On the role of social media platforms in the creator economy

Abstract

Despite their transformative importance, the perspective and role of social media platforms in the creator economy remains understudied. In this research, we examine the role of platforms in the creator economy using a review approach that leverages insights from both a rich account of the literature on platforms and in-depth interviews with several stakeholders in the creator economy. We develop a framework of the key actors and interactions in the creator economy and the central position of platforms as the underlying ecosystem that supports these elements. In doing so, our frameworks illuminates the focal roles that platforms play in the creator economy: connecting key actors, supporting content creation and management, and facilitating monetization. We use the insights gleaned from the literature and our interviews to overview (1) what we know about each of these roles platforms play, (2) what we do not know, and (3) how each of these roles may look in the future. In doing so, our research proposes directions for future research on the role of platforms in the creator economy.