Decoding the Creator Mindset: What They Expect from Brands, Platforms, and Followers

The global creator economy is growing rapidly and expected to reach $1.1T by 2032. ¹ With over 200M people who consider themselves creators globally ² marketers need to understand who they’re partnering with and what creators want and need to drive successful collaborations.

Snapchat partnered with Publicis Media and Ipsos to uncover what creators want from the social platforms they’re creating on, the brands they’re partnering with, and the followers they build communities — with the goal of informing marketers on how to best collaborate with them.

This research used an online survey among 1,120 individuals across 6 markets (US, UK, Canada, France, Norway, and Saudi Arabia) aged 18-49 who have used Snapchat and one other social/video platform at least once a week, for the purpose of being a professional content creator, and have worked with a brand on social campaigns. Conducted from May 13, 2025 through July 2025. Sample also included a boost of Snap Stars (n=46 Total). Qualitative interviews were also completed with n=9 Content Creators (including n=8 Snap Stars) with the same sample criteria from May 2025 to August 2025 across 3 markets (US, UK, KSA). Mentions of “All other platforms” throughout this research is the average of: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Patreon, and Pinterest.

What Creators Want From Social Platforms

Eighty percent of creators have a high affinity for the social platforms they're creating on, and they see each as having individual superpowers to be tapped into. ³ For example, creators are 1.3x more likely to say they feel comfortable posting about their daily lives on Snapchat compared to other platforms. ³

While creators see each platform as unique, they are split on their content strategy. 42% post content tailored specifically to each platform, 49% post consistent content across all, and 9% use a flexible strategy. ³ Across platforms, creators look to live streaming, creative tools, and analytics & insights as their preferred features to help them create and post. ³

Some creators still have challenges when creating on social platforms. They cite poor engagement, audience reach, and lack of mobile tools as their top challenges, highlighting areas where both social platforms and brands can work together to make creators’ lives easier. ³

Brand Tip: When developing creator campaigns, consider how creators are showing up on each of the individual platforms. Give creators freedom to create their own content strategies that play into the strengths of each of the platforms and assist in providing insights about the desired audience being reached on those platforms.

What Creators Want From Brands

Creators aren’t going to say yes to every brand that wants to work with them. When looking for a brand to partner with, creators look for quality, alignment with their values, and collaboration that feels supportive. ³

Long-term partnerships that allow for more meaningful connections and stronger conversions are important to creators. In fact, 45% of creators with over 100,000 followers are looking for this type of partnership. ³ Additionally, brands can reach out to creators in a variety of ways, as 54% of creators say they’re typically contacted via social platforms, 45% say direct message through apps, and 44% say via email. ³

Brand Tip: Move beyond one-off activations because long-term partnerships can enable deeper storytelling and stronger audience trust — and allow creators the flexibility to integrate brand messaging in their voice and style.

How Creators Want to Engage With Followers

Many creators see their followers as more than just a number – they view them as friends and part of a community. Almost a third of creators say their followers feel like part of a unique inner circle and that they have positive interactions with them. ³ That’s because creators engage with their followers like they do with their friends. A similar number of creators say their followers actively discuss and share user-generated content, view and engage with their content, and participate in 1:1 conversations with them. ³

Creators keep their followers engaged across platforms by posting a mix of spontaneous and planned content. ³ Aligning with the superpower of feeling comfortable posting about their daily lives, many creators see Snapchat as a place to post spontaneous content. ³

Brand Tip: Recognize that creators don’t just speak to followers — they co-create with communities. Support formats and tools when developing campaigns that allow for interactive content and cross-platform dialogue. Encourage a balance of planned and spontaneous updates that bring audiences into the creator’s daily life.

Takeaways for Brands

• Lean into each platform's super powers

  • Creators show up uniquely on each platform based on their strengths. Tap into how they're evolving their content strategy per platform and let your brand meet them there.

• Build brand partnerships on shared values

  • The best collaborations start with authentic alignment. Partner with creators who believe in your mission and what they share with their followers.

  • Once you establish that relationship, go beyond one-off campaigns — nurture long-term relationships that give creators the freedom to tell your story in their own voice and style.

• Enable community-driven entertainment

  • Creators don't just speak to followers -- they co-create with communities. Support formats and tools that foster interactive content and conversation, while encouraging a balance of planned and spontaneous updates that bring audiences into the creator's daily life.

Check out some of the ways brands can tap into creators on Snapchat here!