A couple of years ago, Jay Clouse wrote an interesting article predicting that the true potential of the creator economy is the creator-educators.
While Jay's article is based on the perspective of building a creator business, from a brand partnership perspective, I believe that brands also have an opportunity to deepen engagement with audiences through creator-educators.
Since the boom of the creator economy, it's safe to say that many brands have included creator strategies in their marketing plans. However, the partnerships often gravitate toward working with creators-entertainers such as Khaby Lame or Charli D'Amelio. While celebrity creators capture attention, creator educators present an opportunity for brands to create valuable and impactful relationships with their audience.
Who are Creator-Educators?
Creator-educators are niche content creators who educate their audience on a specific topic or skill set.
Examples of creator-educators are Ali Abdaal (YouTube/Productivity), Ramit Sethi (Money/Rich Life) and Matt D'Avella (Video Creation/YouTube). If we want to look at a super niche example, one that I can think of is Easlo, who creates templates and courses on how to be productive with Notion or Miss Excel, who creates content on how to use Excel. These creator-educators leverage social media platforms to deliver informative content in engaging formats, such as tutorials, explainers and in-depth reviews.
Unlike traditional influencers focusing on lifestyle or entertainment, creator-educators build trust and authority through their expertise.
Why Should Brands Partner with Creator-Educators?
There is a golden opportunity, especially for brands with complicated services or products, to collaborate with creator-educators for several reasons:
- Niche Expertise: Creator-educators dive deep into a specific subject and share their knowledge openly with their audience, who seek practical knowledge. They create educational content that conveys valuable information to help solve problems, make purchasing decisions, or elevate their knowledge base.
- Authentic Advocacy: Creator-educators have genuine passion and knowledge for their niche. Most creator-educators provide content or recommendations to help their community solve a problem or achieve a specific goal within their niche. Creator-educators are open to sharing their knowledge, and this, in turn, builds trust and credibility with their followers, and brands can tap into this credibility.
- Loyal Communities: Educational content fosters loyal communities where followers engage, learn and stay connected around a specific interest. Partnering with the right creator allows brands to reach a highly targeted audience that's already primed to be receptive to their message.
- Educational Content: Creator-educators excel at creating informative content. Brands can leverage this by collaborating on explainer videos, product tutorials, or even co-created workshops. Such content educates potential customers and positions the brand as a thought leader in its field.
- Long-Term Engagement: Unlike a one-off ad campaign, partnerships with creator educators foster long-term brand engagement. The creator's ongoing content keeps the brand at the forefront of the audience's mind, leading to sustained brand loyalty.
The Future of Brand Marketing.
Social Native predicts that in 2024, specialized and niche influencers will take centre stage to stand out in a saturated digital environment. In my opinion, brands that work with niche creator-educators will also have a better opportunity to stand out.
What's essential is understanding that creator-educators are knowledge brokers who help bridge the gap between expertise and audience needs. Brands working with niche creator-educators can leverage their online presence and have an open line of communication with the community, providing an opportunity to share, listen, learn to have a deeper understanding and generate loyalty.
These collaborations are more powerful as they go beyond product selling; they empower audiences with knowledge.
In short, brands should look beyond celebrity creators and embrace the power of creator-educators who educate, inspire, and empower. The true opportunity lies in the intersection of knowledge and community—a space where creator-educators thrive.
