You: The new content creator

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Content. Content is everywhere and everything. Without it we would have no information, we would have no understanding and no ability to form an opinion. Marketing is based upon content, it relies on the story telling to create a perception in the consumers mind of a brand. So what is content marketing? If we break it down, its purpose is to market a product through words, visuals and information (Baltes, 2015). The individual behind this content marketing is the content creator. Content creator is the job role, content marketing is the end goal.

What brands do you buy? More importantly what made you buy them? The first thing I do before a purchase is to look up reviews or ‘try-on-hauls’ on YouTube or Instagram to see how it actually looks in real life rather than the brands pristine portrayal. The very nature of the internet has facilitated the ease of accessing reviews and opinions. But how has the digital economy changed who we gain this knowledge from? Who has become the content creator?

You, the ordinary person has now become the content creator. Traditionally this is a job carried out internally within the business, but has now been overtaken by the social media buzz that has changed how we communicate and behave (Audrezet et al, 2018). The digital economy has changed the role of the consumer from passive to active. The consumer can now take on the role of content creator, a by-product of the freelancer at home 'gig economy' (Wilson, 2017). The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check Instagram, Facebook, then reply to messages, in that exact order. It’s a digital routine that never ends. Anyone can create content but to make an impact on marketing this content must surround products, the very nature of our materialistic and marketed society. This is where social media influencers have sprung from. They take an interest, fashion or the gym or gaming and create content. You and me latch onto this content based on our own interests and so do many others. From content they gain a following that buy into who they are; really it’s as simples as that. It all begins with content. Anyone can be a content creator, but to become part of content marketing you must have a following behind you.

Gymshark as an up and coming business took notice of the rising social media influencer and their ability to influence brand perceptions. They began as ordinary people with an interest in fitness which is what is so appealing to the consumer. The popularity of these people online has transformed the ordinary person into a role model through a process coined as ‘celebrification’ (Couldry, 2004). What Gymshark has so cleverly created is an authentic celebrity endorsement which does not endorse the unattainable privileged. Their growing following can watch videos of ‘try-on-hauls’ or meet the influencers at pop up shops that further endorse Gymshark. Further, by creating such a network of social media influencers it makes the brand more appealing to you and me as it’s based on our ordinary role models.

Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vXqBrHh2Yk

Already, there is an innovative use of these social media influencers and how to use their content to market a business. Apparently these are the best leggings ever! Biased much? This positive content marketing is great if you have a solid collaboration. But what happens without the collaboration when an ordinary individual without an endorsement posts a negative reaction that goes viral. One video, if it is interesting enough, can easily go viral and get thousands of views. You no longer need to be classed as an influencer for your content to be noticed.

Retrieved from: https://www.tiktok.com/en

Retrieved from: https://www.tiktok.com/en

TikTok has become the newest social media trend. These two videos were created by my best friend Heléna, an unknown and unfollowed 21 year old student. The first video she posted gained 725.7k views based on the content alone. Heléna isn’t an influencer but her viral content sparked her next video to gain 107.7k. It's easy when you get the ball rolling. Now I’m not saying the content of her video was anything to do with any brand, but imagine if it was. The ease to go viral means that businesses no longer have control over the circulating content regarding their brand. They have no control over the creator. The digital economy has created a dangerous space of no restrictions.

Right now I’m creating content, Hannah from Birmingham has become a content creator! If one post gets enough attention it adds to content marketing. But in what way, is it good or bad for the brand? Who knows; definitely not the business. Damage control will be needed in this online world. The ease of becoming a content marketer through the digital economy ey.

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Reference list:

-Audrezet, A., De Kerviler, G., & Moulard, J. G. (2018). Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation. Journal of Business Research.

-Baltes, L. P. (2015). Content marketing-the fundamental tool of digital marketing. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Economic Sciences. Series V, 8(2), 111.

-Wilson, B. (2017, February 10) What is the 'gig' economy? BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38930048

-helenarosemitchell (2019, December 3) [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.tiktok.com/en

-helenarosemitchell (2019, December 7) [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.tiktok.com/en

-Krissy Cela (2018, October 22) GYMSHARK HAUL | Squat Proof, Sweat Proof and THE BEST LEGGINGS EVER [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vXqBrHh2Yk&t=3s