When Beyoncé took her “Renaissance World Tour” overseas in 2023, stories of Americans flew to Paris and Hamburg, Germany, to see the “Break My Soul” singer live — and save money in the process. hundreds, even thousands of dollars on tickets – makes headlines.

Travel-centric content creator Mercedes Arielle saw an opportunity. Not only did she get tickets to see Queen Bey in Stockholm for the tour opener on May 10, 2023, but she also wanted to tell her nearly 200,000 followers how they could get in on the deal, too.

When tickets went on sale, the Dallas-based entrepreneur posted a tip on his Instagram and TikTok in February 2023 for securing cheap international tickets to the superstar’s concerts. She told Yahoo Entertainment that her advice was “a factor in why 50% of Swedish ticket sales to see Beyoncé (in Sweden) were…specifically American.”

Arielle, also known by her handle Calculated Opulence, has an audience of primarily black women ages 25 to 44 and focuses on solo sightseeing and “affordable luxury.”

“We are serious about travel, we have the disposable income to do it, and when we support something and believe in it, we show up,” she said.

“I don’t think people really understand the ways in which women of color choose to travel internationally,” Arielle said. “Because we do not recognize ourselves in marketing materials, in campaigns organized by tourist offices, or because we do not see the type of travel that interests us, we often fear that these are not places and spaces that celebrate diversity.”

That’s why, she said, there is a “need to be much more intentional, especially given our ability to spend and stimulate local economies.”

Arielle is one of approximately 12 million content creators in the United States who turn influence into a lucrative full-time career.

So lucrative, in fact, that by 2023, Goldman Sachs Research has estimated the creator economy at $250 billion, a figure the investment bank says could grow to nearly $500 billion in the next two years.

“Where will this money come from? » » Steven Bertoni, deputy managing editor at Forbes, asked during the publication’s first Creator Upfronts, which the publication hosted with Walmart Creator in Los Angeles this week. “Brand partnerships. They believe 70% of this revenue comes from brand partnerships.

These partnerships with retailers, beauty brands, or movie studios can be profitable for creators and make the difference between full-time influencing and juggling a 9-5 job to make ends meet.

Partnerships can also be a difficult tightrope to walk – for both parties – with money and reputation on the line, especially since content creators know how much authenticity matters.

“Content creators aren’t just people who post on social media,” Sarah Henry, vice president and head of content, influencers and commerce at Walmart, told Yahoo Entertainment. “These are entrepreneurs who have built a brand and built a business off of it, which includes both passive and active income opportunities. They found a way to not only create these revenue opportunities through their content, but also carefully curate their communities and engage them.

It’s this tight community that helped Dani Austin, who has 3 million followers across all platforms, connect about hair loss and ultimately start her own. hair care online to help treat it.

“I have always shared the ups and downs with my audience. I was always very vulnerable, you know, whether it was postpartum depression or whatever I was going through that was more difficult,” Austin said during a panel at the event. “I wasn’t afraid to share it.”

So when Austin started losing her hair in 2019, she shared that too.

“I was really embarrassed about it, and it happened for a lot of different reasons: stress, then traction alopecia from hair extensions, trying to cover it up and dye it to make it thicker . But then I lost more,” she said.

It got to the point where she looked at her husband and said, “I don’t even want to leave the house.” I don’t even feel feminine anymore.

After he told her she should get a wig like the Kardashians, she not only bought one (and named it Kim), but she also told her audience about it, used her degree in chemistry and teamed up with scientists to create it. Divi Hair Growth Serum in 2021.

Austin’s serum sold 40 million units in its first year, all from a link on Instagram.

“I kind of discovered this hidden epidemic of women who were experiencing something so similar,” she said. “And it was the first time I started meeting my audience face to face – and they were crying.”

For creator Jordan Howlett, who has 32 million followers across social media platforms and posts about everything from cooking tips to how Generation Z “is aging like milk,» he compares his community and its influence to the captain of a sports team.

“In the creator space, you have the power to really make people feel like not only are they heard, but they’re part of something that’s bigger than themselves or even you,” a Howlett said during a panel at the event. .

But managing brand deals, partnerships, content publishing and community engagement while maintaining authenticity also comes with its own stressors, which audiences don’t always see on screen.

“To be quite frank, there are serious levels of anxiety with this stuff,” Howlett said. “It’s a difficult task. I mean, those anxiety levels are still there. These levels of overthinking and excessive anxiety are there. They are still there. But it’s what makes you authentically you. Instead of trying to mask it or hide it, you (should) be open to it.

Howlett, who has partnered with celebrities including Donald Glover, said authenticity is what matters most.

“When it comes to brand deals or partnerships, I never worry about the commitment of it all. Because if you do, then at that point you will stop being yourself,” he said.

Howlett added that while having an audience of millions can be intimidating, his job is much more manageable when he’s posting in front of his bathroom mirror.

“When you make a video, I’m just trying to talk to you,” he said. “You don’t look at it as: OK, I’m about to speak to over 30 million people now. You act like I’m having a conversation with you, and anyone else can join in, and that’s how it helps.

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