Where are the multi-platform creators?
Jellysmack’s Alex Vans-Colina argues that gauging the success of an influencer just from TikTok ignores the huge multi-platform audiences on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and the like.
The release of The Oz’s “The Influence Index” left a few (read: many) of Australia’s creator economy professionals scratching their heads. Where were the YouTubers, the Facebookers, the gamers, and the creators that reach millions of Gen Z’s and younger in the first few hours after they publish?
Puzzlingly, a key criteria that wasn’t assessed is ubiquity. Many of the creators listed on the Index have millions of followers on their primary platform – with a focus seemingly on TikTok – but how many of them have cross-platform reach?
Assessing “influence” of a creator based solely on a platform like TikTok, where the majority of a user’s time is spent on the ‘For You’ feed, not on their ‘Following’ feed means that a TikTok-only creator’s reach, which can still be millions per post, is seldom reaching their actual followers with each new video.
An interesting thing is a lot of the influencers are the revenue generated on TikTok is extremely low from a paid per 1000 views pov (excluding sponsorships or brand deals), but the reach and influence is massive. Its the next generation of disposable income-ers… just they’re super young at this stage… brands should see it as = pester power money. Influencers see it as a long term fame grind.