NEW YORK (AP) – It’s not just you. The word “demure” is being used to describe just about everything online these days.
It all started earlier this month, when TikTok creator Jools Lebron posted a video that would soon take social media by storm. The hair and make-up she’s wearing to work? Very demure. And paired with a vanilla perfume fragrance? How mindful.
In just weeks, Lebron’s words have become the latest vocabulary defining the Internet this summer. In addition to her own viral content that continues to describe various day-to-day, arguably reserved or modest activities with adjectives like “demure”, “mindful” and “cutesy”, several big names have also hopped on the trend across social media platforms.
The skyrocketing fame of Lebron’s “very mindful, very demure” influence also holds significance for the TikToker herself. “One day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break. And now, I’m flying across country to host events,” Lebron said in the video, noting that her experience on the platform has changed her life.
She’s not alone. Over recent years, a handful of online creators have found meaningful income after gaining social media fame – but it’s still incredibly rare, and no easy feat. Here’s what some experts say.
HOW CAN TIKTOK FAME LEAD TO MEANINGFUL SOURCES OF INCOME?
There is no one recipe. Finding resources to work as a creator full-time “is not as rare as it would have been years ago”, noted VP of global partnerships at marketing collaboration company Partnerize Erin Kristyniak. But you still have to make content that meets the moment – and there’s a lot to juggle if you want to monetise.
On TikTok, most users who are making money pursue a combination of hustles. Associate Professor of Communication at Cornell University Brooke Erin Duffy explained that those granted admission into TikTok’s Creator Marketplace – the platform’s space for brand and creator collaborations – can “earn a kickback from views from TikTok expressly,” although that doesn’t typically pay very well.
Other avenues for monetisation include more direct brand sponsorships, creating merchandise to sell, fundraising during livestreams and collecting “tips” or “gifts” through features available to users who reach a certain following threshold. A lot of it also boils down to work outside of the platform.
And creators are increasingly working to build their social media presence across multiple platforms. Duffy noted adding that many are working on developing this wider online presence so they can “still have a financial lifeline” in case any revenue stream goes away.
IS IT DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN?
Gaining traction in the macrocosm that is the Internet is difficult as is – and while some have both tapped into trends that resonate and found sources of compensation that allow them to quit their nine-to-five, it still takes a lot of work to keep it going.
“These viral bursts of fame don’t necessarily translate into a stable, long-term career,” Duffy said. “On the surface, it’s kind of widely hyped as a dream job… But I see this as a very superficial understanding of how the career works.”
Duffy, who has been studying social media content creation for a decade, said that she’s heard from creators who have months where they’re reaping tremendous sums of money from various sources of income – but then also months with nothing. “It’s akin to a gig economy job, because of the lack of stability,” she explained.
IS THE LANDSCAPE CHANGING?
Like all things online, the landscape for creators is constantly evolving.
Demand is also growing. More and more platforms are not only aiming to court users but specifically bring aspiring creators on their sites. And that coincides with an increased focus on marketing goods and brands in these spaces.
And for aspiring creators hoping to strike it big, Dahan’s advice is just to start somewhere. As Lebron’s success shows, he added, “You don’t know what’s going to happen.” – Wyatte Grantham Philips
