Monthly Archives: September 2022

The media landscape has changed significantly over the years thanks to the rise of the internet and social media. With platforms like YouTube and TikTok, anyone can go online, create content, and find their niche audience. As a result, media has become more decentralized than ever, and millions of content creators have created a new space in the entertainment industry — the creator economy.

But what exactly is the creator economy, and why should marketers care? Here’s everything marketers need to know:

What is the creator economy?

Social Media’s Role in the Creator Economy

Platforms with Content Creator Funds and Programs

How Brands Should Use the Creator Economy

What is the creator economy?

The creator economy is an online-facilitated economy comprised of millions of content creators, such as social media influencers, videographers, bloggers, and other digital creatives. The creator economy also includes software and tools designed to help these creators grow and profit from their content.

The creator economy is a relatively new addition to the media and entertainment industry, and it’s something that anyone from any generation can be a part of. Whether you’re a millennial with a true crime podcast or a Gen Z fashionista with a style blog — you can be a part of the creator economy in whatever niche you choose.

Think about it — if a TikTok account rating bathroom sinks around New York City can go viral, then there really is no limit to what’s possible in the content creation business.

Social Media’s Role in the Creator Economy

The rise of social media has fueled growth in the creator economy. According to Forbes, there are about 50 million content creators across multiple platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch. That’s about 50 million people participating in the creator economy.

The creator economy saw significant growth during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, many people found themselves working from home or looking for new income streams due to budget cuts and layoffs. This resulted in more people having more time or incentives to create content on platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube.

In fact, TikTok saw a significant increase in users during the height of the pandemic, which directly contributed to a boom in the content creator economy. According to Statista, TikTok experienced a growth of 180% among users ages 15-25 after the pandemic broke out in the U.S. in 2020.

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Aside from financial opportunities (and an escape from boredom), social media provides a digital space for almost anyone to post their content, promote their work, and build a loyal fanbase. In the creator economy, you can be a creator without investing in expensive equipment or getting the backing of major studios.

For example, Kyle Prue rose to fame on TikTok with videos showcasing his dry humor. All his videos are shot from his apartment using his iPhone and the mic on his Apple headphones. Despite his simple setup, Prue has over 1 million followers on TikTok and 32.5 million likes.

He also wrote and starred in his dark comedy-drama web series, “The Rabbit,” which he posted to YouTube for viewers to watch for free. Prue put the series together with his own money and without the help of any major studios or production companies. Each episode has between 20,000 to 71,000 views.

Platforms with Content Creator Funds and Programs

As I mentioned, many people turned to the creator economy to earn money — especially at the start of the pandemic when companies were experiencing hiring freezes and layoffs. Many digital platforms contribute to this economy via their creator funds and programs, including:

YouTube

For years, content creators on YouTube have made money via ad revenue from video advertisements. YouTube also has the YouTube Partner Programs, which gives creators access to exclusive features and various monetization opportunities. To compete with TikTok, YouTube also launched the YouTube Shorts Fund, dedicating a total of $100 million to creators from 2021 to 2022.

Instagram

To keep up with the growing creator economy, Instagram has rolled out many new opportunities for creators to earn money off their posts to the app. One opportunity is the Instagram Live Badges, which allows users to send monetary tips to their favorite creators during live streams. Another opportunity is the Instagram Reels Play Bonus Program, where creators earn money based on the performance of their Reel.

Other monetary opportunities include:

Branded content
Shops for creators to sell directly to their followers
In-stream video ads
Affiliate programs

TikTok

TikTok’s Creator Next Program includes its $200 million creator fund, tipping and gifting opportunities, and a creator marketplace to connect creators with brands. The creator fund is accessible to many creators, including those with only 10,000 followers — so long as they have at least 100,000 video views within 30 days.

Twitch

Streaming platform Twitch has its Twitch Partner Program, where creators can earn income in multiple ways. One way is through channel subscriptions. With channel subscriptions, streamers earn revenue when their viewers subscribe via the following options: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, or Prime.

Bits is another feature of the program, allowing viewers to purchase virtual goods to “cheer” on streamers. Streamers get a percentage of the revenue Twitch receives from these purchases. And finally, Twitch streams can earn money via ad revenue from ads run during their streams.

