Good afternoon and Happy New Year from the Clout101 family! With 2024 off to the races, we want to use this week’s issue to talk strategy and help you refine your game plan for Q1.

• What’s the current state of the Creator Economy?

• What themes can you expect in 2024?

• What are the most widely reported Creator Marketing predictions that you can use to get off to a good start?

In our Deep Dive below, we address each of these questions, and then some! We also provide important EOY reports, give you a rundown of the most relevant creator-focused news, and share over $100K in Creator Grants (mostly FREE entry, with urgent deadlines)!

You ready? Let’s dive in….

🗓 WEEKLY RUNDOWN
Table of Contents 

• 2024 Creator Marketing Predictions

• Creator News & Year-End Reports

• Over $100K in Creator Grants

• Our Top 5 Creator Jobs

• How to Support Clout101!

📊 MARKETING DEEP DIVE
2024 Marketing Predictions

Creator Economy — By The Numbers

Guiding Themes for 2024

1. Creator Marketing is becoming more credible with Brands

• Creator content is no longer being seen as a pure top of funnel play – where brands are only looking to cast a wide net and grab as much attention as possible.

• Campaigns that are creator-focused have been extremely efficient for brands – especially compared to other sources of marketing – so it’s increasingly becoming a key component of the entire marketing funnel (referenced below). 

2. Expect an Increase in Investment towards Creators

• Based on point #1, we saw a big investment in 2023, and are expecting more in 2024 than ever before. According to a report from IAB, nearly half (44%) of advertisers surveyed plan to increase their influencer marketing spend with content creators in 2024.

What does this mean for you? 

In simpler terms, you (and the communities you’re building) will be more prioritized in 2024. It’s important to make sure you’re prepared for the influx of new opportunities that may come your way. 

🔮 Top 5 Predictions

After reviewing reports, analysis, and prediction pieces from some of the most credible thought leaders and publications in marketing, here’s a consolidated view of the top 5 predictions for 2024.

#5. AI will continue its mass adoption

The Gist:

• Marketers will continue to increase investment in AI (tools and employee headcount) with the goal of more production (quicker content, more creative options, better efficiency) 

• With growing use of artificial intelligence in creative work, human touch and authenticity will be most important for cutting through the noise

The Rundown:

• It’s important to integrate AI into your daily toolbox in some capacity to multiply your output. Keep in mind that you’re competing with other creators and entrepreneurs that are adding AI into their resource stack for better efficiency (more on this here).

• Here’s a list of tried and tested AI tools to help you level up your game, via Nolan at Think Media (not sponsored). 

• Human touch will be more important than ever! As media gets published on platforms at record levels because of the scaling potential AI offers, authenticity and genuinity will be key to reach your communities and help you stand out. Think about ways to personalize your content more, and be consistent across the board.

#4. Social media & SEO will continue to merge

The Gist:

• Social media has slowly evolved to be as much of an SEO (search engine optimization) tool as a platform to connect with people and content around the world. In 2024, experts predict this trend continues. 

• Last year, several publications reported on TikTok becoming the #1 search engine for more than half of Gen Z. According to Search Engine Land, 51% of survey respondents chose TikTok over Google as their search engine of choice. TikTok, in addition to X, Instagram and YouTube, are seen as discovery tools to explore real-time reviews, trending products, topics, and services, among other things. 

• What can we attribute to this behavior? Ease and relatability.  Consumers appreciate video answers to their search questions (which is easier to consume than reading text), and also like the personalization that social media content provides for their pressing needs. 

• As reports continue to surface around social platforms investing in the future of search (for ex: TikTok x Google’s partnership around social content), the expectation is this will become more of a priority in the new year and beyond.

The Rundown:

• It’s not only important to meet your audience where they are, but to BEAT them where they’re going (s/o Earn Your Leisure). And according to the numbers, especially for younger, more engaged social audiences, this means making your content more discoverable on platforms where users are searching for the answers that your content solves. By doing this you’re playing the long-game and creating a steady flow of future engagement. 

• Here are a few ways to optimize your social for SEO (obviously dependent on your platform of choice):

  • Use Keywords & Hashtags With Intention – Add keywords in the text on your videos and within your captions; Be consistent with your hashtags

  • Alt-Text is your Friend – This boosts accessibility & reach

  • Social Media → Website – Repurpose social content on your personal blogs/sites to support indexing 

  • Website → Social Media – Direct social followers to your website from social posts (as much as possible). Try “visit ABC.com for more information” within your captions, or drive users to complete an action via the links in your bio. 

  • Optimize for Local Search –  If your content is location-specific, include location tags and geotags in your posts 

#3. Video marketing will remain dominant

The Gist:

• It’s no secret that video is the preferred method of content distribution and communication among many generations, underscoring the success of platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. According to research from IAB, 39% of consumers are watching more creator content than they were just a year ago. But marketers suggest there’s another level within the medium that will be heavily invested in / explored in 2024.

