The Ultimate Guide: How To Become A Creator
Join 200 million creators building their brands, sharing their passions, and turning creativity into a career. This guide will show you how to start, grow, and thrive as a creator.
Welcome back to another edition of NEW ECONOMIES, which is rooted in my experiences working in venture. We’re living in extraordinary times, the most exciting era ever for technology, with groundbreaking trends emerging constantly that will redefine how we live and work in the future. Join me on this journey, subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES to stay ahead of the curve in technology. We’re just getting started!
NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO BECOME A CREATOR
Following our annual Creator Economy Report, today we are launching The Ultimate Guide: How to Become a Creator—your ultimate resource for getting started, discovering key platforms and tools, and drawing inspiration from success stories to fuel your journey. This guide is designed to empower you to start creating today.
Inside the Ultimate Guide, You’ll Learn:
The Creator Economy now and in the future.
Why now is the best time to become a creator.
How to manage and monetize your fandom.
How to hire: Your first hires, how to find them and what to pay them.
How to select, manage and close brand deals.
How to monetize your content.
This guide is brought to you by:
A SHOUTOUT TO OUR PARTNERS
b.stage
b.stage is a fan engagement platform that helps creators build closer connections with their fans and create steady income by sharing exclusive content, offering memberships, selling products, and hosting digital events. It's a simple yet powerful tool that enables creators to connect with fans, grow their brand, and unlock new revenue opportunities. b.stage is built with everything creators need to manage, grow, and engage with their fans.
Passionfroot
Passionfroot is where creators land sponsorship deals from top brands such as Intercom, HubSpot, Notion, and more. On top of this, Passionfroot gives you all the tools to operate brand deals effectively such as media kits, calendar, payments, and messaging—everything you need to start landing brand deals.
Roster
Roster is an AI hiring platform for content creators and brands. Share references to content styles you like and their algorithm matches you with verified talent you can hire—whether that's Video Editors, Thumbnail Designers, Content Strategists or more.
Skip the Google Forms and endless portfolios—hire your perfect match in 24 hours. Creators like Yes Theory, Nick DiGiovanni, and Jesser trust Roster to build their teams efficiently.
Teachable
Teachable is where seasoned creators around the world build their legacy through education. On Teachable, it’s easy to create high-quality courses, coaching, memberships, and digital downloads that help creators scale their businesses—and truly impact people's lives. With tools designed to grow revenue and drive deeper engagement, creators can confidently move towards real financial freedom, while delivering a learning experience their audience loves.
A big thank you to you all! Now, let’s dive in!
NEW ECONOMIES is primarily reader-supported, with additional support from select sponsors. Stay on top of the latest technology trends and help sustain our work by subscribing—free or paid.
WHAT IS THE CREATOR ECONOMY
The creator economy is the widely growing ecosystem of over 200 million creators who are monetizing their individuality in myriad ways. These creators range from people producing content on platforms like Instagram, Meta, OnlyFans, TikTok, Twitch, and X to those launching paid communities or courses. Creators also choose to monetize their passions by building communities, while others focus on niche hobbies like creating Japanese art or crafting Turkish pottery.
In just a few years, the number of creators has surged from 50 million to 200 million-plus worldwide—and it's expected to keep growing with 70% of Gen Z aiming to become creators as their preferred career choice. The creator market size is expected to double by 2027. Anyone can become a creator, and if you haven't already tried, there has never been a better time to give it a go.
THE CURRENT CREATOR LANDSCAPE
In recent years, the creator economy has experienced its share of highs and lows—including its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic and lows like widespread creator burnout, platforms taking large take rates from creators, and a new challenge that’s now top of mind for many: how can AI safeguard content? Amidst those pressing questions and challenges, the focus for creators is clear as we move through 2025 and beyond: AI, community, and diversifying revenue streams.
These three big themes are fueling big growth.
The number of people becoming creators continues to hit new highs. We believe that in the future, most of us will take on the role of creators—whether as a full-time career or alongside our day-to-day jobs. It’s rapidly becoming the career of choice for many Gen Zers, who prioritize financial independence and entrepreneurial ambition. As we explored in a recent newsletter on how Gen Z is shaping the future, this generation is redefining career paths and influencing the next wave of creators.