Other Ways Content Creators Make Money

Though many social media platforms provide creators opportunities to make money through creator funds and programs, content creator earnings typically aren’t very high.

According to a survey by NeoReach and Influencer Marketing Hub, only 1.4% of the 2,000 content creators surveyed earn over $1.4 million annually. Only a little over 20% make a livable wage of $50K or more a year. To combat this issue, content creators will often supplement their income by other means, such as:

Brand deals and partnerships
Sponsored content
Paid subscriptions
VIP meet-ups
Event hosting
Merchandise
Live and virtual events

Some content creators may also use their online presence as a stepping stone toward more lucrative ventures. For instance, Tabitha Brown is a social media personality and actress who became famous on TikTok for her calming videos of affirmations and recipes.

Her fame on social media led her to being cast in popular television shows like Showtime’s “The Chi.” Brown also has her own show, “All Love,” on Ellen DeGeneres’ digital platform EllenTube as well as a bestselling cookbook and an ongoing partnership with Target.

How Brands Should Use the Creator Economy

Viewers tend to care more about people and personalities than brands in the creator economy. As a result, many major brands have struggled to find their footing on platforms like TikTok or Twitch. However, there is still a way brands should tap into the creator economy to grow their audience and gain revenue — influencer marketing.

Brands should reach out to influencers with a loyal social media following to spread the word about their products or services. A great example of influencer marketing would be the work of TikTok personality Drew Afualo. Afualo is famous on TikTok for creating videos that poke fun at misogynists and uplift women.

Since gaining millions of followers on the app, Afualo has been tapped to promote films like “The Lost City,” starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.

Online fashion retailer Shein has also worked with Afualo to promote the company’s SheinX collection.

There are many ways to leverage Influencer marketing. Popular tactics include social media takeovers in which an influencer “takes over” a brand’s social media account for a day. Some brands like Genius will host live Q&As with influencers or celebrities on platforms like Instagram Live or Twitter Spaces. Additionally, paid partnerships, product placement, and sponsorships are considered tried and true methods.

Just remember — if you’re leveraging influencer marketing, you’ll need to ensure the influencer’s content and image align with that of your brand. After all, you should always practice discernment with who or what is associated with your brand or organization.

The creator economy is how influencers and creatives earn income by creating content that is unique to them and taps into their niche audience. However, it’s also an excellent avenue for brands to generate awareness and remain relevant in an ever-changing media landscape. Now that you know about this growing economy, you can find new and innovative ways to incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

Remember a few years ago when Instagram launched a Snapchat-like feature to its app? More recently, the brand announced that it will shift to a video-first approach, presumably to compete against short-form video platform TikTok.

Well, today, Instagram is reportedly testing a feature that’s eerily close to the trending platform BeReal. In this article, we’ll talk about what this could mean for marketers.

Is Instagram Becoming a BeReal Copycat?

Before we get into Instagram, here’s a quick refresher on BeReal.

This social media app has been around for a few years but it only took off this year. The app has been labeled the anti-Instagram – encouraging users to strip away the filters and the glitz, and be more authentic.

Here’s how it works: The app uses a dual camera feature – front and back cameras – and at a random time throughout the day, users will be prompted to take a photo in their current environment within two minutes. They can’t upload a picture, it has to be taken from the camera.

Then, once you’ve shared, you’re able to see your friends’ posts who were prompted at the same time.

BeReal’s ad reads “No filters. No likes. No followers. No bullsh*t. No ads. Just your friends, for real.”

The shade toward Instagram isn’t exactly subtle but it does reflect a critique many users have made, including influencers like Kylie Jenner.

There’s even a change.org petition with over 300,000 signatures titled “Make Instagram Instagram Again.”

Instagram has seemingly responded by testing a BeReal-like feature – among other ones. In July, the platform introduced “Dual,” which allows users to post content using both the front and back cameras.

in an apparent attempt to copy the popular app BeReal, Instagram is rolling out its own feature (called ‘Dual’) to take disappearing photos using the front and back cameras simultaneously

left is IG stories, right is BeReal pic.twitter.com/TuOeR3N0PE

— paris martineau (@parismartineau)
July 28, 2022

At this point, the only similarity was the camera aspect.

