The New Wave: Connection, Community + Commerce as Creators

We have seen a shift over the last 18 months, and if you've been tuned into social media, you've likely come across this shift on any of the numerous platforms. The shift I am talking about is the emergence and emphasis on creators, not simply as influencers who are poised to work with brands on the ready, but as leaders of their own engaged communities who happen to partner with brands.

This distinction is an important one to make as brands move away from influencer-focused agencies and partners toward creator-focused partnerships where agencies just happen to play a part. The shift was always going to happen, we've known about the potential since at least 2018 when it was predicted the rise of the gig economy in the service industry; the pandemic accelerated the trend to what we are seeing now. Think 2013 streaming music versus where it is now or digital ads versus traditional - we are on the precipice of another big moment in the journey to access.

Connection is now.

If social media helped us to expand our reach and influence, then the pandemic made us seek out community more than ever, and when it passes, the need for connection will remain. Not connection simply for the sake of it, but connection built on an engaged community, and thriving because of the community's ability to galvanize behind a shared mission.

This is the future of all things.

Here are my predictions for where the acceleration of the creator economy is taking us and how we can utilize these trends to make better-informed decisions as creators.

Prediction #1: Old School Connections in New Ways

The next few years will see a return to 1:1 interactions between creators and their audiences engaging directly within their communities via discord servers, messaging apps, and anything where each party owns and controls access to their data. We'll get back to interacting via blogs, newsletters (like this one), and spinning up new ways to connect via analog versus being always on.

Creators will continue to be at the forefront of this change as brands look to them to remain engaged with the world. We'll see fewer real-world collaborations with brands seeking out logo placements and merchandise and a lot more digital activations in the metaverse.

Prediction #2: The Metaverse is here to stay

NFTs, web3, cryptocurrency, decentralization, ownership, and digital transformations will continue to be at the forefront of the universe of things related to community building, creator expansion, and wealth generation. NFTs will hit a bit of a rough patch as the ecosystem expands and new entrants emerge. Brands will continue to seek out opportunities to interact with consumers in these new spaces but would be better served developing authentic partnerships with the creators at the center of the communities, then introducing their product to the audience versus treating each member as a potential consumer.

Prediction #3: A Return to Localization

If the pandemic taught us anything, it was the importance of knowing what's going on in your neighborhood and feeling protected in your local spaces. I see the emergence of tech designed specifically with local communities in mind - think NextDoor, but for your local art scene, elections, dating, and platonic connections in a way that Facebook groups have never been able to serve. These apps will be spun up in local communities as a way to connect, then expand based on the needs they meet.

Prediction #4: The Rise of the Community Builder

In the same way that a social media strategist is a MUST HAVE in today's business, the community builder role will expand to meet the needs of creators, brands, and communities. People who are able to engage others, listen actively, then transform those insights into actionable plans will become the next iteration of the strategist.

Prediction #5: Audio will rule the world

This is probably not a very popular opinion, but I predict audio will overrun video as audiences seek out direct communication. My experience as a beta-tester for VoiceBlasts, an audio-only app where you can blast updates to your followers at the push of a button, confirmed how easy it is to put together a multithreaded discussion in quick 30-second bites versus jumping on Instagram to distill the same information via video.

All it takes is another look at the investments into Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces to be sold on the bets others are making on the audio sector. But, also, look at the adoption rates.

These are just a few predictions I have about what the next 5 years will look like - let me know your thoughts on these and whether you agree or want to offer up something I might've overlooked.

Trends are one thing, investments are another, but engagement, in the end, is the only thing that truly matters. Follow the voice of the people - they will lead you where you need to go, and when that fails: go with your gut.

Love + Light,

LT

UPDATES:

• ​Visionary Rising's 6-series partnership with Wethos kicks off tonight! #InSession: A Series for Creators, hosted by Rachel Renock (Wethos) and Me, will explore what it has taken to scale using the Wethos platform. Register here before seats fill up.

• A NEW episode of the Creatives on the Rise podcast aired this week featuring my mentor and FounderGym CEO, Mandela SH Dixon. Listen Now. This is a MUST-LISTEN for every creator, founder, entrepreneur searching for a little motivation to level up.

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

​​​​​1. Book a call to work with me directly to scale your creator-led business or high-growth startup to $150K and beyond.2. Subscribe to my podcast to Grow + Expand Your Mindset alongside 10,000 other creators3. Promote yourself to 15k+ subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter and podcast (Booking into May 2023)

​​​​​Love + Light,

​​​​​LaTecia

​​​Want more? Follow @lateciarising and let me know how I can help you scale as a creator. Want to support this newsletter and get featured? Drop me a line & I’ll be happy to collaborate.