Creative Content Monetization: Case Studies on Digital Platforms
Abstract
The rise of digital platforms has transformed the way creative content is produced, shared, and consumed, opening up new avenues for content creators to monetize their work. However, despite the rapid growth of digital content, challenges persist in understanding the most effective strategies for monetization. This research aims to explore the various monetization models used by content creators on digital platforms, focusing on case studies across YouTube, Patreon, Instagram, and TikTok. The goal is to identify key factors that contribute to successful content monetization and to analyze the potential for these models to be applied across different types of creative content. A qualitative research approach was used, with in-depth case studies of five content creators from various creative fields, including music, visual arts, and writing. Data were collected through interviews, content analysis, and platform performance metrics. The findings indicate that a combination of audience engagement, consistent content production, and platform-specific strategies (such as ads, subscriptions, and merchandise) were critical to successful monetization. Additionally, creators who diversified their revenue streams were more likely to achieve long-term financial sustainability. The research concludes that the future of creative content monetization lies in the development of personalized, audience-centric models and the integration of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. These findings provide valuable insights for content creators seeking to optimize their monetization strategies in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Full text article
References
Alavi, R., & Azmi, I. M. A. G. (2019). The copyright reward system and content owners in the creative industry: A study of the Malaysian film and TV industry. The Journal of World Intellectual Property, 22(3–4), 129–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/jwip.12121
An, C. (2019). THE CONTENT AND ROLE OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN CREATIVE WORK: THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING “ENJOYMENT.” Creativity Studies, 12(2), 280–290. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2019.6451
Ardolino, M., Saccani, N., Adrodegari, F., & Perona, M. (2020). A Business Model Framework to Characterize Digital Multisided Platforms. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6010010
Baltas, H., Sirin, M., Gökbayrak, E., & Ozcelik, A. E. (2020). A case study on pollution and a human health risk assessment of heavy metals in agricultural soils around Sinop province, Turkey. Chemosphere, 241, 125015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125015
Beltrán?Corbellini, Á., Chico?García, J. L., Martínez?Poles, J., Rodríguez?Jorge, F., Natera?Villalba, E., Gómez?Corral, J., Gómez?López, A., Monreal, E., Parra?Díaz, P., Cortés?Cuevas, J. L., Galán, J. C., Fragola?Arnau, C., Porta?Etessam, J., Masjuan, J., & Alonso?Cánovas, A. (2020). Acute?onset smell and taste disorders in the context of COVID?19: A pilot multicentre polymerase chain reaction based case–control study. European Journal of Neurology, 27(9), 1738–1741. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.14273
Bissell, D. (2020). Affective platform urbanism: Changing habits of digital on-demand consumption. Geoforum, 115, 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.06.026
Cai, W., Chen, R., Yang, H., Tao, H. B., Wang, H.-Y., Gao, J., Liu, W., Liu, S., Hung, S.-F., & Liu, B. (2020). Amorphous versus Crystalline in Water Oxidation Catalysis: A Case Study of NiFe Alloy. Nano Letters, 20(6), 4278–4285. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00840
Celata, F., Capineri, C., & Romano, A. (2020). A room with a (re)view. Short-term rentals, digital reputation and the uneven spatiality of platform-mediated tourism. Geoforum, 112, 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.04.007
Chan, C. M. L., Teoh, S. Y., Yeow, A., & Pan, G. (2019). Agility in responding to disruptive digital innovation: Case study of an SME. Information Systems Journal, 29(2), 436–455. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12215
Chen, Y. (2019). The Sustainable Development of Social Media Contents: An Analysis of Concrete and Abstract Information on Cultural and Creative Institutions with “Artist” and “Ordinary People” Positioning. Sustainability, 11(15), 4131. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154131
Cheng, K.-H., & Tsai, C.-C. (2019). A case study of immersive virtual field trips in an elementary classroom: Students’ learning experience and teacher-student interaction behaviors. Computers & Education, 140, 103600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103600
Cui, D., Chen, X., Xue, Y., Li, R., & Zeng, W. (2019). An integrated approach to investigate the relationship of coupling coordination between social economy and water environment on urban scale—A case study of Kunming. Journal of Environmental Management, 234, 189–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.091
Da Silva, E. K. N., Dos Santos, V. B., Resque, I. S., Neves, C. A., Moreira, S. G. C., Franco, M. D. O. K., & Suarez, W. T. (2020). A fluorescence digital image-based method using a 3D-printed platform and a UV-LED chamber made of polyacid lactic for quinine quantification in beverages. Microchemical Journal, 157, 104986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2020.104986
Feng, W., Zhang, Q., Ji, H., Wang, R., Zhou, N., Ye, Q., Hao, B., Li, Y., Luo, D., & Lau, S. S. Y. (2019). A review of net zero energy buildings in hot and humid climates: Experience learned from 34 case study buildings. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 114, 109303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.109303
Gao, W., Veeresha, P., Baskonus, H. M., Prakasha, D. G., & Kumar, P. (2020). A new study of unreported cases of 2019-nCOV epidemic outbreaks. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 138, 109929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2020.109929
Govindan, K., Mina, H., & Alavi, B. (2020). A decision support system for demand management in healthcare supply chains considering the epidemic outbreaks: A case study of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 138, 101967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2020.101967
Harvey Arce, N. P., & Cuadros Valdivia, A. M. (2020). Adapting Competitiveness and Gamification to a Digital Platform for Foreign Language Learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(20), 194. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i20.16135
