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Creators know how to seize the moment.

After an influx in 2020, the creator economy has continued to grow, and each day bold individuals build audiences, create content, and leave their 9-to-5s behind. We asked more than 1,200 creators about their plans for the year ahead—here’s what we learned.

01

There’s a new wave of full-time creators

Nearly half of the creators in our survey started building their audience in the last two years, and this new wave of creators is entering an established industry. 39% of creators work on their business full-time, and in the past year alone, 15% of creators left ”traditional“ 9-to-5 roles to pursue their creator business professionally.

Most of these creators balance multiple roles from day one of their creator journeys. Half of part-time and hobbyist creators also have a full-time job, while 20% of that group juggle creating alongside a part-time position.

Chart 1 - State of the Creator Economy Report
Despite the rise of social media content creation, blogging remains the top creator type.
02

Income growth is the top priority for creators this year

Growing an audience and an income are essential parts of a thriving creator business, but one is a bit more top of mind this year—money.

Last year, 28% of creators said their top priority was audience growth, followed by 22% whose top priority was income growth. This year, the tables have turned, and 33% of creators will prioritize income, followed by 25% who are all in on audience growth.

Setting priorities is the first step to success—creators who used total revenue to track success tended to make more last year than those who focused on follower count.

Chart 2 - State of the Creator Economy Report
Creators are optimistic about growing their income in 2023.

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Explore the most popular (and high-earning) creator niches, learn what marketing channels the pros prefer, discover whether creators are satisfied with their work, and more in the free report.

03

Creator collaborations

are on the rise as a way to generate income and network

Being a creator is often a solitary pursuit, with nearly half of the creator economy running businesses without employees or contractors. Creators aren’t alone, though.

Creator collaborations, like joint webinars or promoting one another to their audiences, are an ideal way to network, build community, and increase income. Creators earning over $100K were most likely to say that collaboration and partnerships were their preferred way to network and build community.

Overall, 60% of creators ranked collaborations as one of their top ways to engage with other creators, and 22% said creator collaborations were one of their best income-generating streams last year.

Other creators are catching on to the benefits of community over competition, with 10% of creators indicating that collaborations and partnerships are the income stream they’re most interested in adding this year, which is on par with advertising as a preferred income stream.

Chart 3 - State of the Creator Economy Report
22% said creator collaborations were one of their best income-generating streams last year
04

Are Creators Using AI?

It’s too soon to tell if AI will transform the creator economy, but there’s cautious curiosity so far. Around 1 in 3 creators used AI tools last year, and 51% want to try it this year. AI can fit into the creator workflow in many places, but editing was the most common.

Despite the interest, there’s still uncertainty. 30% of creators said they lack familiarity with AI tools, and 22% feel they’re too expensive. 11% of creators are concerned about keeping content original in the AI age.

Chart 4 - State of the Creator Economy Report
Despite the rise of AI, creators are still hesitant to start integrating AI toward their content.

Get the full report

Explore the most popular (and high-earning) creator niches, learn what marketing channels the pros prefer, discover whether creators are satisfied with their work, and more in the free report.