Over 12 Million Americans Are Chasing the Dream of Becoming Full-Time Influencers—Here’s Why Most Won’t Make It (Podcast)

Earlier this fall, I came across a mind-boggling statistic: Over 12 million Americans now identify as full-time influencers. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. That’s nearly 7% of the U.S. workforce. Let that sink in. Twelve million people are out there trying to grab your attention to sell you trinkets, online courses, subscriptions, nootropics, ebooks and every other digital hustle under the sun, all through the relentless grind of having an YouTube, Instagram, and/or TikTok presence.

The report, highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, estimates that nearly half of the country’s 27 million paid content creators are working full-time, with an average annual income of $93,000. But let’s not kid ourselves—there’s likely some serious income disparity in that figure. The top earners are the most popular influencers in the world, skewing the average sky-high while nearly half of influencers earn less than $10,000 a year.

Everyone has to start somewhere. But also, yikes. That’s well below the poverty line. Heck, it’s well below “should I just keep my day job” territory. As someone with a wayyyy too online career the last 15 years, my brain is having a hard time processing that many people are willing to dance on TikTok or tell you about the best deals at Costco for a barely livable wage.

And yet, despite the grim numbers, being an influencer has become the new American Dream. It’s a bleak reminder of just how uneven—and unsustainable, in my opinion—the influencer economy really is.

A 2023 Morning Consult survey revealed that 57% of Gen Zers aspire to be influencers. They’re not alone—41% of adults overall would choose the career too. The motivations vary. Some are chasing fame and fortune, others love the creative tools of social media, and some simply want to connect and find community. Taylor Lorenz summarized it best in a recent CNBC piece about some of these studies: “There’s a misperception that it’s easy.”

Hint: It isn’t easy.

In a recent episode of The Mostly Occasionally Show, I sat down with Brett Haman, BroBible’s social media maestro, to unpack the state of the creator economy.

Brett’s uniquely qualified to weigh in—not only does he oversee our Instagram, but he’s also a TikTok comedian with 2.2 million followers on his @bhamtheman accounts. He’s ridden the highs and lows of internet virality for over four years, and his strategies for building BroBible’s social presence reveal the grit and creativity it takes to stand out in this crowded market.

Listen to our conversation on Apple, Spotify, or in the player below. Subscribe here! Here’s a link to my Instagram for updates on the show.

 

In the episode, we dove into where the internet is heading as the so-called “creator economy” continues to evolve—or implode, depending on how you look at it.

The so-called Creator Economy has too many cooks in the kitchen

And you know who benefits the most from it? The platforms like Meta, TikTok, YouTube, etc, because businesses NEED to give them money to reach people and drive sales. They can’t do that with just influencers alone.

Let’s circle back to that 12 million full-time influencer stat. Think about it: for every engineer, nurse, or teacher, there’s someone trying to convince you to buy a skincare serum on TikTok. On the podcast, I summed it up simply: “It’s unsustainable. The next phase of the internet will be a reckoning with that oversaturation.”

Brett knows that oversaturation all too well. “When I started, going viral was exhilarating. But the algorithm traps you. If you try something new, you tank,” he explained. His advice to creators? “Pick something you’ll never get sick of. It’s not just about going viral; it’s about staying relevant.”

Preach. I learned this lesson the hard way 10 years ago when I started going viral on Twitter for my niche takes about the band Phish. That earned me a dedicated but microscopic fanbase of hyper-online jam band enthusiasts. But once that niche was carved out, branching into other topics was nearly impossible. And while I do love Phish, I think I have more going on than just a love for 18-minute Tweezer jams? Hopefully.

This reckoning is already happening. A recent Fortune Magazine report stresses this reality: In a new report, Bank of America found that the percentage of its customers earning income as content creators has fallen for three years in a row, peaking during the pandemic at just 0.25% before dropping to 0.20% today.

While the average monthly income for content creators has risen slightly, it’s still just 20% of what a typical full-time U.S. employee earns. And, according to the report, only once in the past five years has the average monthly income of a content creator exceeded the average weekly income of a full-time worker. So…

In other words, despite the shiny Instagram reels and TikToks and quirky rants, transformative wealth is a pipe dream for most creators. As Fortune notes, money and partnerships are increasingly concentrated among the top creators, leaving everyone else fighting over scraps. When you consider time and energy, it’s a brutal game, and one that’s forcing a lot of people to question whether it’s worth staying in the race.