However, a few weeks later, developer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered that Instagram was testing “Candid Challenges,” a feature using Dual that would also have a timed component prompting users to share on their Story. Sound familiar?

Instagram confirmed this in a brief statement, saying that it’s an internal prototype with no external testing currently.

#Instagram is working on IG Candid Challenges, a feature inspired by @BeReal_App 👀

ℹ️ Add other’s IG Candid to your story tray. And everyday at a different time, get a notification to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/caTCgUPtEV

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a)
August 22, 2022

Should marketers care about Instagram taking on BeReal?

The short answer is it’s still too early to tell.

The first reason is that it’s still not clear whether BeReal is a suitable platform for brands. As it stands, BeReal doesn’t have many (if any) brand-friendly tools.

With Instagram potentially adopting BeReal features, this could give the app the freshness and authenticity it’s been missing lately.

This is good news for brands, as they could continue building on Instagram without having to adjust to and grow on a new platform.

One TechCrunch article suggests that BeReal is still very much in its infancy phase, struggling with glitches that impact the user experience.

While BeReal could threaten Instagram’s dominance, it’s not quite there yet.

For now, it’s worth keeping an eye on both platforms to see how their features evolve and user sentiment along with them.

TikTok has over 1 billion active users a month, making it one of the most popular social media platforms to date. With so many users, there are plenty of opportunities for brands to create viral content that captures the attention of their target audiences. But a billion monthly users also leads to stiff competition, so it’s important to use hashtags to bolster your content and help it stand out.

If you’re worried about finding the right hashtag for your content, don’t worry! I’ve put together a list of 100 of the best hashtags for TikTok videos. No matter the kind of content you’re creating, these will help guide you in the right direction.

What are the best hashtags for TikTok?

The Best Hashtags for TikTok to Go Viral

Hashtags for Funny Content

Hashtags for Relationship Content

Hashtags for Family Content

Hashtags for Entertainment Content

Hashtags for Pet Content

Hashtags for Food Content

Hashtags for Motivational Content

Hashtags for Beauty Content

Hashtags for Health and Wellness Content

What are the best hashtags for TikTok?

The best hashtags for your soon-to-be viral TikTok video depend largely on the kind of content you’re uploading. However, there are some general hashtags that generate millions (even billions) of views and are vague enough to work with almost any kind of video. The hashtags are:

#viral

#fyp (short for For You Page)

#tiktok

#viraltiktok

#trending

#trendchallenge

#trend

#follow

#viralsound

#repost

Pro Tip: General hashtags like the ones above are great for most videos and topics, but you should also use more specific hashtags that correspond with the content you’re putting out.

The Best Hashtags for TikTok to Go Viral

To find the best hashtags to make your video go viral, check out content from other TikTok creators in your niche to see what they’re using. You can also search keywords and hashtags in the app’s search bar to find hashtags with the most views.

To make finding the right hashtag easier, here are hashtags that gain up to billions of views. Even better — they’re divided by category

Hashtags for Funny Content

#standup (meaning standup comedy)

#standupcomedy

#meme

#memes

#fun

#comedy

#lol

#humor

#funny

#satire

Pro Tip: Use your name as a hashtag and use other hashtags that correspond with the topic of your comedy. For example, the comedy page @donttellcomedy posted a clip of standup comedian Amy Silverberg sharing a story about teaching poetry to her students. Her name is included in the hashtags as #amysilverberg, and other hashtags include #poetry, #englishteacher, and #education.

Using your name as a hashtag, regardless of the content you post, can make it easier for people to find your work on TikTok.

Hashtags for Relationship Content

#relationships

#relationshipgoals

#relationshiptiktok

#dating

#datingtips

#friendshipgoal

#friendship

#couple

#couplesgoals

#couplesoftiktok

Pro Tip: If you and your loved ones go to an event or famous place, include that in your hashtags. For example, the video below says a trip to the zoo is an excellent idea for a first date, and it includes #zoo among other hashtags like #relationship and #date.

Hashtags for Family Content

#family

#familygoals

#familyfun

#familyfitness

#familydinner

#parenting

#parentinghumor

#parentingtips

#parentinghacks

#gentleparenting

Pro Tip: Many famous families on TikTok will create hashtags with their last names. For instance, @nnatalieaguilar is a popular TikTok content creator with 5 million followers on the app. She regularly posts videos about her family and always includes #theaguilars in all of her family-related posts.

