💲What Creators Are Really Earning in 2025

Happy Thursday, and welcome back to Influencer Insider!

It's a big week for social media. Spotify Wrapped has arrived, and the battle between Spotify and Apple Music rages on.

As the end of 2025 looms, it may be time to start thinking about your 2026 goals. A big one I hope we get for the creator economy is TRANSPARENCY.

If you haven’t read my investigation into creator pay rates yet, you can here. I’ve asked agencies, creators and influencer marketers to be open and honest with me and learnt a lot about what different creators are taking home. Warning - some of the responses may shock you.

Plus, REFY has a great EGC series out on TikTok, and I'd highly recommend scrolling to learn more.

Onto the news. 💋

In today's newsletter:

• Pick of the day: Once and for All, Are Creators Really Earning More in 2025? Here’s What the Data Shows
• Trending: The Strategy Reset - How Creators Are Redefining Growth for Brands
• Campaign of the week: REFY Unfiltered

📝 Pick of the day

Once and for All, Are Creators Really Earning More in 2025? Here’s What the Data Shows
Creator pay rates are like the wild west. Are rates doubling, or are they struggling behind the scenes? In our chaotic industry, who is winning?

“Five years ago, we'd make between $7–10k for a YouTube inclusion; the last one we did was $800,” lifestyle creator Stef Michalak says. Rates, he argues, are now “increasingly polarised.” Top-tier creators charge more than ever, while mid-tier and nano creators are pushed toward affiliate or performance-based models.

I've spent the past month investigating pay rates from agencies, creators and creator economy experts. What I found was... interesting to say the least. Read the full article for facts, numbers and everything you need to know about £££.

↗ Trending

What's hot on Hello Partner right now

The Strategy Reset - How Creators Are Redefining Growth for Brands
In a world where the traditional rules of advertising are harder to apply, and communication-driven growth is increasingly harder to achieve, how do brands effectively embrace and integrate creator activities into their plans with the required level of rigour and precision?

Brands, Creators and Agencies: It’s Time to Be Transparent with Brand Deals
As Stephen Titus, Founder of Faved, puts it, the industry grew so quickly that it forced brands and creators to “constantly reinvent the wheel”.

Security Blindspots - Red Flags in Sponsorship Scams
That dream brand collab in your inbox? It could be a trap. Cybercriminals are targeting creators with fake sponsorship offers that look 100% legit - often from real companies, sent via professional-looking emails, and backed by slick 'collaboration materials'.

✨ Campaign of the week: REFY Unfiltered

REFY has launched a fab new EGC series of reality TV-style videos made by their fab staff.

I love seeing campaigns like this because not everything has to be so serious. It feels like the grown-up equivalent of making your Barbies have drama.

REFY's catering to women of all ages, and there's no age range for loving a bit of reality TV tea.

👀 Algowatch: The golden key for Instagram reach

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, told his followers that the best way to increase your reach is to reply to comments.

💭 Thursday thoughts

As an early awaited Christmas treat, Spotify Wrapped has arrived! If you haven't posted yours on social media, do you even exist? Here's mine:

Tell me if we have any snapsies! 👇

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Until next time x

Sofia Aira Journalist Email me Connect with me on LinkedIn