Key Takeaways:
- Social media users will soon outnumber TV viewers in the U.S. for the first time.
- Most creators struggle to make money despite having large audiences.
- A new company called Curastory is helping creators earn more by matching them with brands automatically.
- Creators can now add ads to their videos easily, just like TV ads.
- This tool helps both creators and brands save time and money.
What’s Happening in the Creator Economy?
You might have noticed that more people are watching videos on social media than on TV. This year, for the first time, monthly social media users will outnumber TV viewers in the U.S. But even though creators are gaining popularity, most of them aren’t making much money from their content.
Tiffany Kelly, the founder of Curastory, says there’s a big gap between how much money advertisers spend on creator ads and how much creators actually earn. While brands could spend up to $652 billion on creator ads, they’re only spending about $282 billion. This means about half of all creators can’t make a good living from their videos.
Tiffany explains, “For every two creators, one is making money, and the other isn’t.” This isn’t fair because creator-made content works better for brands than ads made by brands themselves. The problem is that there hasn’t been a good system to connect brands with the right creators.
How Does Curastory Help Creators?
Curastory is a tool that helps creators turn their videos into mini-media businesses. It’s like a modern version of TV ads but for social media. For the first time ever, brands can run ads in creator videos automatically, without having to hunt for individual creators.
Here’s how it works:
- Brands Run Ads: Brands tell Curastory what kind of audience they want to reach. For example, they might want to target young women in New York or teenagers who love video games.
- Curastory Matches Ads to Videos: Curastory listens to creator videos and matches them with the right ads. If a creator talks about beauty, they might get a makeup ad. If they talk about travel, they might get a hotel ad.
- Creators Add Ads: Creators can choose to add the ad to their video. They record the ad in their own voice, making it feel natural.
- Videos Go Live Fast: Instead of waiting months to run a campaign, ads can go live in just a few days.
This system works so well that brands see 4-6 times more return on their ad money than usual.
More Than Just Ads
Curastory doesn’t just help with ads. It’s like a one-stop shop for creators.
- Video Editing: Creators can edit their videos right on the platform.
- Music Licensing: They can add popular songs without worrying about copyright issues.
- Distribution: With one click, creators can send their videos to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram Reels, and more.
- Analytics: Creators can track likes, comments, and earnings all in one place.
Curastory also has a library where creators can store all their videos. It’s like having all your video content in one place for easy access.
Real-Life Success Stories
Curastory has already helped many creators and brands succeed. For example, a brand called Loops Beauty used Curastory to run ads. One creator made a video about having a bad day at work and seamlessly added a Loops Beauty ad about self-care.
The ad was so natural that viewers didn’t even notice it was an ad. Tiffany says the creator didn’t have to edit the video much because the ad fit perfectly with the content.
Curastory also worked with student-athletes, letting them make money from their game highlights for the first time ever. This opened up a whole new way for athletes to earn money.
Why Curastory Is Different
Most influencer platforms work like matchmakers. Brands browse through creators and pick who they want to work with. This process is slow and only works for top creators.
Curastory is different. It works like a programmatic ad platform, where brands can run ads automatically without having to talk to creators. This makes it faster and fairer for everyone.
Tiffany wants Curastory to be like a TV network for creators. Just as TV channels run ads during shows, Curastory lets creators run ads in their videos. This means even smaller creators can make a good living from their content.
The Future of the Creator Economy
Right now, the creator economy is like a pyramid. A tiny number of creators make most of the money, while the rest struggle to earn a living wage. Tiffany wants to change this by giving more creators access to ad money.
She believes creators should be treated like small businesses. Just as Uber helps drivers make money and Airbnb helps people rent out their homes, Curastory helps creators make money from their videos.
Tiffany says, “The sad truth is that many creators can’t make a living from their work, while media companies can. Creators deserve the same opportunities.”
What Does This Mean for You?
If you’re a creator, Curastory could help you make more money from your videos. You don’t have to be famous or have millions of followers to earn a living.
If you’re a brand, Curastory makes it easier to reach the right audience without spending hours finding the perfect creator.
In the end, Curastory is all about making the creator economy fairer and more sustainable. It’s about giving creators the tools they need to turn their passion into a career.
Who knows? You might be the next creator to benefit from this game-changing platform!
