Make Leading Creators Your Leading Indicators

A leading indicator is a factor that changes before the rest of the economy begins to move in a particular direction. You may have heard terms like “yield curve”, “real GDP” and “housing starts” in the news. Those are all leading indicators for investors. As an executive in the media industry, social media creators are chief among the leading indicators I watch to detect big shifts ahead in content and consumer trends because:

• They’re the first to feel the effect of changes to the algorithms which govern the success -or failure- of content on platforms like YouTube and Instagram

• They have the ultimate direct-to-consumer relationship with fans (and haters) who are “generous” with their feedback in comments sections, DMs and reaction posts

• Their hunger to stay relevant and diversify motivates them to identify and exploit lucrative niches, both online and off, to sustain and grow revenue

It’s also why I teamed up with Theorist Media two years ago this month to design a workshop tailored to train teams at Viacom in strategies and tactics for creating winning social content. I’m proud, but not surprised that has evolved into an ongoing partnership to offer our workforce quarterly sessions they need to stay sharp, nimble and prepared to adapt at the speed of a digital ecosystem that is unforgiving to those who remain complacent in their skills.