As the average number of hours each user spends on the internet increases each day, it’s important for content creators to find as many ways as possible to monetize their creations. Social media began as a fun place to share your thoughts with friends, but the rise of the online celebrity and influencer has created a whole new career. Their full-time job is making new videos, blog posts, or photos for their audiences to enjoy, so they can’t afford to do it for free.
A number of social media platforms have gotten on board with monetizing content, sending paychecks to verified account holders with thousands or even millions of followers. However, they can’t just keep doing the same old thing and hope to keep the interest of fans. The internet moves fast, making it easy for a once-popular influencer to all but disappear from fame if they don’t keep up with the trends.
Here are some of 2019’s most exciting content monetization trends, designed to help celebrities and “regular” people alike make the most of their online content.
ConnectPal:
Content creators love their fans and many of them want to reward those who are most loyal to them. That’s where ConnectPal comes in. From YouTubers to bands to radio hosts, stars of all types make a profile and share posts like on other social media platforms, but fans pay a monthly subscription to view them. To sweeten the deal, creators can offer perks like merchandise discounts, behind-the-scenes photos, or exclusive videos to their subscribers. Being able to connect with a smaller group of fans is less daunting for creators and getting access to exclusive content appeals to superfans.
Facebook Video:
For years, YouTube ruled as the king of online videos. However, Facebook saw the growing popularity of video and quickly added it as a post option. Starting in March 2019, Facebook allowed users to monetize video content uploaded to the platform. Using ad breaks and in-stream ads, content creators can turn each view into income. Fans also have the option to “subscribe” to their favorite creators for a flat monthly rate, through which they gain access to exclusive content and receive a profile badge showing their support.
Live Streams:
While live-streaming is not a new technology, it’s gained popularity in the past few years. In fact, 80 percent of internet users say they have watched more live video this past year than in the one before. This is likely due to the rise of live streaming capabilities on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Rather than pout that an event has been spoiled for them, many online fans say they would be more likely to buy a ticket to a concert if they saw a live stream of a similar event beforehand. Each platform has its own rules on how to monetize live broadcasts, but the ability to interact with viewers and share one-time content with them makes this trend appealing to creators and fans alike.
The way we use the internet is constantly changing. Whether you are a content creator or just someone who follows them, look out for these online content trends in 2019!