He, X., Hua, X., Montillet, J.-P., Yu, K., Zou, J., Xiang, D., Zhu, H., Zhang, D., Huang, Z., & Zhao, B. (2019). An Innovative Virtual Simulation Teaching Platform on Digital Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Remote Sensing Education. Remote Sensing, 11(24), 2993. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11242993
??çi?, C., Susar Kirmizi, F., & Akkaya, N. (2020). Evaluation of creative writing products according to content and some variables. ?lkö?retim Online, 718–732. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2020.693207
Jean, R.-J. “Bryan,” Kim, D., & Cavusgil, E. (2020). Antecedents and outcomes of digital platform risk for international new ventures’ internationalization. Journal of World Business, 55(1), 101021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2019.101021
Kaky, E., Nolan, V., Alatawi, A., & Gilbert, F. (2020). A comparison between Ensemble and MaxEnt species distribution modelling approaches for conservation: A case study with Egyptian medicinal plants. Ecological Informatics, 60, 101150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101150
Kannan, K., & Arunachalam, N. (2019). A Digital Twin for Grinding Wheel: An Information Sharing Platform for Sustainable Grinding Process. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 141(2), 021015. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4042076
Mourtzis, D., Angelopoulos, J., & Panopoulos, N. (2021). A survey of digital B2B platforms and marketplaces for purchasing industrial product service systems: A conceptual framework. Procedia CIRP, 97, 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2020.05.246
Müller, J. M. (2019). Antecedents to Digital Platform Usage in Industry 4.0 by Established Manufacturers. Sustainability, 11(4), 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041121
Nam, K., Hwangbo, S., & Yoo, C. (2020). A deep learning-based forecasting model for renewable energy scenarios to guide sustainable energy policy: A case study of Korea. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 122, 109725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.109725
Oral, H. V., Carvalho, P., Gajewska, M., Ursino, N., Masi, F., Hullebusch, E. D. V., Kazak, J. K., Exposito, A., Cipolletta, G., Andersen, T. R., Finger, D. C., Simperler, L., Regelsberger, M., Rous, V., Radinja, M., Buttiglieri, G., Krzeminski, P., Rizzo, A., Dehghanian, K., … Zimmermann, M. (2020). A review of nature-based solutions for urban water management in European circular cities: A critical assessment based on case studies and literature. Blue-Green Systems, 2(1), 112–136. https://doi.org/10.2166/bgs.2020.932
Porter, B., & Grippa, F. (2020). A Platform for AI-Enabled Real-Time Feedback to Promote Digital Collaboration. Sustainability, 12(24), 10243. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410243
Rosales, A., & Fernández-Ardèvol, M. (2020). Ageism in the era of digital platforms. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 26(5–6), 1074–1087. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520930905
Sakamiya, M., Fang, Y., Mo, X., Shen, J., & Zhang, T. (2020). A heart-on-a-chip platform for online monitoring of contractile behavior via digital image processing and piezoelectric sensing technique. Medical Engineering & Physics, 75, 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2019.10.001
Salido, J., Sánchez, C., Ruiz-Santaquiteria, J., Cristóbal, G., Blanco, S., & Bueno, G. (2020). A Low-Cost Automated Digital Microscopy Platform for Automatic Identification of Diatoms. Applied Sciences, 10(17), 6033. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10176033
Samui, P., Mondal, J., & Khajanchi, S. (2020). A mathematical model for COVID-19 transmission dynamics with a case study of India. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 140, 110173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2020.110173
Silva, T. F. D., & Nakano, T. D. C. (2019). Escala informatizada de avaliação das características criativas: Evidências de validade de conteúdo. Revista Avaliação Psicológica, 18(02). https://doi.org/10.15689/ap.2019.1802.14675.07
Tien Bui, D., Hoang, N.-D., Martínez-Álvarez, F., Ngo, P.-T. T., Hoa, P. V., Pham, T. D., Samui, P., & Costache, R. (2020). A novel deep learning neural network approach for predicting flash flood susceptibility: A case study at a high frequency tropical storm area. Science of The Total Environment, 701, 134413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134413
Vila Seoane, M. F. (2020). Alibaba’s discourse for the digital Silk Road: The electronic World Trade Platform and ‘inclusive globalization.’ Chinese Journal of Communication, 13(1), 68–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2019.1606838
Walasari, M., Widoretno, S., & Sutarno. (2019). The profile of interaction of creative thinking aspect through concept map based on content and context in the material of coordination system in human body. 060005. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5115705
Wang, Q., & Su, M. (2020). A preliminary assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on environment – A case study of China. Science of The Total Environment, 728, 138915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138915
Wu, F., Wang, Y., Leung, J. Y. S., Huang, W., Zeng, J., Tang, Y., Chen, J., Shi, A., Yu, X., Xu, X., Zhang, H., & Cao, L. (2020). Accumulation of microplastics in typical commercial aquatic species: A case study at a productive aquaculture site in China. Science of The Total Environment, 708, 135432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135432
Xiao, R., Guo, D., Ali, A., Mi, S., Liu, T., Ren, C., Li, R., & Zhang, Z. (2019). Accumulation, ecological-health risks assessment, and source apportionment of heavy metals in paddy soils: A case study in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China. Environmental Pollution, 248, 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.045
Xu, X., Zhang, Q., Song, J., Ruan, Q., Ruan, W., Chen, Y., Yang, J., Zhang, X., Song, Y., Zhu, Z., & Yang, C. (2020). A Highly Sensitive, Accurate, and Automated Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Platform with Digital Microfluidics. Analytical Chemistry, 92(12), 8599–8606. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01613
Yamamura, T. (2020). Contents tourism and creative fandom: The formation process of creative fandom and its transnational expansion in a mixed-media age. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 18(1), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2020.1707461
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Kadeni Kadeni, Ekbal Santoso, Wang Jing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.