It all comes down to the business model of being an influencer

Then there’s the business side of things. Creators have about four reliable ways to make money:

• Partner Programs and Creator Bonuses: Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram pay creators directly if their content meets specific criteria—think ad revenue sharing, views, or engagement milestones.
• Advertising: Make sponsored posts and marketing assets for brands.
• Subscriptions: Delivering content so compelling people will actually pay for it.
• Content as a Gateway: Using social media to drive interest in another business—like selling merch, running a restaurant, or offering online courses. This can be as your own operated business with your own products or in the affiliate lane, where you make a small percentage of revenue sold.

And here’s the rub: none of these are easy.

To make money in partner programs, you’re really at the whims of an algorithm. Your content needs to be authentic, but also packaged and optimized in a way that clearly positions it as a commodity to . Sometimes that’s to sell subscriptions; other times, it’s to scale and sharpen your messaging to attract advertisers. Either way, all three business models require systems of communication, creative processes with whoever’s cutting the check, a relentless commitment to quality, and—let’s face it—a good bit of luck.

Because no matter how brilliant your content is, its organic reach is at the mercy of the algorithm. And sometimes, the algorithm just doesn’t feel like blessing you.

I think about the lane for advertising a lot these days. The premium for celebrity influencers—athletes, actors, musicians, comedians, top-tier podcasters and YouTubers—will keep climbing to advertisers. These household names bring clout, which advertisers crave. It’s easy to discuss the rationale behind these kinds of investments in meetings with corporate decision-makers and CMOs.

But for the rest? The brands want your content, sure, but they also want to pay as little as humanly possible. It’s an avenue where everyone is trying to squeeze on costs to maximize the business outcome for the brand.

This is where the marketing phenomenon of UGC—user-generated content—comes in. While you won’t see UGC as commercials during NFL games quite yet, it’s all over TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, the unsung workhorse of modern performance advertising. Brands love to farm this content from influencers and content creators to show authentic use cases of their products for ad campaigns. It’s a powerful and persuasive strategy for customer acquisition when ad dollars fuel UGC’s reach.

Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be influencers

But here’s the dirty little secret. Brands want your UGC but aim to pay pennies—or nothing at all. Trade posts for free products, make a campaign seem cool enough to attract unpaid creators, and voilà: costs drop to zero while revenues soar. Go deep enough on Linkedin or be a fly-on-a-wall in e-comm marketing circles, and you’ll see how there’s a growing push in marketing circles to get this content for free.

And guess what, aspiring influencers: It’s impossible to be a “professional content creator” while working for free.

And why can they, the advertisers, get away with it? Well, just look at the title of this blog post. There’s a seemingly infinite supply of influencers out there, many of whom are either okay with these arrangements or don’t realize the value of their labor. Every single one of them aspires to grow and make it, no matter where they are in their journey. They thread the needle for advertisers, crafting content that could generate hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of dollars in revenue, all while undervaluing themselves in the process.

The influencer dream may look shiny on the surface, but behind the filters and ring lights, it’s a grind—and for most, the rewards rarely match the effort. That’s why, for all but a lucky few, it’s better as a side hustle to explore your passions and spice up your life than a full-time gig to actually pay for it.

When the buy side of any market can save money (marketers and advertisers), the sell side starts scrambling (creators and influencers). It’s just a matter of smarts to know when you throw in the towel than stay in the rat race.

How are we trying to make the BroBible Instagram better?

I know, I know. I went on a little rant there. Back to the discussion on the podcast.

Brett’s approach to BroBible’s Instagram is rooted in creativity and fun. From beer tournaments (Miller Lite vs. Coors, anyone?) to “Bros Debate” and “Bro Facts,” his goal is simple: create shareable, engaging content that feels alive. “People don’t want to be bombarded with news—they want things they can send to their group chats,” Brett explained.

Here’s a recap of our recent tournament on which NFL quarterback you’d like to have a beer with:

The results speak for themselves. Here on BroBible, we recently hit 30 million people reached in a single month. For us, that’s a huge win! Would I like it to be bigger? Hell yeah I would. But it’s proof that experimentation and adaptability can cut through the noise of oversaturation.

In Brett’s words: “The trick isn’t just posting—it’s making people care enough to share.” And maybe that’s the secret to thriving in an influencer economy that’s more crowded than ever.

What the heck are we doing on the BroBible Instagram these days?

Well, first of all… you should follow it. 

