and community managers to nurture them over time. This is because with a basic economic-mathematical model it would allow creators to live from their passions, realizing the theory of 1000 true fans. It was proposed for the first time by Kevin Kelly, father of Wired and author of important essays, in 2008. To live from one’s passion – says the futurist – there is no need for millions of fans, but for 1000 true fans willing to pay for your own creations (1000 should be understood as an order of magnitude). But for this to happen, two criteria must be met:
- every year enough must be created to be able to obtain, on average, $100 in profit from each true fan (obviously the sum is indicative and varies according to everyone’s objectives);
- you have to have a direct relationship with the fans, also in financial terms. In this way the payment takes place without intermediaries from the fans to the creator.
The Adidas case
These ideas are being tested by brands such as Adidas. The project “Into the Metaverse ′′ was born in December 2021 with l’announcement of a partnership gmoney and PUNKS Comic, three pioneers of the NFT world. After a few days, the sale of 20,000 NFTs starts, immediately sold with a profit of 23.6 million dollars.
In this case, these tokens represented by animated stickers give some future exclusive rights: the possibility of purchasing some limited edition physical products, accessing events “in real life” and in the metaverse (Adidas bought land in The Sandbox to build an experiential space). But these are the advantages obtainable in phase 1. In fact l’The entire project consists of 4 phases that will reserve further surprises.
These gamification mechanics and these logics of exclusivity they have the’goal of aggregating a community of “true fan” early adopter ready to follow’company in this web3 experimentation process. A lively community discussing and suggesting actions in a dedicated Discord server.
This way of marketing by leveraging communities will become increasingly crucial in the coming years for creators and brands. The reason is simple: there is an audience that is not satisfied with buying and consuming, but wants to participate in brand building and also wants to do so by getting in touch with other passionate fans.
With an advantage also for creators, media (traditional and otherwise) that these communities have already built them on a relationship of mutual trust. Especially for these actors is the right time to prepare for the future! **
**fonte Study & Research Buzoole, 2022