how creators are thriving digitally
TRANSCRIPT
How creators are
thriving digitally
Leah Wells
With the rising usage of technology and overall
increase in media consumption and availability of
digital content, artists and other content creators
are given a new way to share their work.
The new digital platform allows artists,
filmmakers, animators, writers and more
to find new ways to get seen and profit
by posting work online.
A new site that is widely used is Patreon, which allows
fans to register to automatically donate a set amount
of money every month to the creators they follow.
Patreon is extremely accessible and allows
consumers to get exclusive content from their
favorite artists.
The patreon model makes it near
effortless for consumers to give
money to their favorite artists.
With how easy Patreon
makes it for consumers to
give money, popular digital
artists can earn a real living
with this platform.
Pictured are Patreon pages of the
artists Sakimi Chan and Kuvshinov
Ilya who earn $28,000 a month
and $3,100 a week, respectively.
The ease of donating is key for success –
consumers only have to put thought into
donating once, then they automatically
support the content they love for months.
It was found in 2014 that people
are spending 21% more of their
time consuming media, but it
was noted that much of that time
is allotted while multitasking.
This sort of media consumption is
perfect for artists that publish their
works to certain social media sites
such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
These sites allow users to simply scroll
for their content, making them
common sites to use while multitasking.
With the rise of sites that make it easy
to post, view and share media, such as
Tumblr (which reported 227 million
registered accounts in 2016) it is much
easier for digital artists to get noticed.
Content creators can thrive off of
“earned media”- getting free
publicity by simply having their
work shared on social media.
Despite many creators having the majority
of their work available online for free, there
are still ways for them to make money.
One way is for
the content
creator is to
simply monetize
their website.
Hosting advertisements is
an easy way for creators to
make revenue by simply
having consumers view
their web page.
Another way of monetizing an
artist’s intellectual property is
often done with merchandise.
Buttons, pins, toys, shirts,
accessories and prints are
commonly sold to supporters.
A survey conducted in 2008 discovered
that the majority of millennials still prefer
print to digital. Such consumers are
willing to pay money for otherwise free
content to get it in the form they prefer.
Writers and webcomic
creators often choose to publish their works in
print as well.
Creators may also lock their content behind a
paywall.
Content creators may sometimes opt to give access to exclusive content that is only
available to paying consumers, while also having a free sampling of the content for
all users. Fans who want more will feel pressured to pay for this bonus content.
Many digital artists will offer
commissions, or create custom
work in exchange for money.
Having custom content from
favorite creators is an extremely
desirable luxury to more affluent consumers.
Youtube is a platform that has become lucrative for
filmmakers and comedians.
Creators may earn 68% of ad revenue on their
videos, so for larger channels this can translate to
revenue from $2,000 to $100,000 monthly.
The most popular content creator, known online as
“PewDiePie,” has earned $124 million since 2010.
Popular content
creators may also
gain attention of
corporations, and
gain sponsorships
in exchange for
advertising their
products.
Crowdfunding is a commonly used tool for larger
projects, like games and developing products.
With sites like Gofundme, Kickstarter and Indiegogo,
large amounts of people each pledge small amounts of money towards projects that they are interested in.
If consumers care about
your cause or project,
they will donate, and it is
possible to fund large
projects using online
crowdfunding.
The crowdfunding industry is worth
$34 BILLION.
Using crowdfunding sites, content creators can
amass large amounts of money for projects
that are not yet tangible to consumers.
Supporters use their money this way to dictate
what content they will see in the future.
And so, with so much more time spent
consuming media and so much more
media consumed, the ability to monetize
many forms of digital content is extremely
valuable for artists who wish to make a
living by creating.
Image sources
Cover image designed by webdesignhot - Freepik.comSlide 2 Designed by Creativeart - Freepik.comSlide 3 Designed by Molostock - Freepik.comSlide 4 Designed by FreepikSlide 5 Designed by Creativeart - Freepik.comSlide 7 Designed by Yanalya - Freepik.comSlide 8 Designed by Yanalya - Freepik.comSlide 10 Designed by D3images - Freepik.comSlide 19 Designed by Dooder - Freepik.comSlide 11 Designed by Pressfoto - Freepik.comSlide 12 Designed by Bedneyimages - Freepik.comSlide 15 Designed by Jcomp - Freepik.comSlide 21 Designed by FreepikSlide 17 Designed by FreepikSlide 23 Designed by Photoduet - Freepik.com
Screenshots taken from :
patreon.com (slide 6)twogag.com (slide 13)topatoco.com (slide 14)kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com (slide 22)
CitationsExternal Sources
Andrew, Amy. "How Start-ups Can Tap Cash from Ordinary People and Give the Prospect of Huge Profits in Return... What Is Crowdfunding and How Does It Work?" Thisismoney.co.uk. Dailymail, 3 Feb. 2015. Web.
Data T. "Tumblr."Www.statista.com. Statista, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
"Crowdfunding Industry Statistics 2015 2016." CrowdExpertcom. Crowdexpert.com, 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Hill, Alun. "How Much Does YouTube Pay Partners for Their Content?" Quora. N.p., n.d. Web.
Balanescu, Razvan. "How much does a YouTuber with 1 million subscribers earn in a year?” Quora. N.p., n.d. Web.
Dong, Michelle. "PewDiePie Net Worth 2016: How Much Is PewDiePie Worth?" PewDiePie Net Worth 2016: How Much Is PewDiePie Worth?Coed, 09 May 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Course Readings
Bennett, Shea. "Paid, Owned and Earned Media: What’s the Difference? [INFOGRAPHIC]." SocialTimes. Adweek, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Krashinsky, Susan. "Four Ways Canadians Are Consuming Media Differently."The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 04 Dec. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Jabr, Ferris. "The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens." Scientific American. N.p., 09 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.