Steve Clarke’s Post

https://lnkd.in/eUgfc4CW Would you choose 1000 dollars or 100 friends? Before 2020 creators from independent artists to restaurant chefs built their businesses by creating core communities and customer base. Around 2020 Facebook introduced algorithm-controlled ratings. This essentially killed the "followers principle" by making the niche content invisible and buried under mindless noise. TikTok pushed the boundaries further by choosing content for each individual viewer which is presently followed by almost all content platforms from Netflix to YouTube. In his passionate speech the CEO of Patreon Jack Conte is talking about how the creative industry is pushing back by developing technologies which help to reconnect creators and communities. It's great to learn about emerging alternatives to the overpowering AI algorithms which control our daily lives and choices.

This is a super inspiring presentation by Jack Conte of Patreon discussing the different ages of the internet and delving into the 'death of the follower'. It's absolutely worth some of your time if you're a curious creative who's as frustrated as I am with the deeply ingrained state of content gatekeeping that's left artists anaemic when it comes to their reach in 2024. I think that one of the most insidious developments over the past 10 years or so has been the algorithmic 'evaluation' of a social post's reach and the subsequent ranking of posts. Let's face it, the huge corporate companies that control our social networks want nothing other than your attention for as long as possible for their advertising dollars, and as a result they have created an entire generation of willing content-creator automatons who willingly do the job of bots to create the fodder that they rely on to keep the user in rapture. Jack makes a GREAT point when he says "Know what YOU want as a creative person - don’t look OUTSIDE of yourself for this." So many of us are now routinely guilty of looking outside ourselves for cheat codes to 'crack the algorithm' and find that Holy Grail recipe for viral success that we've lost sight of looking within and truly know what it is that we want from our art. As a result, the art is the first thing to suffer as we slavishly bowl headlong towards creative oblivion. So, remember what it is that you WANT as a creative. Then figure out how to reach people.

"Don't forget what gives you a sense of meaning, as a creative person!" Just one of the endless great insights by Patreon CEO Jack Conte speech at SXSW '24. A simple yet powerful sum up of the last decades #web evolution around the concept of the #follower. From early stage YouTube, passing through the TikTok revolution, trying to trace the years to come. What will be the future for #contentcreators? Can the next steps Patreon is trying to achieve be the answer? #innovation #creatoreconomy #creativity #future

The creator economy has absolutely exploded in the 2020s, pulling in people of all ages and becoming a go-to strategy for most companies. What started as a way to just reach people has turned into something way bigger—it's all about building communities now. It has grown into a formidable force, getting more tech and data forward by the day. It’s an exhilarating and sometimes daunting landscape, but above all, it presents a tremendous opportunity to learn, adapt, and thrive in this dynamic environment. Check out this cool video on how the creator economy has evolved, and how media, communities, and businesses are coming together to take creativity on the internet to the next level. https://lnkd.in/dw6NaQVR

How can #Art & #Community co-exist on the internet? Jack Conte musician and founder of Patreon closed out SXSW with a passionate walkthru of ever-shifting algorithms as the greatest threat to musicians, artists, creators, fans & followers. "The next wave of internet and media companies are going to surge on this problem and try to solve it.” “A whole new set of companies that look completely different.” “The hallmark strategy is to focus on DEEPER connects, not MORE connections. The ‘true’ fan the ‘real’ fan, call it whatever you want. It's the 5% of fans that drive 90% of community in business. This is a ‘direct-to-fans business vs. an ‘ads‘ business.” “The next decade of media and technology companies will focus on direct-to-fan connections and community strength.” (Jump to min. 13:00 for 1000 True Fans) #1000truefans #sxsw2024 #creatives #creatoreconomy #deeperconnections Kevin Kelly https://lnkd.in/g_sjjyGU

2024 is a time of deep entertainment. Audiences are expecting hidden details to be revealed, want to be actively engaged and desire rewards for their knowledge of lore. Read more about the trend 'Modern Mythmaking' in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/eJarpR5y

Got to talk to Hamid Saify about this billboard, not *just* trying to win the algorithm, and how to start quantifying whether taking a different approach is working. It's in Tandym's Contributions newsletter today. Call the number and read the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eZaPE2Vr

"The Death of the Follower" One of the most profoundly interesting keynotes I've seen. Patreon CEO Jack Conte, a man who is very much building a platform geared towards a creator-fan relationship it must be said, explains how algorithms have effectively reduced the follow button and relationship to something meaningless. The more and more the algorithm constantly adapts to what you're consuming, the less you're being delivered content from the few creators you choose to hit follow to. It's a free for all. And, as Conte notes, it's not just creators who are affected by this. Brands, media companies, anyone who posts anything on the internet is at risk of this new algorithm behaviour wherein winning the "follow" no longer allows you to constantly deliver to an audience you've won over. How many channels are you subscribed to on YouTube? Take a look at that whole list and I'm sure you won't remember the last time you saw a video from a significant portion of them. However, as Conte concludes, the follower can never truly die for how truly powerful a relationship it represents. With new internet companies focusing on deeper connections rather than a wider net, the follower will be leveraged to its fullest.

Just another rant about how messed up Meta's algorithm is these days. Like, what's the point of social media for artists anymore? Just cancelled my Meta subscription because, well, it just wasn't doing anything for me. Funnily enough, saw that Luis Mendo did the same! Seems even big-name artists with tons of followers feel the same frustration. Remember when social media was this amazing way to get your art seen? Now it's all about who has the most followers, and forget about anyone new actually finding your stuff. Everyone's talking about the end of the "followers" era, and this video by the Patreon founder has some ideas https://bit.ly/3JziXpt. But it feels like that's only helpful if you're already a big shot. So, the real question is: what can us regular artists do to get our work out there in the first place? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

“Don't let somebody else tell you what you want" - I really like how Jack Conte breaks down the idea of ‘For You’ pages and what this means for the way we both consume and create content - and it’s well worth a watch! Mapping phases of the web and how we’ve come to this position where ‘Following’ feels increasingly less important, the talk outlines how we’re trying to adhere to algorithms and creating content which feels discoverable, instead of authentic and true to how people really want to create. Takeaways for creatives on how to ride out the age of discovery over subscription: ♐️ “It's about depth, it's about quality of interaction” - find the small portion of your following who believe in what you do, and create what will resonate with them ♐️ Resist the temptation to create solely for the algorithm, focus on making what resonates with your authentic creative vision ♐️ Know what you want, not what ‘they’ want - prioritise purpose over metrics A lot of this might seem counter-intuitive for growth marketing strategies, but they’re the best for longevity and building a strong brand identity that your True Fans' will reward you for. I'd be interested to know how other people find the rise of discovery-focused platforms? #creativestrategy #socialmedia