Influencer, a global marketing agency, recently released new research highlighting key insights into the creator economy from the perspective of content creators themselves. The “Creator Perspectives” report combines AI-powered social listening with survey data from over 500 creators worldwide to provide strategic guidance for brands entering the creator marketing space.
Despite widespread optimism about the creator economy, with 72% of creators feeling positive about the future of their platforms, the research reveals that content creation remains predominantly a side hustle. The report indicates that 88% of creators do not rely on content creation as their primary source of income. Even among top-tier “hero” or “mega star” creators, only 25% create content full-time.
At Adwanted’s recent “The Future of Brands” conference in London, Luke Barnes, President of EMEA at Influencer, and Caspar Lee, YouTuber & Influencer’s Chief Vision Officer, explored “Creator Perspectives” and the importance of a creator-first approach for brands.
Lee noted that the industry has changed significantly since 2010, when he began his YouTube career. “We went down this road of creators becoming slightly more and more professional and people becoming full-time creators,” Lee said, adding that many successful creators now pursue additional ventures beyond content creation.
Misaligned Expectations Create Friction
The research identified a perceived disconnect between creators and brands regarding priorities. While creators rank engagement as their top key performance indicator (KPI) and creativity as their second most important metric, they believe brands prioritize engagement but place less value on creativity.
Other pain points identified in the research include misaligned expectations around creative constraints, unrealistic deadlines, and excessive content revisions. According to the report, these misalignments create friction in brand-creator relationships.
Lee shared that his best brand partnership experiences came when brands listened to him and understood his content style. “I was able to help meet what they were looking for, and they could come and meet what I wanted,” he explained, describing a successful campaign with Maltesers chocolate that incorporated the brand into his existing prank war content series.
Creators Prefer Guidelines Over Complete Freedom
Contrary to the common assumption that creators desire complete creative control, the report found that 58% prefer having brand guidelines to follow. Only 21% expressed a preference for complete creative license, while 21% remained neutral on the issue.
Lee explained this finding by noting that guidelines can provide creative inspiration and help avoid excessive revisions later. “I think it’s about everyone understanding exactly what you’re about to do before you do it,” he said, emphasizing the importance of alignment before content creation begins.
Strategic Recommendations for Brands
Based on the research, Influencer recommends that brands share their broader marketing objectives with creators, not just campaign-specific goals. “Creators actually do care about that—they want to know whether or not you’re after story clicks, brand uplift, or saves,” Lee explained.
The report also suggests that providing examples of desired content, particularly examples from the creator’s existing portfolio, can effectively communicate expectations. “This really gets creators going when you’ve actually done some research on what they’re good at,” Lee added.
Influencer, a global marketing agency, recently released new research highlighting key insights into the creator economy from the perspective of content creators themselves. The “Creator Perspectives” report combines AI-powered social listening with survey data from over 500 creators worldwide to provide strategic guidance for brands entering the creator marketing space.
Despite widespread optimism about the creator economy, with 72% of creators feeling positive about the future of their platforms, the research reveals that content creation remains predominantly a side hustle. The report indicates that 88% of creators do not rely on content creation as their primary source of income. Even among top-tier “hero” or “mega star” creators, only 25% create content full-time.
At Adwanted’s recent “The Future of Brands” conference in London, Luke Barnes, President of EMEA at Influencer, and Caspar Lee, YouTuber & Influencer’s Chief Vision Officer, explored “Creator Perspectives” and the importance of a creator-first approach for brands.
Lee noted that the industry has changed significantly since 2010, when he began his YouTube career. “We went down this road of creators becoming slightly more and more professional and people becoming full-time creators,” Lee said, adding that many successful creators now pursue additional ventures beyond content creation.
Misaligned Expectations Create Friction
The research identified a perceived disconnect between creators and brands regarding priorities. While creators rank engagement as their top key performance indicator (KPI) and creativity as their second most important metric, they believe brands prioritize engagement but place less value on creativity.
Other pain points identified in the research include misaligned expectations around creative constraints, unrealistic deadlines, and excessive content revisions. According to the report, these misalignments create friction in brand-creator relationships.
Lee shared that his best brand partnership experiences came when brands listened to him and understood his content style. “I was able to help meet what they were looking for, and they could come and meet what I wanted,” he explained, describing a successful campaign with Maltesers chocolate that incorporated the brand into his existing prank war content series.
Creators Prefer Guidelines Over Complete Freedom
Contrary to the common assumption that creators desire complete creative control, the report found that 58% prefer having brand guidelines to follow. Only 21% expressed a preference for complete creative license, while 21% remained neutral on the issue.
Lee explained this finding by noting that guidelines can provide creative inspiration and help avoid excessive revisions later. “I think it’s about everyone understanding exactly what you’re about to do before you do it,” he said, emphasizing the importance of alignment before content creation begins.
Strategic Recommendations for Brands
Based on the research, Influencer recommends that brands share their broader marketing objectives with creators, not just campaign-specific goals. “Creators actually do care about that—they want to know whether or not you’re after story clicks, brand uplift, or saves,” Lee explained.
The report also suggests that providing examples of desired content, particularly examples from the creator’s existing portfolio, can effectively communicate expectations. “This really gets creators going when you’ve actually done some research on what they’re good at,” Lee added.