It’s called the creator economy for a reason

The creator economy has evolved significantly over the years. Today, creators are more than just content creators—they are writers, directors, thought leaders, celebrities, and entrepreneurs who are proudly independent, building thriving businesses. It’s crucial to recognize the pivotal role creators play in shaping the economy, as they are moving away from viewing the opportunity as […]

[Source Photo: Unsplash]

BY Neil Waller

The creator economy has evolved significantly over the years. Today, creators are more than just content creators—they are writers, directors, thought leaders, celebrities, and entrepreneurs who are proudly independent, building thriving businesses. It’s crucial to recognize the pivotal role creators play in shaping the economy, as they are moving away from viewing the opportunity as a temporary side hustle.

To show the impact and value creators have, let’s delve into Epic Gardening’s success story and tremendous growth. This American gardening brand has a multi-faceted content engine, inclusive of its own YouTube channel, blog, podcast, Instagram account, TikTok account, e-commerce pages, and books, founded and run by Kevin Espiritu. Epic Gardening blossomed after being discovered on YouTube by consumers with a deep passion for gardening. The business model showcases the importance of engaging with a dedicated community that connects with their shared interests and values.

Epic Gardening’s transformation

Epic Gardening largely began as a garden education resource. However, Kevin quickly realized the importance of connecting with customers through organic content. He realized that people were interested in the products he was sharing in his videos, and saw an opportunity to sell those products. In the Epic Gardening approach, rather than investing in paid advertising and digital promotions, the brand relied on Kevin’s curated content to attract customers and drive sales through community engagement.

This example highlights the influential role of creators, demonstrating their ability not only to promote products, but also to foster a sense of community amongst consumers and integrate it within the brand.

Epic Gardening now has a creator-designed line of gardening products that were developed to last longer than most industry-standard products. The company also purchased Botanical Interests, a seed company based in Colorado, to provide high-quality seeds to their gardening audience. Through Kevin’s influence, today Epic’s content reach includes over 23 million social media followers, 25 million podcast downloads, and over 120 million page-views on the blog.

Creators help brands change marketing

This strategic approach reveals that by supporting a platform and e-commerce beyond content, you can build a real company and brand with enterprise value. Entrepreneurship through acquisition shows that being an entrepreneur doesn’t always require starting and building your own business from scratch. It can also encompass acquiring brands or organizations that align with your passions and beliefs. This is just one of many examples of how creators are helping brands change the game within the marketing industry.

It’s important to remember that as a creator you’ve already taken the first step at driving success for your business. But remember, you are also an entrepreneur and a business owner. Having this mindset will help build a successful creator business. As a brand it is essential to be strategic when partnering with creators. For example, consider creators an extension of your team, bringing them in on focus groups to help your marketing and product development. Give creators a seat at the table during your future-planning sessions. This will be mutually beneficial and help both parties drive excitement around the partnership.

The creator economy is evolving every day. The fact that so many creators are now full-time, building their own businesses, is going to result in many upcoming incredible projects that creators will spearhead. There is a reason the industry has shifted from being called influencer marketing to the creator economy.

Neil Waller is co-CEO and cofounder of Whalar Group.