The pivot in influencer content creation post-COVID

• Till the very end of 2020 and for the beginning of this year, creators had a captive audience tethered to their devices clamouring for more content.
• Then hit the second wave, and creators had to pivot again.
• Ankit Agarwal, Founder – Do Your Thng writes how content creation has changed after COVID.

Change is not always a bad thing. It sometimes can be an exciting opportunity that allows people to walk down new paths. The manner in which influencers adjusted content creation as a response to the pandemic is proof of it.

Facing a creative and for a majority financial burden, they had to restructure how content was generated and published. Moreover, they had to heavily exercise the innovation muscle because the content-hungry consumer wanted to be educated, inspired, and entertained even in a pandemic.

A race to creatively repurposing content
There is not much one can practically do in the confines of a living room. But content creators put paid to that thought. Starting March 2020 until now, they’ve shown us just how much is achievable within four walls. All it takes is pivoting the mindset and looking at content creation through a new lens.

The first change was easy. Creators published unused content they had in their bank. This was the case with most travel creators, who’ve had their feet tied due to travel restrictions. For other creators, it was repackaging already published content. Most experimented with new platforms like TikTok (before it was banned) or YouTube. Others dived into new formats like Instagram Reels.

The second change required coming to terms with the fact that the status quo was indelibly disrupted. A food content creator couldn’t hop over to the new place in town. A fitness creator couldn’t post another in-the-gym session.

So, after the unused content repository got depleted, they started repurposing old content. But resharing previous content was not enough. They needed to add a hint of realism. With a carousel of images of places, a travel influencer visited once or a food blogger tried in the past, they included captions with everyday thoughts. Placing a filter of quotidian themes made the content relevant.

The dawn of generating inventive content
The third pivot required more planning and creative flex, like branching into a completely new niche. It became necessary to shift the focus from what they used to do to something more imaginative since they had little opportunity to create new content within their usual niche.

So, we saw a wildlife photographer taking up an indoor photography challenge. With no access to gyms or parks, fitness enthusiasts began vlogging about at-home workout routines or how to boost the immune system.

The risk with change in content
This third path that a bulk of content creators seized - entertaining people stuck at home with content that is not as per their usual - came with an inherent risk. Don’t forget that creators are able to earn a living through their channels because of the type of content they produce.

Altering can often hit the viewership and not because the audience may not like it. Alienating your current viewers is always a peril when expanding content. More worrying is the fact that platform algorithms may rank the creator differently after the switch in the content type.

However, for most influencers, the gamble paid off as they were savvy enough to realise real-life, authentic content consumption was on the rise. So that’s what they produced, ensuring enrichment and engagement never became an issue.

A shift to reactive content
Till the very end of 2020 and for the beginning of this year, creators had a captive audience tethered to their devices clamouring for more content. Then hit the second wave, and creators had to pivot again.

Instead of the usual content that worked around the boundaries set by COVID-19, they began amplifying SOS calls. The lion’s share of their content became a loudspeaker for those in need, but a small portion offered an escape. Funny, ironic Reels or videos posted once a week or even less helped maintain a sense of normalcy while the world was going to hell in a basket.

The bedrock of relatable content
Once you peel all the layers of transformation that creator content went through due to the pandemic, it is apparent there is one common thread. Influencer content is more genuine, earnest and relatable. Pre-covid, the content was edited, photoshopped and filtered down to a pixel. Post-covid creators have finally understood that audiences want to engage with content that solves everyday problems, makes them laugh, cry or simply nod their heads in agreement.