(How to) monetise ethnic identities on China’s social media platforms: A relational work perspective

How do ethnic minority influencers in China monetise their social media accounts while maintaining the authenticity of their ethnic identities? Drawing on observation data of their livestreaming activities and document data of their short video works, this article showcases the monetisation models of three ethnic influencers: an ethnic culture and language lover selling ethnic language courses, an ethnic entertainment livestreamer earning virtual gifts, and an ethnic e-commerce livestreamer selling local speciality products. We reveal ethnic influencers’ relational work in consolidating the authenticity of their identities in their virtual interactions with viewers through livestreaming activities so that corresponding forms of economic transactions are facilitated. Thus, influencers reconcile the authenticity and commercialisation of ethnic identities through a match between identity construction and monetisation models. This article illustrates how ethnic influencers are simultaneously enabled by digital platforms to express diverse ethnic identities and constrained by their monetisation models that pressurise influencers into a niche category.