• Expect a surge in real-time live streaming (think Kai Cenat), shoppable videos (think TikTok Shop), and AR integrations (think Snap/IG filters).

The Rundown:

• With consumers watching more video than ever before, it’s important to make it a focal point of your social media strategy.

• In our first issue, we provided a breakdown of how to approach your video strategy (long-form vs. short form), but in summary: figure out what content strategy works for you (your posting style, capabilities and objectives) and your audience (their consumption habits), then work backwards to figure out what video medium accomplishes your goals. 

• Intentional experimentation with live streaming could also be impactful too as I expect platforms to continue to prioritize content creators that utilize their new features & tools consistently.

#2. Micro-Creators > Celebrity Endorsers

The Gist:

• With inflation on the rise, expect brands to pivot into more cost effective strategies to stretch their dollars. Celebrities offer more exposure for sure, but also come at a steeper cost.

• For this reason, many experts suggest that 2024 will be the year of the micro-creator (defined as content creators with communities under 100,000 followers) for brand deals and partnerships. 

• In addition to cost savings, brands will continue favor this group of creators due to:

  • Higher Engagement: Micro-creators historically offer brands higher engagement rates, which usually leads to better campaign results.

  • Better Trust: Social media audiences typically trust micro-creators more, which is increasingly important as AI continues to penetrate the industry, as mentioned in prediction #5.

  • Niche Communities: Brands value the niche, focused communities that micro-creators offer because of the higher likelihood of conversion (completing an action like purchasing a product / service from a brand). 

The Rundown:

• Value comes in all shapes and sizes. Wanting that explosive, viral growth as a creator is okay, but don't lose sight of where you are currently and what value your existing community could offer.

• In 2024, I would double down on understanding everything about your audience — demographic makeup, location, habits/behaviors, profile of your average user, spending insights, etc.

• By doing this, you’re preparing yourself to properly represent the value your “small” audience can drive in discussions/negotiations with brands.

• The best way to do this (in my opinion) is through surveying and polling your audience, which is best done in exchange for incentives (giveaways, free access to paid content, etc.). I personally use Google Forms and Typeform to create, share, and analyze my surveys (not sponsored).

#1. The Rise of Creators as Founders

The Gist: 

• From KSI (PRIME) to Emma Chamberlain (Chamberlain Coffee) to Jake Paul (Betr), we’ve seen creators pivot from transactional relationships, where they serve as advertising exposure for existing products and services, to founding companies of their own that serve their audiences directly.

• Experts expect this trend to continue in 2024 with creators of all levels launching media and service companies, advisory firms, and standalone technology/SaaS products.

• Creator-led companies often spend significantly less on marketing and have built-in, loyal audiences, making it easier to bring ideas to market (faster, cheaper, with greater efficiency).

• And for the creators that don’t have the means, resources, or passion to launch a company from scratch, there’s plenty of opportunity to partner with existing operators / brands and participate more in the financial upside.

The Rundown:

• As helpful as brand deals and grant programs are for creators, the next levels for monetization (in my opinion) are rooted in ownership of some sort. Ownership could look like a paid newsletter or community that you have direct control and creative freedom over…to a co-founding partnership where you provide marketing in exchange for equity.. to (the ultimate scenario) launching a company from the ground up.

• I encourage you all to explore the different business models of some of your faves to determine what may work best for you and your business.

• Also, check out our first issue where we highlight two creator-led businesses (featuring Kim Kardashian & MrBeast) and dive a little deeper into this topic!

 📰  QUICK HITTERS
Articles & Year-End Reports

• Two-Second Videos Are Coming to IG 

• IG launches customizable templates 

• YouTube, TikTok are leading for GenX 

• LimeWire launches an AI Music Studio

• NBA debuts its inaugural Creator Cup

• Creator Campuses are coming!

• TikTok’s ‘What’s Next” Report for 2024 

• Pinterest Predicts Trend Report for 2024

• LTK Creator Marketing Trends for 2024 

• Goldman Sachs’ Creator Report 

• Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report

💰️ CREATOR GRANTS
Top Creator Grants 

• College Podcast Challenge ($5K) — 1/5

• NYFA Medical Grants ($5K) — 1/12

• Ford Fund Fellowship (<$40K) — 1/15

• Pop Up Grocer Fund (Varies) — 1/15

• One More Hour by Hinge (<$25K) — 1/30

• Cadence Cash Thrive Grant ($5K) — 1/31

• Papaya Grant for Women ($10K) — 3/31

• Amber Grants for Women ($10K) — N/A

💼 CREATIVE CAREER CORNER
Top Creator Roles 

• Content Creator @ Honeywell 

• Influencer Marketing @ T. HILFIGER

• Influencer Manager @ BOSE 

• Lead Content Creator, TikTok @ Rivian

• Creator Partnerships @ Spread Group 

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