Like my podcast, it’s become a labor of love for me to try to get things right for us on our Instagram and grow it. That said… I don’t know! Growing an Instagram account in this era of the Internet isn’t exactly something you can snap your fingers and do.

One thing I’ve really learned over the last two years is that creativity and fun are key to standing out in an oversaturated market. Brett’s approach to our Instagram account is a masterclass in this philosophy. From ou beer tournaments (Miller Lite vs. Coors, anyone?) to “Bros Debate” and “Bro Facts,” Brett’s vision for how we can get BroBible to the next level on social is pretty simple: create content that’s engaging, shareable, and group-chat-worthy.

“People don’t want to be bombarded with news—they want something they can send to their friends,” Brett explained on the Mostly Occasionally Show. I feel that. I’m pretty damn sick of the news and how news cycles work too. I’d much rather laugh or be entertained than have some kind of report about something I don’t really care about jammed down my throat, with people telling me I need to care about it.

This simple shift, I think is working: Back in October 2024, BroBible reached 30 million people in a single month on Instagram. “For us, that’s a huge win… It’s proof that experimentation and adaptability pay off, even in this crowded space,” I tell Brett on the show.

What sets this strategy apart? Brett sums it up nicely: “The trick isn’t just posting—it’s making people care enough to share.”

Also, the weirder, the better. We love weird news. “Anything that’s out there but creative works,” Brett said during the podcast. “Take a headline like, ‘Is Aaron Rodgers picking his nose on the sideline?’ People eat that up.”

It’s counterintuitive but true: humor and levity often outperform hard-hitting stories.

“When we post serious sports stories, nobody cares. But quirky, humorous posts? Those blow up,” I explain on the show.

You gotta stand out in the sea of sameness. Absurdity and entertainment win the day. Hard news? Zzzzzz, unless people actually have something to say about it. Rarely do they do.

The Future of Content: Quality Over Quantity

So where’s this all heading? Brett and I agree: the days of chasing empty virality are over.

“Creators need to focus on building meaningful connections with their audience,” Brett said during our conversation.

Culture right now feels like one giant feedback loop. Every meme, trend, or viral moment bounces off itself, gets reinterpreted, and spirals into the next thing. Take the Olympics as an example: you’ve got world-class athletes competing in front of billions, but within hours, something as simple as Raygun’s breakdancing gets turned into a meme, spreads across TikTok and X, and becomes a defining, worldwide story. It’s a feedback loop within a feedback loop. And unless this timeline throws us another cataclysmic curveball—meteor, alien invasion, you name it—it’s not changing anytime soon.

A couple years ago, it became trendy to say we lived in a simulation, but now? It feels like we’ve all fully leaned into it. Audiences build para-social relationships with their favorite creators, podcasters, or athletes, creating this endless swirl of connection and content.But here’s the kicker: in this giant feedback loop, the actual business value of it all often feels murky as a business proposition. Sure, you’ve got reach, engagement, and clicks—but what does it actually mean? Who’s buying what? And for how long?

I personally feel like this could lead to a renaissance of old-school media values—but not in a “grab a cup of coffee and crack open the Sunday paper” kind of way. The smartest culture makers in sports and entertainment are already shifting their focus to creating moments that resonate offline, designed to spark imaginations online. Think: The Olympics, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, the Super Bowl, massive concert tours, etc. Think less about chasing likes and more about becoming part of real-life conversations—through events, sports, books, events, music, or TV shows. Things that don’t just trend for 24 hours but become cultural touchstones.

For a while, it felt like the next big thing was something purely online that captured our imaginations on social. But I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I think we’re somewhat over the “hyper online” thing, and the cream that rises to the top is stuff that treats the Internet like a tool for creativity rather than clout chasing. Take, for example, the rise of artists who started online then jumped into the mainstream fray: Bo Burnham, Mk.gee, Phoebe Bridgers, Emma Chamberlain, Lil Dicky, etc. There’s a lot of examples, in almost all corners of culture.

The Internet will be part of someone’s trajectory, sure, but the real magic will come from blending digital reach with tangible, real-world moments—where you’re not just a blip in someone’s feed but an actual presence in their lives.

The creators who break the loop, who think beyond the next viral post and craft something bigger than just brand deals and advertising? They’ll continue to thrive.

That, to me, is the most exciting thing about the Internet today. It’s far more exciting than memes, fail videos, and all the usual stuff that goes viral.

And honestly, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Brandon is BroBible’s publisher and host of The Mostly Occasionally Show. Follow him on Instagram here. Email me at brandon@brobible.com.