Scroll down for 23+ stats about content entrepreneurs in the creator economy.

What is the creator economy?

The creator economy is a world where creators make money directly through their audiences. They monetize their audience through different revenue streams, including:

• Platform payments (YouTube ads, Twitch affiliate status, etc.)
• Advertising on their websites and in their content products, such as newsletters
• Brand sponsorships 
• Paid subscribers and communities
• Follower and fan contributions
• Affiliate marketing – creators earn commission when their audience purchases products through provided links
• Content product offerings (courses, videos, books, etc.)
• Coaching and consulting

Is the creator economy made up of influencers?

Yes and no. Influencers are only part. Adobe estimates influencers make up only 14% of the creator economy. Content entrepreneurs are a growing segment of the creator economy.

What are content entrepreneurs?

Here’s a detailed definition of a content entrepreneur from Joe Pulizzi, founder of The Tilt – a newsletter to help content creators build their business – and the Creator Economy Expo (CEX) – an annual event for serious content creators. 

A content entrepreneur:

• Delivers consistent information to a group of people, with plans to build a loyal audience and then monetize that audience over time.
• Creates content products to build a long-term, successful business (not as a hobby).
• Begins primarily on one channel (as a podcaster, a blogger, a YouTuber) and then diversifies into many channels.
• Generates revenue from their audience in multiple ways.

23+ Stats on the Creators and Entrepreneurs

These stats come from research published in 2021 and 2022.

Creators in the creator economy

• 303 million creators operate in the global creator economy. (source)
• 17% of creators are business owners, while 39% aspire to become one. (source)
• 6 in 10 creators also have a full-time job. (source)
• Creators who create content daily or at least 10 hours a week report being the happiest overall. (source)

Operating in the creator economy

• Most common challenges experienced by creators operating businesses in the creator economy (source)
• Securing brand partnerships (58%) 
• Receiving timely payments (50%)
• Negotiating contracts (48%)
• Maintaining brand sponsorships (46%)
• Securing brand approval for content (38%)
• Developing content for brand promotion (36%)

• 40% of creators strongly agree their primary platform helps them grow their business. (source)
• 55% of creators team up on projects with other content creators.  (source)
• 36% of creators hire contractors to help in their business. (source)
• 34% of creators struggle with boundaries and burnout. (source)

Creator economy revenue

• 41% of content creators earn $50,000 or more a year (source)
• 55.3% of creator revenue comes from brand partnerships (source)
• 33% of creator revenue comes from follower contributions (source)
• 32.2% of creator revenue comes from platform payments (source)
• Of creators in business one to two years:

• 35% earn less than $1,000
• 36% earn $1,000 to $10,000
• 9% earn between $10,000 and $25,000
• 5% earn between $25,000 and $50,000
• Only 6% earn over $50,000 (source)

• Of creators in business three to four years:
• 22% earn less than $1,000
• 25% earn between $1,000 to $10,000
• 18% earn between $10,000 and $25,000
• 15% earn between $25,000 and $50,000
• 20.58% earn over $50,000  (source)

• 63% of surveyed social media users had tipped a creator at least once. Of those, 37% usually tip nothing, while 18% usually tip $10 to $20. (source)
• 58% of surveyed social media users are interested in paying a subscription fee in the next year to receive exclusive content from their favorite influencers, with 23% indicating they would pay $4 to $7 a month. (source)

Content entrepreneurs in the creator economy

• 99% of content entrepreneurs do not regret their decision to become a creator. (source)
• 51% of full-time content entrepreneurs earn enough revenue to support at least one person. (source)
• 17 months is the average time it takes a content entrepreneur to earn enough revenue to support one person. (source)
• 50% of full-time content entrepreneurs spend half their time on the business side, including promotion, marketing, sales, and administration/operations. (source)
• 61% of content entrepreneurs use newsletters to reach their audiences. (source)
• Most popular revenue streams for content entrepreneurs: 
• Consulting and coaching (62%)
• Online courses/workshops (39%)
• Books (27%)
• Affiliate marketing/links (23%)
• Speaking fees (21%) (source)

• 94% of content entrepreneurs say a four-year degree is not required to become a successful creator. (source)
• One-third of content entrepreneurs say they struggle with burnout. (source)

Web3 stats

• 1 in 2 creators believes NFTs will be at least “somewhat relevant” to their business. (source)
• 1 in 6 creators uses NFTs as a revenue source. (source)

YouTube impact on creator businesses

Note: This research was published in 2020.

• 66% of creators with 50K+ subscribers say they can build a self-sustainable business on the platform. (source)
• 57% of creative entrepreneurs say YouTube brought them additional opportunities away from the platform. (source)
• 80% of creators agree YouTube helps them reach international audiences they wouldn’t have access to. (source)
• 73% of creators who average at least 35 hours per week on their channel agree the YouTube community encourages them to create “diverse and innovative” content. (source)

Resources

• Adobe’s Future of Creativity Study (2022)
• Deloitte’s The Creator Economy: What Makes Creators Tick (2022)
• Influencer Marketing Hub’s Creator Earnings: Benchmark Report 2022
• Influencer Marketing Hub’s Creator Economy Report (2021 – registration required to download)
• MBO Partners’ State of Independence 2021: Welcome to the Creator Economy (2021)
• Oxford Economics The State of the Creator Economy (2020)
• SignalFire’s Creator Economy Market Map (undated)
• The Tilt’s Content Entrepreneur Benchmark Research (2022)

Have a resource or stat to suggest? Let us know at Tilt@TheTilt.com.

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