It wasn’t that long ago when influencer marketing was the go-to for reaching target audiences on social media and converting them from prospects to customers. But the phrase “influencer marketing” is becoming outdated as brands move beyond traditional influencers who sell products in favor of content creators who build relationships.
As storytellers, entrepreneurs and media channels, content creators are more multidimensional than influencers, who now tend to be regarded as limiting and out of touch. Content creators are more valued because they’re much less transactional and foster trust through creativity, authenticity and community, not just reach.
In fact, food and beverage brands are increasingly reallocating budgets to creator partnerships. Unilever, for example, is carving out as much as 50% of global out-of-pocket media budgets for spend on creators.1
Creator Marketing By the Numbers2
- 143% jump in investment since 2021.
- $1.7 million annual spend by enterprise brands.
- 70% of companies say their highest ROI campaigns were creator-led.
- 94% believe creator content delivers higher ROI than traditional marketing.
Creating Connections: From Relatability to Profitability
As budgets balloon and creators feed growing demand for unique and differentiating content that stands out in the blur of collabs, the creator economy is expected to surge for years to come. Valued at $191 billion in 2025 — up from $127.7 billion in 2023 — the creator economy is forecast to be worth more than $500 billion by 2030.3
“The creator economy boom makes perfect sense when you consider how consumers are gravitating to a more value-driven influencer model,” explained Hays Formella, principal social media strategist for The Food Group. “Audiences trust creators who provide value through tutorials, entertainment or storytelling. Platforms now reward engaging, original content over follower count, and brands see higher ROI from creators who drive genuine engagement and loyalty.”
Hays pointed out that consumers — especially Gen Zers — increasingly trust relatable creators. “Research shows that while 37% of followers turn to influencers, 60% trust creators who are relatable.4 Relatability provides the path to conversions.”
On Course: Creator Content Feeds the Bottom Line
Brands are leveling up to creator-led content because audiences are more likely to take action when the content feels genuine, not forced. The proof is in the performance, with 64% of consumers repeatedly purchasing based on a creator’s recommendation or review.4
2025: Here We Grow!5
- Creator-generated content is expected to overtake traditional media in ad revenue.
- Content creator revenue through ads, brand deals and sponsorships will increase by 20%.
- Rising creator income reflects a huge global change in viewing habits and media consumption.
Size Matters: Maximizing Returns with Midtier Creators
Bigger isn’t better when it comes to content creators.
Sure, long-term partnerships with creators who boast 300,000 to 1 million followers are still common. But more cost-effective midtier creators with 100,000 to 300,000 followers are generating the highest returns due to their authenticity, targeted reach and the strong sense of community they foster.5
With their higher engagement rates and lower price tags, midtier content creators tend to be better for the bottom line than top-tier influencers.
Small Is a Big Deal: Micro-creators deliver 2.4–6.7 times greater engagement than macro-influencers.4
Social Surge: A Taste for TikTok and More
TikTok takes the cake as the top platform for creator marketing, surpassing Instagram for the first time as the preferred platform for content creators. Thirty-one percent of creators consider it the most creator-friendly platform, and 68% say it’s the platform they use most frequently.2
TikTok’s unique algorithm prioritizes engagement rates over follower counts, enabling brands to target audiences with the authentic, short-form content younger consumers favor. As a video-driven platform, TikTok holds special appeal for content creators. Sixty-seven percent increased their use of video content last year, particularly short-form formats like TikTok videos.2
That said, platform diversification is a must for mitigating regulatory and algorithm risks like a potential TikTok ban and expanding opportunities for engagement and monetization across YouTube, newsletters, podcast, Substack and other channels.
Smarter Is Better: AI Serves Up Creative Solutions
Brands will increasingly leverage AI to make content easier to produce, identify content creators who can deliver the desired target audience and open up new creative horizons.
The opportunity is endless. Burger King partnered with Emmanuel Duverneau (@Emmanuel Duverneau), Sophie Saldana (@sophiesophss) and other content creators to promote the brand’s “Million Dollar Whopper” contest. The creators used an AI-powered website to build their burger ideas and shared them on TikTok and other social platforms, driving user-generated content and boosting reach.
“AI keeps lowering the barrier to content creation, giving content creators the power to generate better and better content with less effort,” said Megan Keleshian, vice president of digital marketing for The Food Group. “As the tools continue to get more intuitive and accessible, content creation is sure to expand and take the creator economy to new heights.”
For more insights into the evolution of influencer marketing, be sure to sink your teeth into “A Feast of Possibilities: What B2B Influencer Marketing Brings to the Table” and “Harnessing User-Generated Content: The Key to Authentic Engagement and Increased Brand Loyalty.”
1 Holliday, Cerys, “The Creator Economy Will Fuel The Future of Advertising,” Creative Salon, July 28, 2025
2 Social Native, “7 Key Creator Marketing Statistics for 2025,” November 21, 20241 Holliday, Cerys, “The Creator Economy Will Fuel The Future of Advertising,” Creative Salon, July 28, 2025
3 Kumar, Nuveen, “32+ Creator Economy Statistics of 2025 (Market Size Data),” Demandsage, June 25, 2025
4 McKenzie, Chad, “Creator economy vs influencer marketing: Why smart brands are making the switch in 2025,” impact.com, 2025
5 Savage, Michael, “Social media creators to overtake traditional media in ad revenue this year,” The Guardian, June 9, 2025