WHY YOU SHOULD BECOME A CREATOR
With 200 million creators worldwide, the creator economy is rapidly becoming a preferred path for many. The flexibility to work and live anywhere is a major draw, and for those who find their niche, success can be limitless. Now, with AI, creators have the opportunity to reach a global audience from day one.
At NEW ECONOMIES, we’ve been covering the creator economy for the past four years. As the space continues to evolve, becoming a creator has never been easier—all you need is a camera, a good mic, and the right mindset.
Over the years, we've explored countless resources, but few truly stand out when it comes to how to become a creator. That’s why we decided to create this guide—just for you.
Our goal is to help aspiring creators take their first steps and support existing creators in expanding their creativity.
When crafting the ultimate guide, we knew we had to collaborate with the best brands in the space—those trusted by creators—so we could provide actionable guidance and real how-tos on turning your creative passion into a career.
Let’s help you start your creator journey today.
THE CREATOR ECONOMY: 2025 STARTUP LANDSCAPE
To help you along your journey, we have mapped out the most promising tools to help you succeed, organized into three categories:
Gen AI tools.
Tools that help creators grow and flourish across community, monetization, and everyday support.
Vertical platforms such as gaming and music startups.
Discover the tools in full to help you succeed.
HOW TO BECOME A CREATOR: MANAGING YOUR FANDOM AND HOW YOU CAN MONETIZE
with b.stage
Throughout our previous reports on the creator economy, we have constantly emphasized the importance of creators engaging with their fans. As you cultivate a growing community, leveraging platforms like b.stage will be essential for managing your fandom and scaling your brand effectively.
A quick word on b.stage:
b.stage is a platform that helps creators build closer connections with their fans and create steady income by sharing exclusive content, offering memberships, selling products, and hosting digital events. It's a simple yet powerful tool that enables creators to connect with fans, grow their brand, and unlock new revenue opportunities.
b.stage brings everything creators need into one platform, making it easy to build a strong fan community and grow a sustainable creator business from fan engagement tools to monetization options and detailed business insights.
HOW YOU CAN MONETIZE
Becoming a creator often hinges on monetizing your unique identity. This can be achieved through various channels, such as brand partnerships, community building, event hosting, membership programs, and selling merchandise—from physical products to online courses. Eventually, you might also consider launching your own product or software to further capitalize on your audience.
We take a closer look at how you can monetize and the blueprint on how to actually execute.
When creators are looking to build a stronger direct-to-fan ecosystem, they should consider the following options when choosing a platform such as:
Independent Fan Platform—Establish a dedicated space for fans, separate from traditional social media, where the label controls branding and engagement.
Revenue Diversification—Monetize through memberships, exclusive content, early access to music, digital goods, custom emotes and merch sales without relying on streaming revenue alone.
Creator-Fan Engagement—Enable deeper interactions through live Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, community forums, poll, survey, and direct messaging.
Data Ownership & Analytics—Gain valuable insights into fan behavior, helping to refine marketing strategies and release plans.
Exclusive Content & Experiences—Offer limited-edition releases, pre-sale concert tickets, and virtual meet-and-greets to drive fan loyalty. Purchase merchandise online and pick it up on site.
Seamless Integration—Connect with existing platforms and automate workflows for easier content and commerce management. Provide quick event access through QR code check-in and an integrated online and offline experience.
Gamification—Keep fans engaged by offering digital rewards (in photos, images, video, voice clip, digital emblem) through events and missions.
Examples of the fan data analytics available to creators on b.stage.
WHY FANDOM MATTERS
Building a fandom as a creator is challenging, especially when trying to find the right tool to bring your community together in one place. However, fostering close relationships with your fans is essential for success.
By uniting your fans in a single space, you can strengthen connections, host exclusive events, offer premium content or courses, and create a more engaging experience for your community.
Take inspiration on how one of the most notable esports team grew on b.stage:
Sentinels is a leading American esports team renowned for its esports success in Valorant and Fortnite. Partnered with b.stage to enhance its fan engagement and build a stronger, more interactive community. By using b.stage’s platform, Sentinels has been able to offer exclusive content, merchandise, and behind-the-scenes to their fan community.
