Recently, Kajabi released its 2025 State of Creator Commerce report. The platform collaborated with Qualtrics to conduct a survey aimed at creators — and it ended up with 1,717 participants.
The report’s most striking data point is that 59% of creators consider themselves entrepreneurs, a 16% year-on-year increase. This led to Kajabi making a distinction between ‘entrepreneurial creators’ and ‘social-first creators.’
While entrepreneurial creators build a social following, they don’t rely on it for income. They invest in their own “products” like courses and membership, and take ownership of their own revenue streams rather than relying on social media.
By contrast, social-first creators pretty much solely rely on social media platforms for profit through brand deals and platform payouts, giving them minimal revenue control.
The report also suggests that the traditional way for creators to make income is declining. Brand deals are down by 52%, affiliate marketing is down by 36%, and platform payouts are down by 33%.
Conversely, more entrepreneurial monetization methods have risen in popularity. These include podcast revenue (47%), digital download sales (20%), and membership groups (10%).
By relying on these more entrepreneurial income streams, creators will be less vulnerable to the ever-changing social media landscape. So, it comes as no surprise that social-first creators are 400% more worried about a TikTok ban than entrepreneurial creators.
Ultimately, it looks like becoming more entrepreneurial as a creator is a good way to safeguard your career. To get started, check out our guide on how to start a podcast from scratch.
