• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 15, 2023

The U.S. creator economy is comprised of an estimated 27 million influencers, with full-timers earning an average of $179,000 annually, with the most influential ones earning nearly twice that amount, according to projections released this morning by influencer marketing research pioneer Ed Keller.

Keller, whose Keller Advisory Group based the estimates on a survey of 1,045 influencers fielded April 20 to July 11, is a long-time marketing research veteran who is well known for being among the earliest trackers of influencer marketing going back to his days founding the Keller Fay Group (later Engagement Labs).

“Greater than 10 million strong, this group is larger than many may have assumed and bodes well for the future growth of the creator community," Keller notes, adding: "I think about these creators with a smaller number of followers and (for now) low income as a farm system like in baseball, developing their craft. There is a lot of opportunity here for marketers who are eager to work with nano influencers to cultivate relationships and help them, while also benefiting from the relationships they are building with their followers."