Oh my wow this piece is incredible and will be used as a resource years from now when they try to dissect what happened in the information environment during the 2020-2028 election cycles. I love that you are very honest about how important it is to take advantage of this NOW, shared and subscribed!
I understand that you're simply explaining the environment in which we're operating, an environment we all observe daily, but there's a larger, inherently linked, and I think equally or more important discussion omitted here. Namely, campaign finance reform (that, IMO, should go beyond overturning Citizens United) & FEC imposition of requirements around disclosures of political ads/incentives **and regulatory enforcement** (a critical piece missing from, for example, the FTC regulations, which influencers (including many "political" influencers) violate in post/story after story by sharing undisclosed affiliate links, PR, and/or ads--I'd love to see you model compliance in your own posts).
Are those measures you support, and how do you envision they would impact the "creator economy"?
I don't think the current environment is ultimately beneficial to democracy, and just throwing more money at influencers on the left should not, in my opinion, be the ultimate solution we champion.
Really well written, Emily! Thank you for this piece. Seeing the $$ disparities between parties, I am curious how the Dems reverse course to start paying influencers more? If it takes money to make money, how do we turn the ship around?
Emily, I really hope people with decision making power are listening to you. One thing that I'm finding concerning right now is that every time I open Instagram, so much I see from political creators is basically attack ads against Democrats. I know it's primary season but this is a turn off, especially to anyone dipping their toes in now. We've talked before about how difficult it is to make the messaging more natural and open on the left, and less geared specifically to the progressive base. I have convos with people at work who don't even know who our governor is, so it's hard to recommend to them to follow some political creators (besides you and a few key others) because they need like a transitional influencer to follow before diving in. Man. A lot for a Thursday AM. Thanks for always getting the important conversations started.
We have a problem which is the way to make money as a liberal creator is to create content for an audience that really wants it! The progressive activist base. If you give those people what they want, they will pay $$$ (a lot of $$). Otherwise, it's very hard to make a living as a political creator (you end up like me, piecing together affiliate money with consulting and writing). This is not content I personally want to consume and it's not very appealing to non-activist audiences! It's a problem.
Yes, that is exactly what I was circling around and couldn't put my finger on -- who wants this particular content and will pay for it 😂 well hopefully articles like this help increase awareness and get things going, infrastructure wise.
LOL - there is a deep irony in my writing this navel-gazing inside baseball article while also trying hard to create the type of content that appeals to not activist base people. But I've always thought my audience supports me going out and doing this evangelism work even if it's not what they pay me for (since no one else will pay! lol).
Funny, I didn't read this as inside baseball per se, to me this is a very clear to anyone telling of the existing system we have. Lots of times your IG stories are definitely inside baseball and I have no idea what you are talking about and I am at least kind of involved, lol! I feel like this article should be read by all Democrats at every level so they really understand what is going on here.
Yes, it is deeply appreciated! My coworker who didn't know our governor signals to me deep potential for the not paying attention folks who just need a hook that meets them where they are... someone with big bucks needs to pony up.
Oh my wow this piece is incredible and will be used as a resource years from now when they try to dissect what happened in the information environment during the 2020-2028 election cycles. I love that you are very honest about how important it is to take advantage of this NOW, shared and subscribed!
I understand that you're simply explaining the environment in which we're operating, an environment we all observe daily, but there's a larger, inherently linked, and I think equally or more important discussion omitted here. Namely, campaign finance reform (that, IMO, should go beyond overturning Citizens United) & FEC imposition of requirements around disclosures of political ads/incentives **and regulatory enforcement** (a critical piece missing from, for example, the FTC regulations, which influencers (including many "political" influencers) violate in post/story after story by sharing undisclosed affiliate links, PR, and/or ads--I'd love to see you model compliance in your own posts).
Are those measures you support, and how do you envision they would impact the "creator economy"?
I don't think the current environment is ultimately beneficial to democracy, and just throwing more money at influencers on the left should not, in my opinion, be the ultimate solution we champion.
This was a really excellent analysis. Great (albeit disconcerting) read.
Really well written, Emily! Thank you for this piece. Seeing the $$ disparities between parties, I am curious how the Dems reverse course to start paying influencers more? If it takes money to make money, how do we turn the ship around?
Dems have money - they can shift how they spend it.
What do they spend it on instead? Something archaic I imagine.
TV ads mostly
Sounds about right 🤦🏼♀️
Wow, this is so powerful! Also hope people more in-the-workings than I are reading this.
Emily, I really hope people with decision making power are listening to you. One thing that I'm finding concerning right now is that every time I open Instagram, so much I see from political creators is basically attack ads against Democrats. I know it's primary season but this is a turn off, especially to anyone dipping their toes in now. We've talked before about how difficult it is to make the messaging more natural and open on the left, and less geared specifically to the progressive base. I have convos with people at work who don't even know who our governor is, so it's hard to recommend to them to follow some political creators (besides you and a few key others) because they need like a transitional influencer to follow before diving in. Man. A lot for a Thursday AM. Thanks for always getting the important conversations started.
We have a problem which is the way to make money as a liberal creator is to create content for an audience that really wants it! The progressive activist base. If you give those people what they want, they will pay $$$ (a lot of $$). Otherwise, it's very hard to make a living as a political creator (you end up like me, piecing together affiliate money with consulting and writing). This is not content I personally want to consume and it's not very appealing to non-activist audiences! It's a problem.
Yes, that is exactly what I was circling around and couldn't put my finger on -- who wants this particular content and will pay for it 😂 well hopefully articles like this help increase awareness and get things going, infrastructure wise.
LOL - there is a deep irony in my writing this navel-gazing inside baseball article while also trying hard to create the type of content that appeals to not activist base people. But I've always thought my audience supports me going out and doing this evangelism work even if it's not what they pay me for (since no one else will pay! lol).
Funny, I didn't read this as inside baseball per se, to me this is a very clear to anyone telling of the existing system we have. Lots of times your IG stories are definitely inside baseball and I have no idea what you are talking about and I am at least kind of involved, lol! I feel like this article should be read by all Democrats at every level so they really understand what is going on here.
Yes, it is deeply appreciated! My coworker who didn't know our governor signals to me deep potential for the not paying attention folks who just need a hook that meets them where they are... someone with big bucks needs to pony up.
Emily this piece is INCREDIBLE. 🔥🔥🔥🔥