TikTok creator payment transparency

The internet is rapidly evolving to create affordances for influencers and content that is marketed via social media accounts. Instagram is leading the charge of providing transparency for consumers, creators, and brands to understand when sponsored content is happening and making it easier to measure these campaigns.

It used to be that large accounts were the primary desired form of advertising. While these accounts still hold a lot of power, it’s much more feasible for brands to partner with many “micro-influencers” to get their name out there.

I’ve done sponsored content with Duolingo, but other than that I’m now very familiar with this world. However, I am aware from stories friends have told me that creators are often criminally underpaid.

What if to mitigate this TikTok showed you how much someone was compensated for a sponsored post? This would likely infuriate followers of large accounts, while you might actually feel bad for someone who has a smaller following and doesn’t get paid much.

As with anything, as the creator economy matures I’m sure the mechanisms around price will become more transparent (though I don’t think this is the right solution).

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