Problem
With a large and growing fanbase, they were looking for new ways to improve fan engagement and provide a more exclusive experience. Their current websites weren't able to create the community-focused connections fans wanted.
Solution
Sentinels partnered with b.stage to build “Sensociety,” a fan membership platform where subscribers can access exclusive content such as behind the scenes video, player insights, podcasts, and team updates and polls/survey and Q&A session.
Sensociety also drops exclusive merchandise through the same platform. The integration of b.stage allowed Sentinels to create a dedicated space for their fans. Since the launch of Sensociety, Sentinels has seen higher fan interaction rates with exclusive content and behind-the-scenes access, stronger community, and increase in merchandise sales and subscription (revenue growth).
TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FANDOM
Engage with your fans regularly
Fans love to hear from their favorite creators. Engage with them on a daily-to-weekly basis.
Encourage Interaction
Promote discussions, polls, live streams, Q&A sessions, and host events to keep fans engaged.
Offer exclusive discounts and merch
Incentivizing fans to buy from you can be hard, you want to make your offering a no-brainer. Offer discounts, rewards and incentives for fans to purchase from you.
Collaborate with fellow creators
Collaborate with fellow creators to reach new audiences. You could also offer a bundle offering of services and merchandise with the creators you collaborate with.
Be global from day one
You can now be global from day one with the likes of ElevenLabs that translates your content into any language. You can now reach the world, not just your native language.
Analyze Data
Use analytics to track engagement, understand fan communities and optimize content strategies.
Stay Open-Minded
There are countless new ways to engage with your fans and create additional revenue streams. Don’t be afraid to explore new ways to connect and grow your fan community.
HIRING
with Roster
One of the most challenging aspects of content creation is that you're responsible for everything—content production, financial management, digital product development, thumbnail design, and more, and more.
Our partners at Roster where you can discover and hire experienced video editors, thumbnail designers, and more who complement your style have outlined:
1. Highest demand roles for 2025
2. Key roles by growth stage
3. Average rates per role
We take a closer look.
The highest-demand roles for 2025
According to Roster, the highest demand roles for 2025 are: Video Editor, Thumbnail Designer, Producer followed by a Scriptwriter.
*Disclaimer, each creator will have different needs and requirements. These in-demand roles give you a general perspective.
KEY ROLES BY GROWTH STAGE
As you start to grow, your requirements will evolve. The key roles, by the stage of the creator and by priority include:
If you are a creator and have less than 100k followers, your hiring priorities are:
Video Editor
Videographer or Thumbnail Designer
Script Writer
For creators with 100k to 1M followers:
Producer
SMM/Channel Manager
Content / Ideation Strategist
For creators with 1M+ followers
Head of Production/Post
Creative Director
CEO/COO
What to pay them
Discover average rates per role, hourly:
USE CODE ‘NEWECONOMIES’ FOR 15% OFF WHEN YOU JOIN ROSTER.
SMARTER MONETIZATION STRATEGIES
with Teachable
A quick note from our partner
Teachable is where seasoned creators around the world build their business through education. Whether it’s through courses, coaching, memberships, or digital downloads, Teachable makes monetizing your expertise seamless and scalable. Creators at Teachable are turning their expertise into sustainable revenue streams—from language learning communities to certification courses on paid media skills.
We take a closer look at how you can prioritize your monetization strategies:
Monetizing knowledge is about building a system, not just selling a product. The most successful creators don’t rely on one offering—they create multiple ways for people to engage with their expertise at different levels.
Some buyers want quick wins through templates or guides. Others need a structured learning path like a course or workshop. High-ticket clients look for personalized coaching, while businesses invest in bulk licensing or certifications.
Smart monetization means:
Creating multiple entry points—low-cost digital products bring in new buyers, while premium courses and memberships build long-term value.
Prioritizing recurring revenue—subscriptions, memberships, and coaching retain customers instead of constantly chasing new ones.
Focusing on transformation, not just content—people pay for results, not just information.
Pairing scalable products with high-touch services—coaching or consulting can be lucrative, but digital products create sustainable income without relying on your time.