Hashtags for Entertainment Content

#entertainment

#popculture

#popculturenews

#music

#comics

#booktok

#books

#film

#filmtok

#anime

Pro Tip: Entertainment is a broad niche ranging from books to films to music to comics to anime. The above hashtags are great starters that get up to billions of views, but to hit your target audience you should research other hashtags that are more specific to your niche. For example, many comic book-related content creators on the app use hashtags like #dccomics or #marvel to reach comic book fans.

Hashtags for Pet Content

#pet

#PetsOfTikTok

#pets

#petchallenge

#CatsofTikTok

#DogsofTikTok

#furbabies

#catmom

#dogmom

#animals

Pro Tip: If you have an unconventional pet, like a chinchilla, for example, look for other quirky pet owners on TikTok and see what hashtags they are using. Those hashtags may not be as popular as #PetsofTikTok, but they will help you find your niche on the app and connect with viewers looking for your kind of video.

For example, #chinchillasoftiktok doesn’t get as many views as other pet hashtags. However, it still has over 51.4 million views on the app and is widely used by chinchilla owners and enthusiasts.

Hashtags for Food Content

#Food

#FoodTok

#foodchallenge

#foodlovers

#FoodHacks

#Foodie

#Foodies

#tiktokfoodie

#foodietiktok

#yum

Pro Tip: Be sure to tag any restaurants or brands behind the food you’re showing in your content. This can encourage the restaurant or brand to repost your TikTok, leading to more views. If you’re cooking a particular dish, make that into a hashtag as well. For example, if you’re making sushi, include #sushi in your post.

Hashtags for Motivational Content

#Motivation

#motivationalquotes

#motivational

#motivationalvideo

#motivationalspeech

#motivationalclip

#mondaymotivation

#MotivationMonday

#motivationmusic

#motivationalbooks

Pro Tip: If you’re sharing a clip of someone else’s motivational video, speech, or content, make sure to tag that person. It’s good manners (you should always give people proper credit), and that person will be more likely to share or bring attention to the video.

Hashtags for Beauty Content

#beauty

#BeautyTutorial

#BeautyHacks

#BeautyRoutine

#BeautyTips

#Makeup

#MakeupTutorial

#MakeupHacks

#MakeupRoutine

#SkinCare

Pro Tip: Tag the brands you’re using in your beauty content and include them in hashtags as well.

Hashtags for Health and Wellness Content

#health

#Healthy

#HealthyLiving

#healthtips

#healthfood

#healthandwellness

#FitnessMotivation

#Fitness

#MentalHealth

#MentalHealthMatters

Pro Tip: Create a health or fitness challenge and a hashtag to promote it. For example, if your challenge is to do 50 squats a day, a good hashtag could be #50SquatsaDayChallenge.

It seems like there’s a new viral TikTok video popping up almost every day, so there’s no reason your video can’t be the next one. Now that you know the best hashtags to use and how to find the right ones for your video, you’re one step closer to going viral on TikTok.

When I first noticed YouTube hashtags being featured in videos, I thought they looked silly. At the time, I thought hashtags were only useful for platforms like Twitter or Instagram. It wasn’t until I clicked on a hashtag under an anime clip I was watching that I realized how useful the tags were.

Clicking on the hashtag helped me easily find other anime-related videos and content creators. And when I started my own channel, hashtags helped users find and engage with my own videos.

YouTube hashtags are a simple but effective way to bring more attention to your videos and boost your channel’s viewership. Here’s everything marketers need to know about YouTube hashtags.

What are YouTube hashtags?

How to Add Hashtags to a YouTube Video

Best YouTube Hashtags for Your Video

Popular YouTube Hashtags

Hashtags for Gaming Videos

Hashtags for Food Videos

Hashtags for Beauty and Fashion Videos

Hashtags for Entertainment Videos

Hashtags for Educational Videos

Top YouTube Hashtags

What are YouTube hashtags?

