Creator economy
What is the creator economy?
The creator economy is the market of independent people who make content online and earn from their audience: brand deals, platform ad revenue, subscriptions, courses, merchandise, tips and affiliate commissions. It also covers the tools and platforms built for them.
For brands, it means a large supply of creators in almost every niche, many of whom actively look for sponsors that fit their audience.
Why the creator economy matters
Creators are now a marketing channel in their own right. Understanding how they earn (and what they need from a sponsor) makes it easier to strike deals they want to take.
Related marketing terms
A content creator makes videos, posts, newsletters or podcasts for an online audience and often earns from ads, sponsors and products.
Influencer marketing is paying or partnering with creators who have an engaged audience so they show your product to the people who trust them.
A creator marketplace is a platform where creators list themselves for brand deals and brands browse, contact and pay them in one place.
Affiliate marketing pays partners a commission for each sale or sign-up they send through a tracked link or code, so you only pay for results.