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The creator economy is gearing up to be significant change over the next year – from the rise of AI and creator-owned businesses to the growth of long-term brand partnerships and the adoption of long-term content.
As a whole, the creator economy continues to transform significantly, moving from simple influencer marketing to a more complex and integrated ecosystem. All signs point to influencer marketing maturing as brands and creators move toward long-term brand ambassador programs that replace one-off collaborations with influencers.
As more business opportunities emerge for creators, the industry is also seeing an increase in business opportunities for them – from starting their own brands and stores to hiring talent agents to expand. There could be a potential upheaval in the social media landscape at the start of the year TikTok is approaching a ban or sale deadline.
“The creator economy is entering a transformational phase,” said Ed East, founder and CEO of influencer group Billion Dollar Boy.
Here they are four topics affecting the maker sector in 2025.
AI strategies are taking shape
Whether it’s generative AI avatars, the creator workflow, or the content creation process, companies and creators will continue to test new products. Next year, the industry could get a clearer picture of where these efforts will lead.
AI is already creating entirely new types of creators, including AI-generated personalities that blur the lines between reality and artificiality. Dave Snyder, partner and head of design at digital studio Siberia, believes that more “AI-created personas will quietly take over social platforms. [as they] will become indistinguishable from human creators by the end of 2025.
Makers also tend to embrace experimentation and new technologies faster than other industries, and the way they integrate AI platforms will continue to evolve. Roee Zelcer, CEO of creator management platform Humanz US, adds that “creators will now need to explore more sophisticated ways to use AI to excel” in their creative processes, rather than using standalone tools.
But experts also point to ethical concerns about how authenticity is affected or how harmful content can spread. Snyder asks, “What happens when the voices shaping our culture, values, and purchasing decisions are nothing more than algorithms with a human face? Is this the future of information or disinformation?
The creator is basically their own media company these days. As creators mature professionally, they hire talent agencies, build their own teams, launch their own brands, TV shows and stores. They are expanding their content channels beyond social media through podcasts, in-person events and newsletters.
“Influencers are no longer just product ambassadors – they’re becoming an integral part of a brand’s strategy,” said Gabby Gamad, COO of digital marketing agency LV8.
Major creators like Kai Cenat or MrBeast have already become media brands in their own right, with their own teams, products, partnerships and brand deals – and consumer and brand appetite continues to grow. According to Billion Dollar Boy, 88% of creators have created a product or service, and 93% of marketers plan to launch a co-created product or service with a creator in the future.
“Next year looks set to shift gears,” added Neil Waller, co-founder of creative agency Whalar Group. Waller mentioned that the agency has seen professional creators with managers increase from about 20% to 75% over the past year.
Long-form content is still on the rise
FROM video podcasts to episodic series creators, long content is experiencing a renaissance. It turns out there’s an audience for two-hour podcast videos like Joe Rogan’s, and brands are starting to come up with more ways to integrate that content for creators. Going forward, we can perhaps expect more product placement and creator content that will be more aligned with marketing cycles, Waller explained.
“The creators are now saying, here’s the series I’m going to do next year,” Waller told Digiday. “I know I’ll be doing four episodes a quarter in this format. That’s a very different thing for a brand to be able to support and engage with instead of, like, ‘I don’t know how to work with this creator, or I have to commission them to do something specific to my brand.'”
Some short-form content is also evolving into longer, more narrative formats, with creators creating episodic content and exploring TV series formats.
“Short-form content is evolving into a TV season-like format, with brands sponsoring entire seasons and creating new engagement opportunities,” said James Brownstein, founder of influencer relations agency Poster Child.
Ryan Horrigan, president of production company London Alley Studios, also mentioned that creators are increasingly creating content that “will look like indie TV and indie films on YouTube.”
What will happen to TikTok?
While TikTok remains an important part of the creator space, the platform faces uncertainty in the US in the new year. Whether the sale or ban ends or not, TikTok’s impact on AI, social commerce and short videos is undeniable. Many creators are also diversifying their content across multiple platforms at this point, so if TikTok goes away, their following can migrate as well.
Suffice to say, creators and brands will continue to invest in social commerce as more and more people shop on social media and test live shopping features. However, platforms like TikTok also need to balance and be careful not to overwhelm users with shopping content and product recommendations. If the balance between engaging content and commerce becomes too sales-focused, it could lead to content fatigue and drive users away.
“With the continued rise of social commerce on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the entire shopping journey is now in consumers’ pockets,” said Olivia McNaughten, senior director of product marketing and partnerships at influencer marketing platform Grin.
