The Creator Economy

What makes content creators tick

There’s a lot of excitement about this new, shiny world of influencer
marketing. For brands and platforms to take full advantage of this
prospering niche, you need to understand the ever-changing
motivators as well as the basics, such as how content creators make
money and how content creators get paid.

How creators aim to grow their business:
Where creators are now and where they hope to be

Most creators are still trying to grow
their business, but they are ambitious
about their growth potential

Current revenue distribution
Anticipated revenue distribution

58% make less than $50K a year

Omitted responses “Prefer not to answer”

75% believe they will be making
more than $50K a year within the next year

Creators disproportionately rely on brand sponsorships but
would like to increase share of income from other sources

Current share of income
Ideal share of income

Note: Percentages reflect average range within each individual source.

On average, creators
report more than 50%
of their revenue comes
from brand partnerships

Note: Percentages reflect average range within each individual source.

Their ideal share of
income from external
brands is 12% less
than their current share

More creators are looking to grow by diversifying their sources of income

1 in 3
creators wants to tap into
new sources of revenue

The average creator wants no more
than 21%-50% of income from
any single source

83% of creators would like multiple revenue streams that include brands, platforms, and followers

Brand takeaways

Pivot from
sponsorships to
partnerships to help
creators grow their
business

Lengthen contracts or
provide concrete
direction to improve
creator security

Platform takeaways

Build in tools or
features that can help
creators expand their
business

Improve content
analytics and tracking
to provide creators
with direction

What creators are looking for from a brand partnership

Brand-audience fit is their top priority, while pay is a close second. Perks can also be an important differentiator

Priorities
Perks

Note: Percentages include creators who selected these as either their first, second, or third top priority