The Power of Partnership: How Creators and Fans are Aligning as Partners

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” — Henry Ford

Twenty years ago, one could not have imagined growing up aspiring to be a YouTuber or an online influencer. Today, Bloomberg reports that 86% of young Americans (aged 13 to 38) want to be influencers — and nobody can tell them it’s impossible.

We are living in inspirational times. Our media-rich world is filled with passionate creators whose content entertains, stimulates, and pushes the limits of our imaginations. Fans today have unprecedented access to their favorite creators and often have a direct influence over what they produce. The creator-fan relationship is a true partnership that moves careers forward more reliably than almost any power broker under the old entertainment model.

So what’s different?

Before the rise of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, artists and creators had to depend on gatekeepers to help them connect with their fans. To enter that elite, they had to be exceptional — but a lot of talent fell through the cracks because they lacked connections or didn’t have access to someone with enough money to fund and market their efforts through conventional media.

Of course, that model is dead in the water. Under the old regime, money and influence didn’t always result in success, prompting some to lose faith and turn to alternative entertainment outlets as soon as they had the chance.

Bottom line? People want what they want. The more power they have to choose what content and creators they spend their time with, the less influence mainstream media has. Forward-thinking creators picked up on that trend and broke down the barriers between them and their fans… and something magical happened.

The Power of Engagement: The Fan-Creator Partnership Ecosystem

Today, achieving incredible traction (and money) for your content without a gatekeeper, without a lot of backing, and with just a handful of engaged fans is possible. Today’s creator landscape is decentralized and democratized, creating a bona fide economy available to everyone, anyone, anytime.

Case in point, the phenomenon that is Lilyisthatyou, a (then) 19-year-old music creator from Canada who dropped a snippet of a song on TikTok and received more than a million views and 650K engagements (where fans use the creator’s clip in their own videos) within 24 hours.

Within a month, Lily signed with Warner Music for $1.5 million. Today, she’s on the fast track to the top, playing major international festivals and consistently charting on global pop playlists. All from a catchy tune and a TikTok.

Would this have happened if she had gone a more traditional route? Not in a million years. The people put her there, and they continue to support her meteoric rise.

But whether we’re talking about millions of fans, thousands, or a few hundred, it doesn’t matter. The power is in the partnership. It’s about connection, a mutual understanding — a contract if you will — between two factions focused on a common goal.

Partnership in The Creator Economy

Influencers have it a little easier than artistic creators as they have backing from the brands they promote. And while creators can become influencers in that sense, it’s not always their mindset.

Not all creators are interested in promoting products or brands simply for the sake of commerce. Plus, hitching your wagon to a brand is a risky, double-edged sword these days, as activities by a sponsor you’re associated with could relegate you to the “canceled” round file pretty quickly should any questionable pursuits or associations arise.

And while the idea of “selling out” is abhorrent to many creators, it’s not a recent phenomenon by any stretch. Neil Young, arguably one of the most staunchly independent artists of the modern age, was once banned from the airwaves for his snarky “This Note’s For You,” where he basically gave the finger to big sponsors of the day, including Budweiser, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and several more besides.

Many artists at the time took an adversarial stance, rightly stating that they would be unable to do what they do without the support of sponsorship, and that’s certainly their prerogative.

The unfortunate nature of sponsorship on that level is that you need to answer to the shareholders. If the product isn’t selling or something the creator says doesn’t align with the brand’s values, you’re out. If you want to keep your income flowing, you need to maintain the image, even at the expense of your artistic integrity.

But what would creativity on the internet look like if fans had unlimited access?

Creating Meaningful Partnerships to Fuel Creativity

When followers have the opportunity to fund artists or support specific projects to help the creator grow, it’s always a win-win.

Creators want to be able to connect with their fans, and ultimately, they need to support their work from a financial standpoint.

Fans want special access to the creator and gain immense satisfaction from being a part of the creator’s story — and special perks never hurt, either.

Platforms like GigaStar leverage the power of community, where content is democratized, decentralized, and tokenized. Briefly, tokenization refers to a way of uniquely identifying digital assets.

According to Investopedia, digital assets are generally anything that is created and stored digitally, is identifiable and discoverable, and has or provides value. Digital assets have become more popular and valuable as technological advances become integrated into our personal and professional lives. Data, images, video, written content, and more have long been considered digital assets with ownership rights.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are one example, and their influence and potential in the art world continue to grow. For example, imagine owning a share of a treasured artwork in the form of an NFT. You may not be able to afford the Mona Lisa, but you might be able to buy a share of it. If it were ever to sell, you’ve got a slice of that pie.

Tokenization supports investment that benefits all parties. Creators offer shares of their future channel revenues directly to their fans, who then receive revenue shares and exclusive benefits in exchange for their investment. It’s a new wave in the creator-fan economy, and it’s already here.

Final Thoughts

With an ocean full of niche creators and increasing demand for content, it would seem that we’re in the eye of a perfect storm where barriers between creators, brands, and fans, have blurred. Leveraging the power of partnership, both factions can have what they want.

For fans, it’s community and access. For creators, it’s ownership, success, and, perhaps more importantly, the freedom to express themselves without someone else telling them (or guessing) what their fans are after.

The passion of Creators is what inspires GigaStar. Check out our website https://gigastar.io/, join our Discord community, and connect with us on social media!

Disclaimer:

This communication is provided by Creator Networks, Inc., (dba GigaStar). GigaStar is the Parent Company of GigaStar Portal, LLC (dba GigaStar Market), an SEC registered funding portal member of FINRA, and GigaStar Technologies LLC, offering blockchain and smart contract solutions via GigaStar Portfolio.

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