“What is the creator economy, and how can one benefit from it?” originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Stephany Kirkpatrick, Founder and CEO at Orum, on Quora:

The creator economy is a growing field of people who make money by leveraging their creative talents, typically using digital platforms to connect with their audiences.

About 50 million people, including artists, gaming streamers, video creators, podcasters, musicians, and social-media influencers, now consider themselves part of the creator economy, according to venture capital firm SignalFire, which calls this space “the fastest-growing type of small business.”

[Read more…] about Understanding The Rise Of The Creator Economy

I recently thought of this old joke.

Two hikers walk around a bend in the trail and come face to face with an angry bear. One hiker drops to his knee, fetches his running shoes from his backpack, and laces them up. The other hiker says, “There is no way you’ll outrun that bear.” The kneeling hiker stands up: “I don’t have to be faster than the bear. I only have to be faster than you.”

I’ve noticed a fascinating trend where marketing teams lace up their running shoes to out-innovate their peers within their companies. But in the long run, they don’t outrun the bear.

Five years ago, we worked with a Fortune 500 financial services company. This year, we are working with the same company on a new content strategy project. As I relayed our previous project’s activities – and how successful that team had been – to the marketing director, she was confused and asked who was on the team. She laughed when I shared the names and said, “I remember them. They were a fast-moving team. Most of them are gone now, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard the details of that project.”

But that’s not the first time I’ve heard that scenario.

[Read more…] about Why Communication Matters More Than Creativity for Long-Term Content Success

Content marketing is one of the most powerful tools in a modern marketer’s arsenal. If used strategically, it can significantly increase an organization’s return on investment (ROI).

Though marketers may have a general sense that content contributes to their company’s bottom line, a staggering 49% don’t understand how their content is performing, according to a recent Parse.ly report.

But when budgets tighten across B2B and B2C organizations, there’s greater pressure to prove content marketing value relative to revenue contribution.

To maximize the effectiveness of their content marketing strategy and ensure a healthy ROI, organizations can benefit from analyzing the latest content marketing ROI statistics and applying best practices for leveraging them.

[Read more…] about Monetizing Your Content Strategy: Insights for B2B and B2C Brands