Issue 5
October 23rd, 2025
This week showed us that the creator economy isn't just growing—it's maturing into something entirely different. The big story? Commerce and content are no longer separate things. Instagram's rolling out new features, YouTube's doubling down on shopping integrations, and major investment dollars are flowing into creator-commerce startups. Even MrBeast is getting into fintech.
But here's what really caught my attention: a new report projects 1.1 billion creators by 2033. That's not a typo. To put it in perspective, that's more than 40 times the number of healthcare professionals in America. This isn't a side hustle economy anymore—it's a fundamental shift in how people work and build businesses.
The message is clear: creators who figure out how to blend content with commerce, who build real businesses with diverse revenue streams, and who treat their audience as a community (not just followers) will be the ones who thrive. The tools are here, the platforms are ready, and the opportunity has never been bigger.
Biggest News This Week
The creator landscape was particularly busy this week. Instagram rolled out several long‑awaited features, YouTube doubled down on commerce, major investment dollars flowed into creator‑commerce startups and even MrBeast started setting the stage for a fintech venture. At the same time, platforms and industry bodies signaled shifts in safety and monetization models that will shape how creators work heading into 2026.
The biggest change is the growing convergence of content and shopping. YouTube is leaning hard into shoppable videos through new partnerships and a data‑rich report, ShopMy raised another huge round on the back of affiliate‑commerce growth, and the New York Times is launching a TikTok‑style feed. Together these moves show that platforms and publishers are betting that short‑form, creator‑driven video will be where the next wave of commerce happens.
Did You Know?
Audio is (quietly) crushing it. Audacy’s new “Creator Effect” report (or just read the short version) shows that 61 % of radio audiences tune in specifically for DJs and hosts, and 55 % say they listen for companionship. Podcast listeners are even more engaged: 76 % have bought a product after hearing their favorite host talk about it and they’re “100 % more likely” to trust endorsements from voices they know. The takeaway: don’t sleep on voice‑first creators – trust and intimacy translate directly into sales.
Essential Reads
And people say this industry isn’t serious! 1.1 billion creators in less than 10 years. To put that in perspective: one of the top jobs in America, healthcare, includes ~25 million professionals. Wow!
I also love this quote, very first paragraph: “If you still think the “creator economy” is a cottage industry of influencers with ring lights, you’re already behind. The next seven years will be defined by two things: creators professionalizing into full-fledged media companies and legacy media and brands retooling themselves to act like creators. And AI is the accelerant in both directions.”
The report this article is based on doesn’t appear to be publicly available, but you can read the highlights in a recent LinkedIn post from one of the authors, Ben Woods.
Kicks off today with tons of amazing speakers – both on the creator and influencer marketing sides. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s as "Europe's #1 Creator Economy Event," CreatorFest Europe in London is focused on professionalizing the industry. Headlining the event is entrepreneur and creator Grace Beverley, who will share her blueprint for brand building, alongside speakers from YouTube, TikTok, Adobe, Unilever, and L'Occitane. Key sessions for creators include a "Monetisation Masterclass" that unpacks how creators actually make money, a panel on building community "From Online to IRL," and a discussion on whether authentic creator content is the key to breaking through AI-generated "slop”
Unfortunately this appears to be in person only, so if you’re not in London right now you’re probably going to miss it. But, something to consider adding to your calendar for next year! And don’t forget to follow the speakers on social, they’ll likely be posting a lot about their talks and discussions that came out of the conference.
Check out this data‑driven visualization of how creators, platforms, studios and tools interact. It uses an “Engagement Quality” metric (30‑day engagement-to-follower ratio) to distinguish true influence from vanity metrics. Interesting stuff!
If you felt like your Story views were mysteriously dropping, you weren't crazy. Instagram confirmed and fixed a bug that penalized the reach of users who posted multiple Stories a day. You can now post freely again without fear of suppression.
Landing brand deals just got easier on TikTok. The Creator Marketplace now has a "Portfolio" section, giving you a dedicated space to professionally showcase your best work, key stats, and past collaborations to brands looking to hire.
Forbes nailing CreatorIQ's new tools like SafeIQ and Creator Graph is timely with all the chaos in scaling campaigns—I've seen too many creators struggle with data silos, so this feels personal as a reminder to prioritize AI-driven safety and graphs for smarter brand matches that actually convert.
This trends roundup feels like a cheat sheet for the rest of the year, special now with Q4 looming—my take is the push for co-creation and long-form content is spot on, as I've seen creators kill it by launching their own lines instead of just shilling, and AI's role in speeding things up is a lifesaver.