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
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.”
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
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
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.
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