The Rise (And Fall?)Of Rural Influencers

A local rural influencer (left) promotes agricultural products during a live-stream in Fuyang,Zhejiang Province, on April 29

China’s vast countryside has birthed a new generation of social media influencers, which is generating revenue for and promoting the development of villages. Outdoor cooking videos featuring wild ingredients and scant equipment are a genre of their own on Douyin, China’s TikTok. Sowing,harvesting, fishing, handcrafting, all these everyday countryside scenes are attracting tens of thousands of online viewers. In the past year alone, short videos showing snippets of country life have garnered a whopping 12.9 billion likes. In short, livestreaming is the newest agricultural tool.

However… After 12 months of skyrocketing viewer numbers, their popularity now seems to be on the decline,with many rural influencers starting to lose fans. This roller-coaster experience has sparked concerns that the influencer economy may not be the hope of China’s rural revitalization after all.

Editorial (www.gmw.cn):Empowered by the Internet, China’s countryside, farmers and agricultural products are stepping into the spotlight in whole new fashion —no longer [merely]a target of poverty relief. As the threshold for live-streaming is low, villagers good at presenting themselves have uncovered a new path toward riches. For example,they can pitch their agricultural goods through live-streaming and their fans will rush to buy these products—which might otherwise just rot in the fields.

With so many villagers swarming toward live-streaming platforms to make money, the problem now is that video quality is going down. Some influencers are starting to produce “improper”content, and others just fabricate stories as they stream along. These videos can damage China’s rural image. This trend must be nipped in the bud. If these livestreamers do not showcase the sense of self-discipline, more and more rural influencers will be kicked out of the game by the market, damaging the business they have worked so hard to build. That would result in huge losses for the rural economy.

Fan Shulin (): Short videos documenting country life are becoming increasingly popular in Chinese society. One striking problem is that a growing number of these videos are starting to look identical. But overnight success can quickly become someone’s worst nightmare. And many rural influencers are now experiencing this firsthand.These influencers are the products of the digital era plus agriculture. If managed properly, their business can indeed inject new energy into the rural areas. At this critical juncture in rural live-streaming,the proper strategy is to offer influencers support as well as instill a sense of discipline in them. This is the only way to help them grow.

For example, some of them don’t have the means to produce high-quality videos.Their success may be based on temporary stunts, not an in-depth understanding of what viewers really want.

The relevant authorities and livestreaming platforms must learn how to steer live-streamers in the right direction,to ensure influencers keep producing solid content that reflects real countryside living. Live-streaming platforms are effective launch pads for premium agricultural products, so the influencers behind these products deserve the right guidance to keep those sales numbers on the up.

Gao Yongwei (www.southcn.com):To a large extent, the digital economy is an appealing one. It’s not easy for rural influencers to retain a huge following, let alone keep attracting new fans. However,this does not necessarily mean they will have to end up being just another flash in the pan.

Influencers must produce good quality videos that reflect real rural life, instead of spinning a yarn to attract viewers.Moreover, the relevant authorities need to regulate video content. Live-streaming platforms could offer more guidance and support to promising influencers presenting premium content. Influencers should also learn how to preserve their reputation and protect their brand. No matter how viewers’ tastes may change, good content can always find a platform to thrive and play its due role in rural revitalization. BR