Selling beyond individuals—companies and organizations have larger budgets and need training solutions at scale.
A well-designed knowledge business doesn’t just make money once—it grows and compounds over time.
HOW TEACHABLE CAN HELP YOU
Teachable provides everything creators need to turn knowledge into a profitable, scalable business. Whether you want to sell courses, coaching, memberships, or digital downloads, Teachable offers the tools to help you monetize, engage your audience, and grow on your own terms.
Online Courses—Build and sell self-paced courses with AI-powered tools, interactive learning features, and a fully branded experience—no tech skills required.
Coaching—Offer one-on-one or group coaching with seamless scheduling, intake forms, and built-in payment processing.
Digital Downloads—Sell PDFs, templates, guides, and multimedia resources as standalone products or bundled with courses.
Memberships & Subscriptions—Create recurring revenue streams with exclusive content, tiered access, and private communities.
Seamless Payments & Sales—Accept global payments, offer flexible pricing models including subscriptions and payment plans, and receive fast payouts through Teachable:Pay.
Custom Branding & Sales Pages—Create high-converting landing pages and maintain full ownership of your brand and audience.
Everything you need to start monetizing.
BRAND DEALS: HOW TO MANAGE THEM AND HOW TO PRICE
with Passionfroot
Passionfroot is where creators land sponsorship deals from top brands such as Intercom, HubSpot, Notion, and more. On top of this, Passionfroot gives you all the tools to operate brand deals effectively such as media kits, calendar, payments, and messaging—everything you need to start landing brand deals.
Brand deals are crucial for creators because they provide a stable source of income while allowing them to expand their influence and credibility. Unlike ad revenue, which can fluctuate, brand partnerships offer consistent financial support, enabling creators to focus on producing high-quality content without worrying about monetization.
These deals also help creators grow by exposing them to new audiences through brand collaborations, boosting engagement and visibility. Additionally, working with reputable brands enhances a creator’s trustworthiness, showing their audience that they are valued by major companies. When done authentically, brand deals benefit both creators and their followers by providing exclusive discounts, early access to products, or valuable recommendations.
We take a closer look at how you can price: Newsletters & YouTube channels
How to price CPM
How to price classified ads
How to price sponsored ads
How to price dedicated ads
YouTube: How to price
YouTube: How to price
YouTube: How to price shoutouts
YouTube: How to price integrated Ads
YouTube: How to price dedicated ads
YouTube: How to price Shorts
Into the spotlight
HOW TO LAND YOUR FIRST BRAND DEALS
Landing your first brand deal can take time and effort, as it often requires building a trusted reputation, showcasing your audience engagement, and establishing credibility with brands. However, once you successfully secure that first deal, it becomes much easier to land subsequent ones.
With each brand deal you complete, you build a portfolio of successful collaborations that demonstrate your value to potential partners. As your reputation grows and your network expands, the second, third, and even more deals will begin to come more naturally.
So, what can you do to land them?
Reach out to brands that you want to work with.
If you know a brand that you want to work with, find their head of influencer marketing or demand generation manager and see if it’s a fit.
Build a media kit and link it in your bio
The best way to make brands know you’re serious is showcasing your stats and sponsorship options up front. Use Passionfroot to get a free media kit with live stats!
Your advertisers may often be in your audience
If you run a podcast, YouTube, or newsletter make sure to shoutout and ask if people are interested in sponsoring you in the end and show notes.
Create great content
Sponsors see through engagement bait, especially with the latest tools. Focus on your craft and create great content, then sponsors will be knocking down your door!
Join the Passionfroot ad network
This will get you published and in front of the top B2B brands in the world. You’ll get vetted high quality brand deals straight into your inbox.
Upgrade your NEW ECONOMIES subscription to become a premium subscriber and receive access to our database of brands sponsoring creators. Once you have subscribed, you can also gift a subscription to a creator of your choice.
As well as…
Complete access to our data room.
Complete access to our members-only community.
Complete access to The Ultimate Startup AI Handbook.
The Operator’s Handbook: All the resources to launch your entrepreneurial career.
$1 million in discounts at HubSpot, Notion, and other platforms.
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