Looking for an emerging college program with opportunity? The creator economy may offer a future for graduates interested in media influence.
In 2023, Gray DI’s list of Five Emerging Programs highlighted the Creator Economy/Influencer space as one to watch, and we’re here with an update: degree and certificate programs in this area are trending up.
According to a report released just last month, the global creator economy is estimated at more than $15.57 billion dollars in 2024 and is forecast to grow to an astounding $78.91 billion dollars by 2031 – a five-year annual growth rate of 26.1 percent from 2024-2031. Social media has become enmeshed with our daily lives, and the creator economy is now tied to countless major industries. A recent survey revealed that more than half of Gen Z is interested in becoming social media influencers, and The New York Times released another survey that showed that the majority of Gen Z wants better and safer social media platforms.
Are Content Creators the New Celebrities?
Content creators and influencers are working across every single social media platform, and since being “extremely online” has become the norm, most of our daily lives are touched by them in one way or another. Chances are, you almost definitely have read, watched, seen, or listened to something promoted by the creator economy. Perhaps you own a pair of those sneakers everyone’s talking about? Maybe you cooked that Instagram pasta recipe your next-door neighbor raves about? Or maybe you laughed at a video your kid sent you of that guy who does uncanny celebrity impressions? The creator economy is at the helm.
The Hollywood Reporter just published their “Creator A-List: The 50 Most Influential Influencers,” and last month, Rolling Stone released its second annual “25 Most Influential Creators and Influencers” list. Coming in at number three on the Rolling Stone list is MrBeast, a stunt creator who inspired the “philanthropic content” genre and has 317 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel.
Now MrBeast appears poised to extend his influence to the education sector. MrBeast and East Carolina University are working on an exclusive partnership “aimed at developing a credentialing program to help solve the creator industry’s growing demand for a skilled workforce pipeline.”
The creator economy promises a slew of jobs for those with experience in many elements of influencing and social media. The State of Influencer Marketing 2024 Benchmark Report surveyed 3,000 professionals from a range of industries and found that 85 percent of respondents believe influencer marketing is effective, 75 percent have increased the amount of content they produce and share, and 60 percent plan to increase their budget for influencer marketing. It is now the norm to pay influencers for creating content, rather than compensating them with free products alone.
It appears that higher education has “liked and followed” this news in a big way.
Studying the Art of the Sway
Institutions have caught on to the surge of interest in media influencing careers, and they seem to be leaning toward the idea that future content creators could benefit from a more comprehensive set of skills. Graduates with a more robust set of tools could see more success in the job market, and might be more likely to engage as a more responsible presence in the creator economy landscape.
A host of programs related to the creator economy and social media influencing have been launched at both universities and community colleges. Many of the programs offered feature a variety of combinations of marketing, AI, writing, editing, designing, communications, programming, digital media, film studies, game design, and more. We’re seeing programs offering degrees and/or certificates with titles like Social Media and Digital Marketing, Social Media and Digital Communications Management, Digital Media Influencing, Social Media Marketing, and Influencer Marketing.
For example, the University of Texas San Antonio launched a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Influence this fall, with eight students enrolled on campus and 80 students admitted for the online program. The program is “designed for aspiring content creators seeking to refine their digital production skills and improve audience targeting through persuasive messaging.”
Monroe County Community College (Digital Media Marketing and Communications associate degree and certificate) and Grand Canyon University (Bachelor of Arts in Social Media) are also among the recent arrivals. These schools join a host of other institutions that have begun to offer various degrees, concentrations, and minors in the influencer space, including Liberty University, Pace University, eCornell, Butler County Community College, and Johnson and Wales, to name a few.
This number of programs is quite remarkable; as of only a few years ago, while many institutions offered courses related to the creator economy, there were no official degree or certificate programs tailored specifically for those students seeking a more extensive education in influencing. Textbooks on social media influencing are also beginning to pop up; in 2023, USC professor Robert Kozinets published his textbook titled “Influencers and Creators: Business, Culture, and Practice.”
#Employment
Employment opportunities related to the creator economy have “entered the chat” with gusto. Job titles vary, with social media and influencer marketing among the most prevalent, followed by content creation-related roles.
Source: Gray DI Job Postings Dashboard
Let’s take a look at the skills employers are seeking in collaborators. Predictably, the major social media platforms are at the top of the in-demand skills list, but “influencer marketing,” “content creation,” and “project management” are also making an impression. This confirms that employers have a keen interest in creating or maintaining a strong social media presence to reach their target audience.
Source: Gray DI Job Postings Dashboard
Taking a closer peek at some detailed job descriptions reveals requirement language like this:
“You LOVE creating video content!”
“Passionate and deeply ingrained in the influencer & social space (especially Instagram & Tik Tok) and always up on the latest trends and creators”
Many employers are also seeking candidates with proficiency in filming, editing, and software involved in content creation.
Talent Agencies Embrace Content Creators
It’s not just actors, musicians, performers, artists, authors, and athletes who work with talent agencies these days. Influencers and creators are also seeking representation, hoping to leverage their personal brands. Talent agencies across the country have realized that influencers may be the new celebrities. Some of these agencies, like Viral Nation, Ubiquitous, and Audiencly are relatively new and represent influencers/creators exclusively, but many existing well-established talent agencies have opened digital, influencer, and creator divisions; among these are industry heavyweights UTA, CAA, WME, Gersh, and others. These agencies also employ a wide variety of creator economy professionals; UTA is hiring right now.
Higher Education “Understands the Assignment”
As the creator economy continues to grow in size, scope, and range, institutions have recognized that aspiring influencers are looking for ways to rise to the top of their fields. A comprehensive education in multiple disciplines related to content creation could assist in that ascent, and perhaps encourage more responsible contributions to the future of social media.
