CreatorIQ IDs The Top Creator Economy Trends of 2022

Influencer marketing platform, CreatorIQ — the trusted software partner for brands like AB InBev, Disney, Sephora, and Unilever — today unveiled the results of a brand/influencer survey identifying the top trends advancing the Creator Economy in 2022. 

“Over the past two years, the Creator Economy has blossomed into an undeniable cultural force that has changed marketing and business strategies around the globe,” said CreatorIQ COO Tim Sovay. “Creators have the power to transform industries, platforms, and even boardroom conversations, so savvy marketers need to know how the landscape ahead is changing, and what’s causing it to change. We’ve observed these developments closely and developed the top trends that will impact brands focused on influencer marketing over the next year.”

CreatorIQ and its newly acquired subsidiary Tribe Dynamics surveyed 150 brands and 200 creators to identify the priorities, practices, and preparations that will define the next 12 months. The results span everything from budgets and compensation, to activation formats and platforms, to the emerging dominance of social commerce. 

They include: 

Increasing Budgets

Brands are dedicating ever-increasing budgets and company resources toward creator marketing campaigns.

• 66% of brands reported spending more on creator marketing in the past year.
• 52% noted that their creator marketing teams have expanded.
• 59% of brands cited “inadequate budgets,” and 66% cited inadequate personnel resources as a roadblock to their success.

Where might these resources be deployed? Creator discovery and retention practices ranked highly: 

• 58% of brands ranked creator discovery among the top three most important aspects of their influencer programs (up from 34% in 2020), while also ranking creator retention among the three most important aspects of their earned media programs. 

Creators Are Getting Paid

Not only are creators recognizing the value they generate for brands (and thus demanding payment in return), but brands are recognizing the same, and are happy to pay for the benefit. 

• 94% of brands reported compensating at least a portion of their creator partners for sponsored content.
• 25% to 75% of brands’ creator marketing budgets are dedicated to compensating creators.
• 50% reported that their proportion of paid creators increased over the past year. 

While creators want to be paid, they’re wary of “selling out,” with many citing “genuine brand affinity” as a prerequisite for paid relationships. 

• Only 7% would work with brands they thought had lower-quality products if paid enough to do so. 
• 31% of creators would only work with brands that they “genuinely love.”
• 61% would work with a brand whose products they liked, even if that brand wasn’t one of their favorites. 

Social Commerce Rising

As brands invest more in creator marketing, the need to drive bottom-of-funnel sales goals increases. Among the leading tactics are affiliate links and discount codes. 

• 94% of brands provided creators with either discount codes or affiliate links to share with their followers. 
• 50% said the tactic proved “very successful.”

TikTok & Instagram Stories Lead The Way

While Instagram and Instagram Stories continue to command respect, TikTok has forced marketers to rethink their traditional methods for finding and engaging with customers, creators, and advocates. 

• 96% of brands and 88% of creators reported regularly using Instagram Stories
• 46% of brands and 42% of creators reported regularly using TikTok.

As 2022 marches forward, brands and content creators will continue rewriting the rules of the Creator Economy, with brands hustling to take advantage along the way. For more comprehensive data on the trends currently shaping the industry, and insights on how the space has changed over the past year, download our full report today.