Many experts have dubbed 2023 as the ‘Year of the Creator Economy’ as more people turn to full-time careers in content creation.
Social media has opened the door for a new paradigm in entrepreneurship – one driven by creativity, passion and online platforms that empower self-expression to become a viable source of income. 2023 marked a watershed year as this burgeoning creator economy came into its own, fuelled by growing opportunities and mainstream acceptance.
Rise of Millionaires: Creator economy
The global industry of the creator economy is currently worth $250 billion, according to the Washington Post, with many top creators being millionaires, creators are now running full-fledged media empires meaning that with just the right content at the right time – and with a little bit of luck – your next door neighbour can now become a celebrity. The creator class has reshaped culture, anyone can become an influencer; it is now a real job.
Nowhere has this boom been more apparent than in the Middle East, where regional initiatives like Saudi Vision 2030 and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy have fuelled explosive growth. Currently, the UAE alone is home to over 27,000 influencers, most of whom are probably content creators.
“2023 is definitely pivotal for the creator economy. A culmination of trends from the digital landscape have merged, and essentially, the creator economy is now a sign of the absolute shift in how individuals approach work, creativity and the art of generating income,” Polly Williams, Managing Director at Dubai-based PR agency TishTash Communications, told Arabian Business.
Not too long ago, making a living online was like “finding a needle in the haystack,” Williams said, as this usually meant relying on sponsorships or ads. And though these avenues are still very much the foundation of generating income online, they now share the stage with a wider range of income streams.
“The shift isn’t about money; it’s about autonomy. Creators are taking the reins and steering their own financial ships. They’re building loyal communities, understanding what their audience wants, and crafting income streams that align with their style and values,” she added.
From TikTok to Fame: Creator success stories
At the forefront of this revolution is short video-sharing platform TikTok, which has propelled this seismic shift.
“More and more people worldwide are turning to alternate [or] additional avenues outside their 9-to-5,” said Kinda Ibrahim, TikTok’s General Manager of Operations and Marketing in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan (METAP) region.
Creators across the region have seized on the potential offered by TikTok, Instagram, Spotify and other platforms. A growing number utilise their online profiles and dedicated fanbases to develop major sponsorship deals, product lines, and even record contracts off the back of viral discoveries. Issam Al Najjar successfully translated a popular song on TikTok into a record deal, while the likes of creators like Mohammed Tarek and Jana Bou Reslan found opportunities in TV and film after building major online following.
Insurance agent Anwar Jarrah proved that any skill or expertise can thrive on TikTok, becoming the UAE’s highest-earning creator by discussing policies to his legion of engaged followers. For many in the region, social platforms have supplemented existing careers or spawned fully-fledged businesses that continue to blossom.
Although social media, namely Instagram, has a way of sizing people up based on the number of views, likes and followers, algorithms on platforms like TikTok “don’t play favourites,” said Williams.
TikTok seems to favour content that is based on user preferences, allowing creators to be discovered organically, regardless of their follower count or so-called influence.
“This contrasts with traditional influencer models that often focus solely on popularity,” said TikTok’s Ibrahim who believes that the platform has “Redefined what it means to be influential” as it shifts the narrative from popularity to expertise.
Professionals in personal finance, insurance, the law, and healthcare are using TikTok to garner influence by sharing their expertise, with many succeeding in growing substantial followings.
“TikTok is a tale that underscores the supremacy of creativity over budgets, challenging the conventional narrative where deep pockets rules the marketing game. Today, it’s less about a financial arm-wrestle and more about a collective talent show, where every contender, regardless of their financial weight, gets a fair shot at the spotlight,” Williams added.
“Your neighbourhood café could give a national coffee chain a real run for its money.”
Creator marketing takes center stage in the UAE
Currently, almost 77 percent of UAE-based marketing professional consider creator marketing a top priority, a recent report found.
“The figures speak for themselves. In the second quarter of this year, we had hundreds of thousands of creators from METAP, alone on the TikTok Creator Marketplace creating hundreds of campaigns for brands or entities they partnered with. Their videos made up a significant portion of all campaigns on the platform globally,” Ibrahim added.
“Through affiliate linking, ad revenue, and brand deals, creators are making money from what they are putting online.”
TikTok’s Head of Small and Medium-sized Businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Lisa Friedrich, said that the platform’s advertising formats provide businesses with tailored solutions that align with their marketing budgets where brands can become rightful members of the online community, serving as the easiest way for them to start the conversation with potential customers, build brand awareness and loyalty, all through their TikTok account.
“By creating engaging videos, following community trends, using trending music and memes and posting the content regularly, SMBs can organically attract and engage followers,” said Friedrich.
“This kind of integration is available to brands of any scale: budget, if any, would only be needed for filming the videos themselves, and it can be minimal whilst formats and creative ideas are unbounded.”
The downside
Perhaps no city better symbolises the energy and potential of the creator economy than Dubai. As a global hub renowned for its ambitious vision, the emirate is nurturing a thriving community of homegrown video talent that continues to expand opportunities.
Dubai-based 29-year-old American film director and content creator Dana Itani has been actively posting to platforms for more than three years. While pursuing her dream career behind the camera, Itani began documenting the daily realities of her work for her online audience. “I wanted to share the behind the scenes of what a director and editor does in their daily life because it’s so often overlooked,” she said.
However, Itani’s experience also underscores some realities of life as a creator, including the difficulty of making a sustainable living through content alone.
A recent survey of youth in the Middle East points to a trend that could potentially impact the future job market and economic diversification efforts in the region. The Arab Youth Survey, conducted by Dubai-based PR firm ASDAA BCW, found that nearly 13 percent of young Arabs listed influencing as their most aspired career path. In fact, 1 in 8 named becoming a social media influencer as their top choice.
This preference seems largely driven by the glamorised lifestyles portrayed by influencers on social media platforms. To many youth, this appears more appealing than roles in science, healthcare, engineering and other vital fields.
If left unaddressed, this shift in career interests poses serious risks to Gulf nations striving to diversify their economies away from oil dependence. As more youth aspire to influencing over jobs in key sectors that require higher education and essential skills, these countries could potentially struggle with youth unemployment and an inability to develop knowledge-based industries.
Gulf governments have committed to long-term economic transformation through comprehensive national strategies spanning five, 10 and even 50 years. But their goals of diversification will be undermined if the next generation does not pursue careers in key growth sectors like technology, manufacturing and renewable energy.
Nonetheless, the outlook remains optimistic as regional infrastructure matures.
“I do think 2023 is the year of the creator economy because so much of marketing and consumerism is funnelled through content creators now, and it’s increasing exponentially because people are responsive to it,” Itani added.
“It’s a time-consuming task and there are content creators who are doing it full time, but there’s still the perception that it’s easy and quick.”
And while the creator economy has grown due to platforms like TikTok, several other challenges threaten future expansion. Issues around oversaturation and breaking through large amounts of daily content make it difficult for new creators. Monetisation also remains difficult as platforms experiment with sustainable models, and some feel pay is unpredictable.
“Success isn’t guaranteed just because you’ve got a camera and a dream. You need to nurture your content, engage with your audience, and be ready for the occasional storm,” said Williams.
“Building a career as a content creator is a marathon, not a sprint. But hey, if you’re up for the journey.”
But if support systems and careers guidance keep advancing, Williams forecasts the creator economy having huge flow-on benefits.
“Entrepreneurship will open up for so many more people worldwide as barriers lower and opportunities spread across new frontiers,” she said.
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