As we end 2024 and enter a new year, the creator economy is projected to grow. As stated in Deloitte’s Creator Economy in 3D report, the creator economy is now projected to represent a $250 billion opportunity. The creator economy encompasses influencers, content creators, celebrities, musicians, chefs, and anyone who creates content online and shares it on digital platforms.

Here are a 5 key insights about the creator economy in 2025:

1. Creator Marketing Is A Top Marketing Investment In 2025

A recent study conducted by LTK x Northwestern University found that 93% of brands reported that they’ll either increase their creator budgets or increase the role of creators in their overall strategy. The surveyed brands also shared that 41% are investing at least half their digital marketing budget on creators and influencers.

2. Brands Plan To Use Creator Content In Connective TV

While boosting creator content on social media has continued to be a part of the brand’s creator/influencer strategy, creator content will start to be leveraged outside of social media platforms. Creator content is used and repurposed across at least four channels within and outside digital media.

About 43% of the brands surveyed in the LTK x Northwestern University study shared that they plan to use creator content in connective TV (CTV) ads.A few other ways brands plan to use creator content include:

– Content marketing (56%)

– Sponsorships (44%)

– Television Advertising (39%)

– Affiliate Marketing (31%)

3. News Influencers Are Rising In Popularity

People may have their favorite beauty or fashion influencers. Still, one type of influencer on the rise is a “news influencer,” as described in a Pews Research Center. News influencers are individuals who share current news, issues, political events, and more on social media. While a news influencer may be a journalist, they may also be an independent content creator without a news organization affiliation.

• According to Pew Research, one in five Americans report that they regularly get their news from social media influencers.
• Over two-thirds of news influencers are men (63%)
• The platforms news influencers typically are on are X (Twitter), Instagram, and Youtube. About 85% of news influencers are on X.

4. Gen-Z And Millennial Consumers Reported Having 5-10 “Favored Creators”

Gen-Z and millennials consume more time on social media, about 26%-37% more than other generations, as Deloitte’s Creator Economy in 3D report reported. The two generations shared that there are creators on social media they catch up with, like a favorite TV show.

The average Gen-Z consumer reported having 10 favored creators that they actively seek out for new content and updates, while the average millennial consumer reported having 5 favored creators they engage with.

Some Gen-Z and millennial consumers (45%) report admiring these creators for their lifestyles. These generations shared that these favored creators provide more relatable and personable content on digital platforms compared to what they see in traditional media.

5. Content Creators Help Brands Solve Marketing Challenges Like Brand Awareness

Brands reported that awareness is one of the most important metrics for creator campaigns. 58% of the brands surveyed in the LTK x Northwestern University study shared that creators helped increase brand or product awareness and higher in categories like beauty (72%) and fashion (67%).

Other brand priorities for in working with creators include:

• Generating content
• Loyalty and retention
• Generating sales
• Return on Ad Spend

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