6. Commercial, TV & Film

7. Guest Writing & Editorial Contributions

8. Full-Time Employment

The creator economy has matured well past the era of sponsored posts being a creator’s only income stream. As the industry grows, more brands are investing in influencers in a much bigger way, meaning that today’s top creators are turning into multi-hyphenate entrepreneurs building businesses with real staying power. Brand deals remain a part of the mix, but they’re no longer the whole story.

Creators are seeing the need to diversify their income streams because brand deals are inherently volatile. Between creator economy saturation, algorithm changes, budget cuts, and brand pivots, creators need multiple streams of income. From digital products to book deals, a new class of creator-entrepreneurs who use their audience as a launchpad is emerging.

People using social media are craving community, so it’s no surprise that in-person events are something that more and more creators are investing their energy into. Events put the creator fully in control, and they allow online communities to meet in real life and fostering even stronger relationships.

Jacklyn Romano, a creator and the founder of Sweat & Sculpt by Jac, created her fitness pop-up business directly from her online community. It was a natural extension of her influencer background, giving her the perfect foundation to host these events. She already knew what her audience wanted before she ever asked them to buy a ticket.

“The events have become a significant and rapidly growing portion of my income,” says Romano, “It’s transformed my business from being solely dependent on brand deals to having a diversified and much more stable income model.”

Creators have professional skills that brands desperately want, which is why we’re seeing more and more of them packaging those skills as services.

Jayde Powell, a freelance social media creative, turned creating content online into a diverse business where she........

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