YouTube hashtags are keywords preceded by the # symbol. The hashtags are clickable and allow users to easily find related videos sharing the same hashtag. Using a hashtag also allows YouTube creators to categorize their videos with other content that includes the hashtag. Hashtags can also be used to conduct a search in the YouTube search bar.

Ultimately, hashtags make videos more discoverable — benefiting both users and content creators.

In the example below, Today includes #Emmys #Fashion and #RedCarpet for its video “Fashion Hits and Misses From the 2022 Emmy Awards.”

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If you click on #Emmys, you’ll be taken to a page featuring other YouTube videos using the same hashtag.

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Now you can easily find and click through other videos covering the award show.

How to Add Hashtags to a YouTube Video

Hashtags can be added to a YouTube video’s title or description. Just type the # symbol into the title or description then begin to add the topic or keyword you want to be associated with your video. YouTube will then suggest popular hashtags based on what you typed in. From there, choose a recommended hashtag to promote your video with others using the same hashtag, or create one of your own that fits your content.

The hashtags you used will then link to a results page featuring other videos sharing the hashtag.

Best YouTube Hashtags for Your Video

The best YouTube hashtags for your video will depend on its content. For example, if your video features a celebrity, influencer, or public figure, you can use their name as a hashtag. If your video is part of an ongoing series or playlist on your channel, you can include the title of the series or playlist as a hashtag as well.

In the example below, First We Feast uses the hashtags #Hotones, #Lizzo, and #SeanEvans. Hot Ones is the name of the series on the channel, Lizzo is the celebrity being interviewed, and Sean Evans is the host.

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In this example, using #Hotones in the video is great for the channel because clicking on it takes the viewer to a page showing other videos in the web series.

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Hashtags that align with your niche are also best for your videos. For example, if you’re a fashion YouTuber then hashtags like #fashion, #outfitideas, or #styleinspo will be most helpful for your videos. If your videos are funny then hashtags like #comedy, #lol, or #comedyskit are solid choices.

To find the best hashtags for your video, look up videos of other creators in your niche to see what tags they are using. Or search words in the YouTube search bar to see what other popular words and phrases come up. TubeBuddy is also a great tool for YouTube content creators and has a feature that allows creators to find keywords and phrases that can be turned into hashtags.

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Make sure you don’t use too many hashtags in your videos. According to Google, the more hashtags you use, the less relevant your video becomes. Try to stick to no more than three hashtags per video. If your video contains more than 60 hashtags, YouTube will ignore every single hashtag, and your video may be removed from your uploads or search results.

Your video may also be removed if you’re using irrelevant or misleading hashtags. So, remember — not all trending hashtags will guarantee success for your video. If you see a hashtag trending on YouTube, but it’s not relevant to your video — just leave it alone.

Popular YouTube Hashtags

Here are some popular hashtags for different kinds of YouTube content.

Hashtags for Gaming Videos

#gamers

#games

#live

#gaming

#gameplay

#youtubegamer

#gamereview

#gamer

#livestream

#gamecommentary

Hashtags for Food Videos

#food

#foodie

#cook

#tastyrecipes

#tasty

#healthyfood

#healthydinner

#yummy

#recipes

#homemadecooking

Hashtags for Beauty and Fashion Videos

#beautyhacks

#skincare

#fashion

#grwm (get ready with me)

#fashiontrends

#makeup

#modeling

#ootd (outfit of the day)

#makeuptutorial

#makeuphacks

Hashtags for Entertainment Videos

#funny

#comedy

#lol

#shorts (for YouTube Shorts)

#live

#skit

#music

#comics

#film

Hashtags for Educational Videos

#teaching

#learning

#education

#funfacts

#science

#technology

#literature

#theory

#school

#videoessay

Top YouTube Hashtags

These are some of the top YouTube hashtags that can be applied to most kinds of videos.

#youtube

#youtubers

#viral

#subscribe

#video

#youtubemusic

#youtubechannel

#youtubevideos

#youtubeshorts

#youtubecreator

Using YouTube hashtags will help your videos find the right audience — leading to growth for your channel. Just remember to always use relevant hashtags and not over-tag your content. If you remember these rules, you’ll be able to use YouTube hashtags to your advantage.

What do HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Wistia have in common? They’re all B2B companies with high-traffic, lead-generating media engines that support their products.

