Building the Middle Class of the Creator Economy

Ever since Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson first published his “Long Tail” theory in 2004, the idea has been endlessly reinforced, contradicted, and debated. He argued that the internet’s removal of physical limitations (local audiences, scarce shelf space) would empower niche products and creators to flourish.

Societies and platforms flourish when there is a path for everyone to have upward mobility, achieve financial security, and learn and grow. The beautiful thing is, in the real world as well as in the digital world, it’s up to us to build this path.

Some inequality is inherent in the nature of the passion economy: supply is heterogeneous and non-substitutable, and the trust and affinity that creators build with their audiences should be celebrated. But platforms—from established to brand new—can do more to strengthen the creator middle class and broaden the path to success.

-Offer a form of Universal Creative Income (UCI)

-Provide creator education and training

10 strategies for fostering the creator middle class:

-Recommend content algorithmically with an element of randomness: when algorithms do the searching for users, there are more opportunities for niches to thrive.

-Allow creators to capitalize on superfans:

-Focus on content types with lower replay value