Creator Economy Trends of 2025 📈

The new year is approaching, bringing one of my favorite rituals: reflecting on the past year and forecasting what comes next.

Based on my experience as a creator and marketer, and what I’ve observed across the industry, here are my 10 key trends for 2025.

I also shared many of these in a keynote I delivered at The Brand Advocacy Summit this past fall — I’ve included a video recording of that talk down below.

Keep an eye out for my 2026 predictions later this week, and make sure you’re subscribed to have them delivered straight to your inbox.

The year 2025 is set to mark the first time creator platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will surpass traditional media in ad revenue, a crucial milestone that represents the continued migration of audience attention and marketing budgets toward creators and the platforms they utilize.

As a result, legacy media is scrambling to stay relevant by leaning into personality-led content and formats native to social platforms. Examples of this adaptation include adding short-form video experiences into their apps, such as CNN and The New York Times, hiring creator talent, and building out their own network of creators, similar to what The Washington Post is currently pursuing.

Ultimately, the revenue impact of creators and these platforms makes disruptive talent, engaging formats, and social distribution no longer optional for legacy media, but a strategic necessity.

Nearly every major platform, including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Snapchat, made coordinated pushes to facilitate creator-brand partnerships. These efforts included strengthening creator marketplaces, integrating with third-party influencer marketing platforms, launching more creator-led advertising formats, and simplifying the process of turning organic brand mentions into paid ads. YouTube was among the most aggressive after years of taking a more passive role.

According to the IAB’s 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report, the majority of the estimated $37 billion in U.S. creator ad spend in 2025 came from amplification spend, whether running creator content as paid ads on-platform or off-platform, or running ads adjacent to creator content. This amplification spend notably outweighs revenue from direct creator partnerships.

With creator content consistently outperforming brand creative in paid media and amplification helping brands and agencies drive clearer outcomes and stronger measurement, these platform investments will spill over into 2026.

Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez announced plans to increase social media ad spend from 30 percent to 50 percent of total advertising while working with dramatically more influencers, potentially activating one influencer in each municipal region in key markets.

SharkNinja reported that 40 percent of its advertising budget goes toward social media, creators, and product placements. The company also opened a new office in New York with dedicated spaces for internal teams and creators to produce content. More brands are also investing in agency of records (AORs) for social media and creator marketing.

Social-first is no longer a buzzword; it is the default operating model. Creators are playing a large role in this shift, which spans creating content on behalf of brands, producing content for their own and social channels, and, more recently, partnering with brands to shape creative direction and execution from the beginning.

While LTK pioneered this model years ago, 2025 saw widespread adoption across major retailers like Best Buy, Lowe’s, Sephora, and The Home Depot.

These storefronts are dedicated spaces on brand or retailer websites where creators curate products and earn commissions when they drive sales. The rise of creator storefronts reflects growing demand for performance-based partnerships, stronger attribution, and increased participation in affiliate programs.

Nearly every brand and retailer will eventually launch some version of a shop-by-creator experience. These programs build trust, close the attribution loop, and give brands direct access to valuable consumer data.

The convergence of social media and television accelerated in 2025. YouTube has fully cemented its role as the new TV, with creators rivaling traditional studios in both production output and viewership.

Streaming platforms are taking notice. Amazon renewed another season of Beast Games with MrBeast. Netflix licensed content from creators like Ms. Rachel and Mark Rober and signed a deal with Spotify to bring video podcasts to the platform in 2026. Tubi launched a creator program to add more creator content to its library, while Samsung introduced FAST channels featuring creators.

Creators are investing in TV-like, episodic content for short-form platforms as well. Platforms are responding: Instagram just launched a dedicated TV experience on Amazon Fire TV devices in the U.S., and TikTok is reportedly developing a revamped TV app focused on higher-quality, long-form content.

As platforms compete for attention across screens, expanding video distribution benefits creators. This move also reinforces that every video platform is now competing for the same finite pool of viewer eyeballs.

Platforms began giving users more control over what content is recommended to them. TikTok launched Manage Topics, and Instagram followed with Your Algorithm. Similar features are being tested or rolled out across YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Spotify, and X.

While chronological feeds are not coming back, platforms are finding a middle ground.

Advances in AI allow feeds to better understand content context beyond captions or interactions, resulting in more personalized and dynamic experiences. This may improve engagement but will also contribute to further fragmentation across social media and the broader internet.

Messaging received increased product investment across platforms, reflecting the growing importance of private social behavior.

Instagram moved DMs front and center across the app. Nearly 70,000 Reels are shared every minute, and 85 percent of content shared via DMs is Reels. TikTok expanded messaging capabilities and launched one-to-many messaging features like Creator Chats and Bulletin Board. LinkedIn made it easier to share posts via messages. YouTube is also bringing back DMs. Spotify also entered into the world of DMs.

Messaging is now a space for discovery, not just communication. Creators and marketers must create content that people want to share privately, not just engage with publicly.

In 2025, competition intensified not just between platforms, but across standalone video editing tools. Instagram launched Edits mid-year, quickly becoming a favorite among creators. CapCut remains widely used, though it faced backlash over its terms of service, prompting some creators to explore alternatives. The platform did launch an integration with LinkedIn, tapping into a pool of B2B creators, though. Adobe Premiere arrived on iPhone, bringing professional editing tools to mobile, and partnered with YouTube on a dedicated Shorts workflow. YouTube also renewed its focus on its own dedicated app in YouTube Create, adding new features and launching an iPhone app this week.

With short-form video essential to every platform, companies recognize they must provide creation tools, whether through native apps, partnerships, or integrations, to keep creators producing content for their ecosystems.

While LinkedIn was last year’s breakout platform, Substack took the spotlight in 2025. The platform saw a surge of independent writers, creators, celebrities, and brands launching publications.

While newsletters remain at its core, Substack now functions more like a social platform, with Notes, live streaming, and community features reshaping the experience. Yet the most notable update came recently, with Substack revealing its test of native sponsorships, a significant pivot from its historically anti-ads stance.

Following a $100 million investment, a future in which Substack facilitates brand partnerships and takes a cut seems increasingly likely as part of efforts to meet investor expectations. Its cultural relevance has made it a must-have platform for creators and brands alike, despite some of the controversy surrounding the platform.

Two of the biggest tech companies, Meta and OpenAI, have launched dedicated experiences for AI-generated content. Meta introduced Vibes, a feed of AI videos within Meta AI. OpenAI followed shortly after with Sora, a standalone app for generating AI video content.

While growth has reportedly slowed since the initial fanfare, neither company is backing down. Meta continues to promote Vibes within Instagram, and OpenAI signed a major deal with Disney, allowing Sora users to generate videos featuring over 200 iconic characters. Google has also entered the space with its experimental app Doppl, which showcases AI-generated models with virtual try-on functionality.

These launches signal the start of a broader era of dedicated AI-generated content experiences, spanning entertainment to commerce. The question remains: will they achieve long-term traction?

Stay tuned for my 2026 predictions later this week. In the meantime, let me know which trends stood out to you the most this year.

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