Wondering why so many companies are entering the editorial space? Industry experts cover that and more below.

1. The B2B marketing industry is shifting.

Marketing SVP at HubSpot Kieran Flanagan says the B2B marketing industry has gone through four major phases in the last decade.

What started as a focus on decision-makers has now evolved into a community-led approach that leverages media and publishing.

Many brands follow a product-led growth approach, in which the product itself attracts consumers and drives retention.

Any Atluru, former head of community at Clubhouse, says that this works great for utility-based products that have already been validated socially or don’t require a network of users to thrive. Think Slack and Calendly.

She highlights that a community-led model may be more conducive to brands whose products aren’t particularly unique and gain value through community. Think Peloton and Figma.

In this case, entering the editorial space will be a key part of your success.

Media & Community-Led

The next stage is B2B companies become a destination for their audience. Media (text, video, and audio) & developing an ongoing relationship through a community.

It will be a hard moat to disrupt.

— Kieran Flanagan 🤘 (@searchbrat)
March 24, 2021

2. The ad space is oversaturated.

On an episode of Marketing Against the Grain, CEO and co-founder of Notus, Yuliya Bel argues that ads no longer have the impact they used to.

“Like anything in marketing, there comes a point where it becomes saturated. Where people start to be like ‘Ok, we’ve seen this before, it’s no longer authentic or really speaking to us,’” she said.

She references an eBay study that revealed that brand search ad effectiveness was overestimated by over 4,000%.

With the incredibly high costs of running ads and rampant competition, this begs the question: Is the focus on ads for customer acquisition and engagement the best play?

She argues that investing in producing high-quality content and distribution tactics is the only way to ensure longevity in the online space.

Think about it this way: You could invest $100K into an advertising campaign but once it ends, so does your lead generation. Instead, you could invest that money into building a content team that will produce evergreen content that will bring in leads long after they’re published.

3. You meet your audience where they’re at.

Every brand wants to attract its audience organically.

While social media is the most popular way to achieve this – and the strategy that offers the quickest response – building a media engine is by far the most reliable and most sustainable.

Why? The first is that it removes the reliance on third-party applications to reach your audience. If you’re solely relying on TikTok and Facebook, what happens if they are down for a few days? Or consumers lose interest and transition to a new app?

You’ll constantly be adjusting your strategy based on the platform and trying to hit a moving target.

When you build your own engine, your audience comes to you.

But, you can compete as a publisher.

You can create things that help educate and inform your audience.

Sure, not all of them will buy your product or service, but all of them will remember that you helped them in some way.

That matters!

— Kieran Flanagan 🤘 (@searchbrat)
February 4, 2021

The second reason is that you’re able to attract several personas using varying mediums.

For instance, those who listen to your podcast may have different needs and challenges from those who read your blog posts.

When you’re in the editorial space, you can tailor your content to each user type and where they are in the buyer’s journey. Whereas on social media, you’re throwing out content and hoping that it reaches the audience that will resonate with it the most.

The issue is that the editorial space is a long-term play whereas social media is a quicker turnaround. When building a media arm, you won’t see results overnight – it can take months to years to see the impact of your work so for many businesses, the wait can seem like a waste of time.

However, in the long run, attracting your audience organically through thoughtful content will be the most cost-effective and sustainable method for audience growth.

4. You establish yourself as an industry thought leader.

One of the best ways to stand out in the B2B space is to become a thought leader, a brand others go to for guidance on trends, innovative strategies, and more.

HubSpot CMO Kipp Bodnar way to differentiate yourself from the competition.

“There are a lot of technology industries where the pace of being able to innovate and create technologies is actually very fast,” he said on the Marketing Against the Grain podcast, “so, you need content and storytelling to differentiate.”

For HubSpot, media has been integral to our success – with our blog being a common first point of contact for many of our leads. Now, we’ve expanded to podcasts, videos, and newsletters.

Flanagan believes it’s crucial when growing your B2B brand.

“The most underrated skill in B2B tech in the future is editorial taste,” he says.

This refers to the ability to know what will resonate with your audience and how to execute it.

Once you’ve gained your audience’s attention and added value to their lives, they will trust the products you recommend to them – even if it’s your own. That’s reason enough for any company to enter the editorial space.