In recent times, we’ve seen industries come together to demand better treatment. Recently, the port workers’ strike has shown how collective action can lead to change, disrupting industries and creating leverage for workers. Imagine if content creators, the digital workforce that drives platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, took similar action. What if we organized a campaign to increase our slice of the pie? Could we challenge the platforms that profit off our work without fair compensation?
The Power of a Creator Boycott
Content creators are the backbone of the internet economy. Platforms thrive on the work creators provide, from viral videos to written articles to stunning photography. But the creators themselves often struggle to earn a living from this work. Monetization algorithms are unpredictable, platform policies change at the drop of a hat, and revenue cuts go primarily to the platform owners.
Imagine the ripple effect if content creators decided to boycott major platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. What would happen if we all refused to upload new content until fairer terms were negotiated? The shockwaves would be felt across the digital economy. Platforms rely on user engagement to attract advertisers, and without fresh content, engagement would plummet.
Organizing for a Better Deal
Much like the port workers’ strike, creators can organize a collective effort to demand better terms. One possible strategy could involve uniting under a clear campaign or movement—a “Creator Strike” aimed at negotiating more equitable revenue splits, clear content ownership rights, and transparency on platform policies.
Here’s how such a campaign could work:
- Mass Organization: Creators from all genres—art, music, writing, video, etc.—come together under a unified cause.
- Clear Demands: A list of fair terms, such as higher revenue percentages, clearer data ownership rights, and more transparent algorithms, are put forth to platforms.
- Direct Action: Creators withhold content from platforms until negotiations begin or meaningful changes are made.
- Cross-Platform Movement: Leverage multiple platforms to spread the message, ensuring the boycott has maximum visibility.
Building Your Own Ecosystem
For many creators, the fear of losing income is a significant barrier to taking bold action. But here’s the secret: platforms don’t own your audience, you do. The goal should be to turn social media platforms into funnels for your own ecosystem. By using social platforms as gateways rather than the primary home for your content, you build leverage and control your relationship with your audience.
Creators can supplement their income and even increase it by focusing on:
- Building Personal Websites: Hosting your content on your own platform ensures that you maintain control over your work and can set your own terms. By posting content to your site first, you retain full ownership and rights. Instead of relying solely on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, post snippets and teasers on social media that drive traffic back to your website.
- Attracting Advertisers Directly: Platforms make the bulk of their money from advertising, but there’s nothing stopping creators from advertising for the same brands directly on their own sites. By owning your platform, you can form direct relationships with advertisers, cutting out the middleman and increasing your earnings.
- Diversifying Revenue Streams: Monetize your own site through subscriptions, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and selling your own products or services. This allows you to bypass the unpredictable algorithms and platform restrictions that often cap your earnings.
The Twitter Photo Incident: A Cautionary Tale
One infamous example that highlights the dangers of relying solely on platforms is the Twitter photo incident. In this case, a Twitter user uploaded a photo that went viral. However, Twitter decided to sell the image for a significant profit, and the creator wasn’t compensated. This shows why posting content on platforms first can be risky—when you upload to social media, you often give up rights to your own work.
Had that photographer posted the image on their personal website first, they could have set their own terms, decided who could use it, and ensured they profited from its sale.
Leverage Comes from Ownership
By creating your own ecosystem, you take back control. Platforms may continue to be part of your strategy, but they become tools for promotion, not the foundation of your creative business. When you own your platform and drive your audience to it, you can negotiate from a position of power, because your success is no longer tied solely to the whims of the platforms.
As creators, we often think our success is dependent on the platforms we use, but in truth, the platforms depend on us. By recognizing this power and uniting for better terms, we can create a more equitable future for creators everywhere.
Conclusion: The Future of Creator Empowerment
A creator boycott, modeled after the port workers’ strike, could be a powerful way to demand better treatment from the platforms that profit from our hard work. However, the ultimate goal should be independence—building your own website, controlling your content, and forming direct relationships with advertisers. The tools to do this are already available, and many creators are already making the shift.
It’s time for creators to recognize their collective power, organize, and take back control of their future. After all, platforms can’t exist without content, and content can’t exist without creators. The balance of power should reflect that truth.