ConvertKit just released their 2022 State of the Creator Economy report.
They surveyed over 2,500 creators to get their insights on how they run their business, how they make money, and more.
These are my top 7 takeaways:
The most common types of creators who make it full-time are educators & coaches
My thought: More teachers are going to become creators to escape the education system that has left them underpaid, while being able to reach way more students
Of those who make it full-time, they typically talk about business and entrepreneurship
Those who create more "passion" content have remained hobbyists
My thought: Monetizing passions is hard & can take the joy out of it. People want to learn "how" to do something
A majority of full-time creators began building their audience 3-5+ years ago
My thought: Do everything you can to keep playing the game . . take on part-time work, stay at your 9-5, etc. Financial success doesn't come until you've put in the work
Digital products & services are the top 2 income streams for creators earning both over $50k and $150k
My thought: New creators aiming to go full-time need to focus on engagement rather than reach bc to create a successful product, you have to know your audience
63% of full-time creators have hired help~28% of full-time creators worked 40+ hours per week
My thought: Going solo can be freeing, but hiring a freelancer or full-time help can increase sustainability
61% of creators experienced burnout and 46% report the pressure to post everywhere as a cause
My thought: More creators will transition into creating episodic content, somewhat mirroring traditional media. Also aiming to monetize outside of just content creation
Full-time creators who made over $150,000 also reported the highest happiness levels
My thought: Money + enjoyable career = happiness? 👀 As a society, we need to figure out what "enough" means to us, and then aim to build a career that can sustainably support it
