Why is 2025 the ‘year of professionalization’ for the creator economy?
In this week’s episode of Earned, Brit Starr sits down with Jasmine Enberg, VP, Principal Analyst at EMARKETER to answer that question, and so many more.
To start, we dive into the transformative journey of the creator economy. As influencer marketing becomes a more mature industry and marketing function in 2025, Jasmine shares how brands are adopting data-driven strategies to navigate this dynamic space. We explore the profound impact of TikTok's rise, the challenges posed by iOS changes, and the economic uncertainties affecting digital creators. Jasmine emphasizes the importance of platform diversification, urging creators (and brands) to embrace new formats like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels to remain competitive. Looking ahead, the episode highlights the opportunities and hurdles for both seasoned leaders and aspiring creators. Jasmine stresses the significance of adopting a business mindset and finding a unique value proposition in this rapidly evolving digital world. Additionally, we discuss the role of AI in creator marketing, acknowledging its potential to streamline processes while maintaining the irreplaceable essence of human connection. To close the episode, Jasmine shares some advice for both leaders and those aspiring to begin a career in the creator economy.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
Brit Starr: I'm curious if the big mind shift last year was really bringing legitimacy to creators. Again, that shift in most business leaders today understanding that they should be playing in this space. What does 2025 look like? And then, as a second to that, how do some of the forces and factors happening right now influence how the year is shaping up?
Jasmine Enberg: So I've been calling 2025 the ‘year of professionalization’ for the creator economy, and I think that fits in very well with a lot of what you just said. We are seeing brands just get more serious about their influencer marketing strategies. They have more tools, they have more resources, they have more experience, and they're using that to really inform their decisions rather than blindly throwing money at influencer marketing. We are also seeing more serious industries start to lean in, and we're seeing professional B2B creators on LinkedIn really play a strong role. We're also seeing creators themselves get more serious about their content and their businesses, and so they're moving from ad hoc content to more programmed or planned content. That's manifesting in so many different ways, including upfronts that were posted recently. They're also scaling their content and their businesses beyond social media. They're on connected TV (CTV), they're on podcasts, their products are in retail stores. We're entering this more professionalized, broader realm of the creator economy.
There's never been a better time to be a creator, but there's also never been a more difficult time. Technically, it is now easier to build an audience and monetize that audience. But a lot of creators are also realizing that virality doesn't guarantee success and it is, in many ways, harder than ever to go viral. Our social media usage is so much more fragmented, the market is so crowded, and what I see on my For You page is going to be very different from what you see on yours. Just because you have a viral video doesn't necessarily mean you're going to build a successful, sustainable business.
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