In today’s modern and digitized era, people can reap tremendous benefits from posting to their social media accounts and generating mass viewership. Such persons are often called content creators and influencers.
The difference between a content creator and an influencer is that a content creator’s job is to write, design, and make content to build an audience, while an influencer’s job is to showcase their lifestyle and other passions to build an audience. Both career paths are heavily reliant on social media.
In Guyana, there is a niche community of both content creators and influencers. Recognizing this, 27-year-old Jamicia McCalman has organised an event aimed at honing the skills of persons involved in, and desirous of pursuing, careers in these areas.
She relayed her profound vision to this publication during an exclusive interview.
“Our very first objective of the summit is to reduce unemployment within the Caribbean. I noticed that there was a lack in the industry. While social media platforms are immensely populated with Caribbean voices and faces, many of us do not know how to utilize it to our benefit to generate income,” she said.
She revealed a statistical amount of money that the social media industry is set to gain in the upcoming years.
“The content creators and influencers industry is expected to be a $43 billion industry by 2032. That might seem like a long time, but that is just 8 years (away). So, when we are having that conversation about a billion-dollar industry, we must ask ourselves where is the Caribbean in all of this? For a long time, we have been excluded from that conversation,” she reasoned.
McCalman assured that the summit would impart a wide variety of knowledge to attendees. She said social media is not just for comedic entertainment.
“Social media is more than just jokes, more than laughter, more than a platform for drama. It is really an industry, a digital industry, where it can become your nine-to-five; it can become your bread and butter, but you have to know how to make it into that,” she disclosed.
Parents have for years recommended that their children pursue traditional 9-5 jobs, but McCalman has dispelled that stigma by revealing the vast difference in jobs and careers in this day and age.
“When it comes to the older folks, the older generation, digital literacy is important for them to understand the scope of this industry. Not even just the older generation, but even our leaders. And I think that when our leaders understand that as well, the infrastructure that is lacking will begin to be invested in much more to build that infrastructure,”
She predicted.
She added, “I believe that awareness is important, because you cannot throw something onto someone if they are not aware of what it is. And that would take more than the summit to achieve; that would require a bottom-up approach from the community, to the Government, to NGOs.”
Many times, people find themselves torn between their regular jobs and being a content creator, but this should not be the case, as both could be done simultaneously, she said.
“It’s important to note that you don’t even have to choose one or the other. If your career is as a lawyer or a doctor, you just need to find a balance, because your content can be around your daily life in any profession,” she explained.
She also addressed people who are afraid to make content, stating she had once been in that position.
“You are not alone. I would say to you, ‘Don’t create content with the intent to go viral’. I would urge you to be authentic, do not try to be like anyone else. Don’t! Don’t do it! Be comfortable enough to try the trends that are happening. Don’t be afraid to try them, but don’t lose yourself in the trends. There isn’t any perfect moment. Don’t try to wait until you have all of the equipment — the right phone, microphone, tripod,” she offered.
Some persons lined up to share insights, including Talk Show Host Danielle Loveless; Director of Chambers and Media Solutions, Tenille Clarke; and TedX speaker Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson.
The summit, scheduled for October 3-5, 2024 at the Princess Ramada Hotel, is set to welcome more than 300 influencers and content creators from across the Caribbean. Tickets are available right now at a cost of G$10,000 or US$50 each. Interested persons can contact: +1 (592) 664-8171 for more information.
