The Reality of the Creator Economy

Kajabi, the leading creator commerce platform, today announces a new brand identity, an expanded suite of digital products, and its latest campaign — The Reality of the Creator Economy — all designed to inspire creators to reclaim their economic power and build businesses on their own terms.

Kajabi's milestone comes at a critical time in the trajectory of the creator economy. Despite signs of a rebounding market, nearly half of creators continue to make incomes under the poverty line and feel the adverse effects of content creation fatigue. Individuals became content creators, believing they could build a business with limitless earning potential while enjoying the freedom to chart their own entrepreneurial course. Instead, many creators have unknowingly built their businesses on the backs of social media giants, leaving them with little control over their time and livelihoods. Instead of true independence, they face constant burnout and social platform constraints that hinder income sustainability—changing algorithms, negligible platform payouts, potential deplatforming, and unpredictable brand deals.

"The 'creator economy' is an economy built by creators, but not for creators. Social platforms and advertisers are the main beneficiaries of the creativity, time, and cachet of these digital entrepreneurs," said Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi. "At Kajabi, our mission is to empower ambitious creators to become successful entrepreneurs. But in order to make good on this promise, we need to level the economic playing field in favor of creators. This is why we're investing in a new way forward — creator commerce. This new category is where creators are treated like the entrepreneurs they are, who can grow audiences, build products, diversify revenue streams, and create successful businesses that are in their full control. True ownership ensures the people who create the value reap the rewards, which the current creator economy fails to do."

As part of The Reality of the Creator Economy campaign, Kajabi creators, including Matt Steffanina, Drew Binsky, Jenna Kutcher, Natalie Ellis, and many others, will be featured on billboards in New York City and L.A., showcasing headlines that reinforce the importance of building a business off social platforms. Some of these headlines include "You can make money for them. Or you can make money for you." and "Don't work for an algorithm. Work for you."