So, people have this perception that influencers, or content creators, are all really rich celebrities. But in reality, the vast majority of content creators are neither mega famous, nor overly wealthy. There’s a group of influencers that I personally feel not enough people are talking about. The creator middle class. This is a group of creators who are able to make a sustainable income, creating content about a topic or community that they feel passionate about. They aren’t household names, they aren’t millionaires, they but have a cool job that makes them happy and pays the bills. And you’re probably closer to being one than you might think. 🔗 LINKS I MENTIONED Taylor Lorenz’s article on the Instagram Old Money Club: https://www.usermag.co/p/old-money-content-private-club-quiet-luxury-tuxedosociety-tiktok-instagram Washington Post article on the creator middle class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/creativegroup/youtube/meet-the-creator-middle-class/ “Social media influencers aren’t getting rich. They’re barely getting by” from the Washington Post: https://www.wsj.com/tech/social-media-influencers-arent-getting-richtheyre-barely-getting-by-71e0aad3?st=snqhy92nimb59t6 LinkTree’s 2022 Report on the creator economy: https://linktr.ee/creator-report/ The Creator Economy: Facts, Figures and Future Growth From Aspire: https://www.aspire.io/blog/the-creator-economy Harvard Business Review “The Creator Economy Needs a Middle Class” https://hbr.org/2020/12/the-creator-economy-needs-a-middle-class Zippia Survey of Creator Earners: https://www.zippia.com/advice/creator-economy-statistics/ NeoReach Report: https://neoreach.com/quarterly-reports/2024-rewind/ 🎬 Get my team of editors to edit your YouTube videos! 👉🏻 https://www.creatorlymedia.com 🚐 Watch my van life / travel channel https://www.youtube.com/@KatieandDan 📸 Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/katiesteckly 📕 TABLE OF CONTENTS 📕 00:00 so, what’s the deal with entitled influencers? 04:42 some influencers are pretending to be rich 06:29 there is a huge range of experiences in the content creator world 07:01 being a full-time creator is more attainable than you might think 07:55 who is the creator middle class? 09:55 middle class creators have a NICHE 11:49 how much money do middle class creators make? 15:55 how to make more money as a growing content creator 18:57 how TikTok devalues creators 20:20 practical tips to make more money as a content creator 22:08 influencers aren’t as rich as you think they are ----------------------------------------------- 🔗 LINKS 🔗 *some of these are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase on the site after clicking these links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. thanks for supporting the channel! 🎧 where I get music for my videos: www.katiesteckly.com/artlist and https://share.epidemicsound.com/6x4f73 📹 Camera Gear: Main camera: https://geni.us/kszve1 Lens: https://geni.us/ks1625 Vlog camera: https://geni.us/kszve10ii Microphone: https://geni.us/djimicmini Tripod: https://geni.us/ksulanzi 👉🏻 See all my gear here: https://katiesteckly.com/gear 👋🏻 ABOUT ME Hey, I'm Katie! I make videos about social media strategy and content creation. In addition to being a YouTuber, I also run a small agency that provides video editing services for YouTubers and podcasters. If you want our help or just want to learn more, check out https://www.creatorlymedia.com -----------------------------------------------