SignalFire Creator Economy Report Reveals there are 50M Creators and the Impact of Covid-19 on 3 Layers of this New Startup Ecosystem

SAN FRANCISCO -- September 23rd, 2020 --  SignalFire published today a new report on the growing Creator Economy.  The report analyzes 80+ platforms and services  in the ecosystem offering pros and cons associated with investment opportunities in the content influencer space  and an assessment of the impact resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

To view a copy of the report, please visit: http://signalfire.com/blog/creator-economy

2m Creators are Making Six-Figure Annual Income

According to Mediakix, the creator market is expected to reach $15B by 2020, with SignalFire tallying that at least 2M creators are now making over 6-figures a year. Despite an economy less than a decade old, more than 50 million people around the world consider themselves creators - producing content intended for widespread public consumption, and it’s one of the fastest-growing segments of small business, as well as the #1 job kids want when they grow up (Source: Lego).

However, for those looking to turn hobbies into full-time careers, many challenges exist with expanding to new platforms, building a following, and then monetizing that growth. “With the long tail of amateur influencers growing rapidly, more competition for brand deals has forced influencers to seek alternative ways of generating an income,” said Josh Constine, Principal and Head of Content at SignalFire. “Our report is designed to shed light on a growing ecosystem of startups and resources available that we believe will propel the industry forward.”

3 Layers of Creator Marketplace Investments in a Post-Covid World

The SignalFire report focuses on startups and tools built to help influencers, so whether you’re a creator seeking help, a founder identifying opportunities, or an investor looking for the next rocketship, you’ll have a resource to inspire decisions and actions.

The report examines the following three layers of the ecosystem ripe for sustained growth:

• Layer 1: Foundational Media Platforms. Overview of the underlying social and content platforms, from video streaming hubs like YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, to photography and graphic design sites Snapchat, Pinterest; and Instagram, to music and podcasts like iTunes, and Spotify, and writing: Twitter, Medium, Quora, Substack. We look at a host of emerging content tools that support creator businesses.
• Layer 2: Monetizing Influencer Reach: Overview of monetizing on-platform reach, from specialized Influencer Marketing agencies to influencer marketing platforms and marketplaces and CRM tools. We offer options for brands to consider when budgeting for their campaigns, and ROI on marketing spend.
• Layer 3: Creators as Businesses - Overview of off-platform monetization options like donation platforms including AdHoc Project-based funding from sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Gofundme, and subscription-based funding from startups like Patreon, Twitch, and Youtube Channel Membership. We explore a new tip jar concept and how creators can derive revenue from selling fan engagement, to online courses, newsletters and ebooks.

Companies and platforms mentioned in the report include:

• Ableton Live
• Adobe
• Affinity
• Anchor
• AspireIQ
• Blogger
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Buzzsprout
• Camelot
• Cameo
• Canva
• Captiv8
• CloutJam
• Community
• DSM
• Everywhere
• Facebook
• Facebook Live
• Facebook Messenger
• FaceTune
• FL Studio
• Fotor
• Foursquare
• Fourthwall
• GarageBand
• Gfycat
• Gigfy
• Gofundme
• GreenPark
• Hell World newsletter
• Indiegogo
• Instaco
• Instagram
• Instagram Live
• InVideo
• iTunes
• Kajabi
• Kapwing
• Karat
• Kickstarter
• Klear
• Ko-fi
• Mediakix
• Medium
• Megaphone
• Meitu
• MerchLabs
• MoeAssist
• Monthly
• OnlyFans
• Pandora
• Patreon
• Periscope
• PicMonkey
• Piktochart
• Pinata
• Pinterest
• Pixlr
• PlayPlay
• PodBean
• Pulse Advertising
• Quik
• Quora
• RedCircle
• Shopify
• Snapchat
• Snappa
• Soundcloud
• Soundtrap
• Splice
• Spotify
• Starsona
• Streamlab
• Substack
• Tapinfluence
• Teachable
• Teespring
• The Plug
• The Shelf
• TikTok
• Trash
• Tumblr
• Twitch
• Twitter
• Vibely
• Vochi
• WHOSAY
• YouNow
• YouTube

SignalFire is a world-class venture and operating team and large scale technology infrastructure to fuel entrepreneurship from seed to scale. The firm seeks to invest in high-potential startups that are building tools for the rapidly growing creator economy. Our Beacon technology platform for predictive recruiting and market data analysis is combined with a network of 85+ invested-advisors including founders and executives from YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Adobe, which have helped support our portfolio companies Ro, Grammarly, Lyric, Color Genomics, ClassDojo, Frame.io, Lime, and many more.

For more information about SignalFire, please visit https://www.signalfire.com/