Sarajevo resident Ante Petrović decided to share his love for animals with the world by opening a YouTube channel ‘Alen AxP’ back in 2007, where his main star was his parrot, Cookie. At that time, her domestication was followed by a few curious eyes, and today, videos about life with parrots have over a million subscribers. Petrović has thus become one of the most successful content creators in the former state, who not only entertains with his content but also offers very useful advice on caring for, breeding, and taming charming parrots.
As he once stated for Bosnian Start, he entered vlogging purely out of love; earning money was not on his mind. Although he can now live off it, chasing numbers should not be a priority; rather, in his opinion, love and passion for content creation must come first, regardless of whether it is about breeding parrots or reviewing cosmetic products. Indeed, this is the formula for success for creators who want to grab their share of this lucrative market. According to the latest projections, the global creator market is worth $156.37 billion, growing at a rate of 22.5 percent and expected to reach $528.39 billion by 2030. As the golden age is just beginning, it is worthwhile for creators and marketers to follow trends to be as successful as possible in this business. This is precisely why Forbes recently listed five key trends that will shape the creator economy in the upcoming period.
Creators Take Over
User-generated content (UGC) creators are placed at the top, defined as individuals who independently create content, often for commercial use or promotional purposes. Unlike content created by brands, this is production-wise more modest but more authentic, and the audience is more inclined to trust it than content produced by individual brands. This type of creator experienced a surge during the pandemic when brands were looking for new ways to advertise their products and services. On platforms like TikTok, Forbes writes, there is an increase in the number of ambitious UGC creators sharing tips on how to become one of them and earn real money from advertisers. For example, videos from UGC professionals can be found with titles like ‘How I earned $4,000 in 10 hours’ or ‘How to be a UGC creator in 2024.’
What is particularly interesting about this trend is that UGC creators, unlike traditional influencers, do not need to have a mass audience; brands collaborate with them due to their content production skills. This trend shares common characteristics with the authenticity trend, which is valued more than polished, refined content. In recent years, consumers have had increasingly negative opinions about traditional marketing tactics, with more than 70 percent, according to Forrester’s research, associating them with brands they consider intrusive and inauthentic. At the same time, influencers and content creators are more frequently posting videos with real-life scenes and unretouched photos. Many brands have entrusted entire campaigns to such creators, which is why the trend of creator-led marketing campaigns is flourishing, as Forbes calls it.
New Types of Collaboration
This collaboration is realized directly or with the help of specialized agencies that focus on increasing visibility and user interaction with the brand on platforms like TikTok. Selected influencers are also placed on a so-called white list, giving them financial support for posting. This whitelisting or creator licensing is a new type of collaboration between brands and influencers, bringing benefits to both sides. In this sense, campaigns created in collaboration with creators, Forbes continues, are not just a trend but a new way of connecting brands with audiences. According to an Aspire report, 69 percent of marketing professionals plan to increase investments in this type of advertising, as well as in influencer marketing in the broadest sense, as they have realized that partnering with influential figures on social platforms increases ROI.
