Further initiatives of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft
What was often ridiculed in the past is now a real economic force: more and more people are earning their living in the creator economy. How does this change manifest itself in Hamburg? An industry overview.
The creator economy has developed rapidly in recent years. There are now over 5.24 billion active social media users worldwide, which increases the reach of content creators enormously. The market is also growing rapidly in Germany, where there are estimated to be around 19 million creators. The economic importance is also reflected in advertising expenditure: in 2025, it is expected to amount to around 718.38 million euros and will continue to grow in the coming years.
At the same time, the creator economy is becoming increasingly professional. Even if not all creators are able to realize their big plans, many of them have turned their hobby into a lucrative profession, as creating content for social media has become a serious business model with a variety of monetization strategies. It is no longer just the creators themselves who are involved: Agencies, management, brands and platforms play a central role in this growing ecosystem. Thanks to a strong creative scene, a well-connected industry and an innovation-friendly digital infrastructure, Hamburg is one of the cities in Germany that is benefiting greatly from current developments.
While creators are producing content and building communities, agencies and management are developing strategies for branding and monetization. Companies, in turn, use the reach and authenticity of creators for their marketing. And last but not least, the platforms control the technical framework and algorithms. In this complex network of players and influencing factors, creators must constantly adapt their positioning and strategy in order to remain successful in the long term.
Active social media users worldwide
Estimated number of creators in Germany
Estimated expenditure on influencer advertising in Germany in 2025 in euros
Sources: wearesocial and lexware (links at the end of the text).
For a long time, many creators focused exclusively on monetizing their social media reach. The main source of income was paid collaborations with companies, be it through sponsored content, product placements or affiliate partnerships. However, many creators are now focusing on diversification - they are founding their own companies, investing or developing their own product lines.
However, this change is not easy for everyone: "Many creators underestimate how complex it is to run a company - with logistics, employees and long-term business strategies," says Sarah Kübler, Managing Director and founder of the social media and influencer marketing agency HitchOn, based in Hamburg and Mainz. The agency uses data-based approaches to create targeted and brand-specific campaigns. "There are definitely creators who have managed to establish successful brands. But there are also many who have failed because they lacked the necessary business knowledge."
In addition to entrepreneurial know-how, there is often a lack of knowledge about investments and financial planning. "As creators often generate high revenues in a short space of time, they are suddenly faced with the challenge of managing their assets strategically," says Sarah Kübler. "That's why some management companies now employ financial advisors to support creators." She knows that misjudgements can have serious consequences - for example, if creators do not tax their profits correctly or enter into risky investments without considering the long-term consequences. "There's a lot of movement at the moment - and of course that also brings with it the opportunity to build up new business areas because the market is changing so drastically."
"A decisive factor for sustainable success is the right positioning."
On average, it takes two and a half years for creators to become financially independent.[2] During this time, they face many opportunities, but also considerable challenges. "One of the challenges is the dependence on social media platforms," says Dr Svea Rath, Chief Operating Officer of the Hamburg-based 9:16 agency WeCreate, which specializes in influencer marketing and the development of tailor-made social media strategies for brands. "Algorithms can change, reach can fluctuate - some experience sudden peaks due to viral content, others struggle with losses."
The fluctuations in reach result in great income instability in the marketing of brand collaborations. Many creators have therefore started to tap into alternative sources of income - for example through digital products, their own stores or membership models. This diversifies income streams and strengthens the creator's brand at the same time. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains: the market is getting bigger and competition is increasing. It is becoming increasingly difficult for young creators in particular to establish themselves in this environment and achieve long-term success.
"A decisive factor for sustainable success is the right positioning," says Dr. Svea Rath. "While simple brand collaborations used to be enough, it is now clear that creators who position themselves clearly and interact with their community have the best long-term chances. TikTok in particular has reinforced this market development - it is no longer just the number of followers that determines the success of a video, but above all the interest and engagement of the communities."
"More and more (creators) no longer want to be booked purely as advertising space, but want to have a say."
Collaboration between creators and companies has also changed significantly in recent years. Traditional product placements with discount codes are no longer as effective as they used to be. Instead, many brands rely on co-creation: they work together with creators to develop products or campaigns that suit their community. "This also reflects the change in how creators see themselves," says Sarah Kübler. "More and more of them no longer want to be booked purely as advertising space, but want to be involved in decision-making. Against this backdrop, it is crucial for companies to rethink and learn to give creators creative freedom and work with them as equals."
At the same time, many companies are facing another major challenge: they must not only recognize the growing importance of creator marketing, but also anchor it strategically. Those who stick to traditional forms of advertising risk no longer reaching an entire generation. Brands that do not take this change seriously could lose relevance in the long term.
The way in which the success of campaigns is measured is also changing. Social media is no longer just a pilot project, but a central component of the brand strategy in its own right. "Companies increasingly understand that creator campaigns cannot simply be evaluated one-to-one with the KPIs from traditional performance marketing," says Dr. Svea Rath.
This transformation is ultimately part of a broader cultural change - similar to what happened with digitalization. "Some companies are making this change faster than others," says Dr. Svea Rath. "How strong the pressure is depends on the industry. Those who sell consumer goods can no longer ignore social media. For traditional industrial goods, the impact may be less, but the direction is clear."
Exciting developments are currently taking place in the creator economy in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and are increasingly shaping content production. AI-supported tools are increasingly becoming standard tools in the industry. Automated editing programs such as CapCut or AI-supported tools for image and video editing enable creators to produce professional content with minimal effort.
Agencies also benefit enormously from these developments, especially in post-production. "If a creator only sends us mediocre material from a shoot, we can edit it afterwards so that the video quality is significantly better than the original," says Sarah Kübler. "This makes a huge difference, because we have significantly less work to do when briefing, shooting on location and during approval, as a lot of things can still be adjusted in post-production." AI can automatically improve video quality, optimize cuts and provide creative suggestions - progress that not only saves time, but also costs. At the same time, the rapid development poses a challenge for agencies like HitchOn: "We are constantly testing new tools, and what was the best program a few weeks ago may already be outdated today."
Despite increases in efficiency and new possibilities, there are also limits. Authenticity remains a crucial factor, especially for creators. AI-generated content could result in a loss of personal connection to the community - a risk that very few creators want to take.
Sources:
