Gen Z is a generation that knows exactly what they want to be when they grow up—content creators and entrepreneurs. Approximately 86% of young Americans aspire to become social media influencers, a career path that offers earning potential far beyond traditional options. Take Kylie Jenner, for instance. With 365 million Instagram followers, she became the youngest self-made billionaire through the enormous success of Kylie Cosmetics, which also boasts 26 million Instagram followers. As social media continues to evolve and new platforms emerge, the creator economy is rapidly expanding. Personalities like Khaby Lam seem to rise to fame and fortune overnight.
Gen Z influencers have cracked the code on leveraging their success, influence, and wealth. They are transforming into business moguls, becoming the faces, media properties, and creative forces behind their brands, and expanding their empires beyond social media.
Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Gen Z highly values authentic content, with 82% saying they trust a company more if it uses real customers in its advertising. Influencers have a significant advantage when building businesses because they have spent considerable time cultivating trust with their audience.
BeReal, an unfiltered social media platform that allows users to share ultra-candid content, is currently ranked #1 in the Apple App Store for social networking. Influencer-owned brands can integrate their products into everyday life, furthering the authentic connection that Gen Z craves. The younger generation favors recommendations from peers over search engines like Google or Bing. As many as 40% of Gen Zers prefer social media for help with purchasing decisions. If a creator gives positive reviews to a brand, Gen Z believes it is a quality product or service.
What Industries Are Gen Z Consuming?
Gen Z’s interests are vast, ranging from cooking to cryptocurrency. Their unlimited access to information has broadened the array of topics they explore. Here are a few industries that capture their attention:
Financial/Web3
The finance industry has seen a surge in interest from younger generations and influencers, particularly in areas like cryptocurrency and NFTs. Over the past two years, there has been a rise in “finfluencers.” Biaheza, a 20-year-old YouTuber with 1.2 million subscribers, teaches his audience how he earns money online. He went viral in 2021 for making $15 million by creating the “fluffy coin” cryptocurrency. By documenting his success, Biaheza has gained the trust of his subscribers, who are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for his online courses.
Once you’ve made your millions, you need to know how to manage them! Taylor Price, a TikTok influencer with 1.1 million followers, is a financial activist promoting financial literacy products through workshops, community chats, daily lessons, and market insights. Price has been a guest speaker at Google and runs ad campaigns for the fintech brand Credit Karma.
Pop Culture
Gen Z is reshaping pop culture with conversations, memes, and discussions on norms and trends. Popular topics include viral videos, new songs, and celebrity scandals. Mina Le, a cultural analyst with 1 million YouTube subscribers, shares insights on the latest trends, hit movies, and societal issues facing her generation. Her investigative and opinion-based videos focus on challenging the status quo. Videos like “Why TikTok is Bad for Fashion” and “Confidence is a Cult” reflect the contrarian perspectives of her generation.
My Therapist Says, an Instagram page with 7.6 million followers, is a relatable comedy-based account that highlights the struggles of young women. Founders Lola and Gina Tash have leveraged their loyal following, which brings in roughly 1 billion monthly impressions, into a best-selling book, a soon-to-launch weekly interactive podcast, and an upcoming television show. Podcast guests have included Paris Hilton, Steve Aoki, Emma Roberts, and more!
Gaming
Gaming is one of the most significant industries for Gen Z, and brands are making sizeable investments. Ludwig, an esports live streamer with 3.38 million YouTube subscribers, gained celebrity status on Twitch and later signed an exclusive deal with YouTube Gaming for $30 million.
Brands are eager to connect with women gamers. Tampax made headlines for sponsoring Valorant esports tournaments. Pokimane, with 9.2 million followers, is a broadcaster and Valorant gamer who is the most followed woman on Twitch. At 26 years old, she is an investor in Therabody and promotes wellness to her Gen Z fans. In July, Pokimane announced she was taking a break from gaming to focus on her mental health.
Mental Health
Gen Z cares deeply about well-being, so influencers who openly share their experiences with mental health have gained dedicated and loyal followers. Victoria Paris, with 1.4 million TikTok followers, is beloved for sharing her mental health journey. From conversations about body image and self-love to the challenges of filling medication prescriptions, she’s committed to creating a deeper connection with her audience. Mai Pham, a vlogger with 2.59 million YouTube subscribers, has shared her internal struggles in creating authentic content. The supportive comments on her videos further strengthen the connection between Pham and her audience.
Food
Gen Z is health-conscious and enjoys sharing new recipes and ways to improve kitchen skills. A quick search on TikTok reveals that #FoodTok has 28 billion views. Eitan Bernath, a 20-year-old chef with 923,000 Snapchat followers, is best known for recreating TikTok recipes. His videos are fun and appeal to Gen Z’s curiosity. He recently began deep-frying everything from the world’s most expensive beef to a birthday cake. He was a featured guest on *The Drew Barrymore Show* to promote his new cookbook, *Eitan Eats the World*.
Gen Z Influencer Entrepreneurs
With their audience’s desire for trusted recommendations and authentic content, it’s no surprise that Gen Z influencers are diving into entrepreneurship. They have found the sweet spot between being influencers and founders, allowing them to thrive long-term beyond their social media careers.
MrBeast
Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, is the 5th most subscribed YouTuber worldwide with 100 million subscribers. He is famous for his stunt videos, charitable giveaways, and influencer events. This year, he launched Feastables, a brand of chocolate bars made with plant-based, gluten-free ingredients. To support the launch, MrBeast created a $1 million sweepstakes with prizes ranging from Teslas to merchandise. To further promote his brand, he hosted a competition at a replica of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, with the winner getting to keep the factory. The video gained nearly 100 million views and significantly boosted brand recognition among his audience.
Charli and Dixie D’Amelio
TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio are experts at building a brand in tandem with their social media presence. With 203 million combined TikTok followers, they have a loyal and active audience to promote their Gen Z fashion brand, Social Tourist. The apparel design reflects the sisters’ unique interests and dynamic personalities. The brand has been so successful that they’ve opened a pop-up store in LA.
Airrack
Erick “Airrack” Decker, a comedy content creator with 8.89 million YouTube subscribers, is the co-founder of Creator Now, a series of guided videos and workshops that teach creators how to develop ideas and improve content distribution. The platform recently introduced a new program that pays creators to promote indie artists and musicians, giving back to the creator economy.
Addison Rae
Another notable figure is Addison Rae, who has 88 million TikTok followers. She has ventured into entrepreneurship by starting her makeup brand, Item Beauty, and developing a line of toys at Walmart. Item Beauty is a trend-focused brand, with one of its staple products being the Sunburn Blush, which allows consumers to achieve a sun-kissed look without damaging their skin. Her line of toys with Walmart centers around body positivity, a message Addison has consistently promoted on her social media since she gained fame.
Emma Chamberlain
We can’t talk about influencers turned entrepreneurs without mentioning Emma Chamberlain, who has 11 million YouTube subscribers. Emma is a beloved influencer among Gen Z for her endearing personality and high energy. And what does Gen Z love more than anything? Coffee. Emma built her brand around being a coffee enthusiast and capitalized on it with the launch of her coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee. Some speculate that Emma has made $32 million selling coffee.
Building Influencer Brands
It’s no surprise that influencers are building successful and iconic brands. Their influence and connection with audiences create trust in their products and allow them to sell at an incredible pace. This extension of their brands goes beyond their work on social media and ensures long-lasting careers.
The Social Standard is a full-service influencer marketing agency focused on setting and raising the industry standard. Our team is dedicated to finding the right influencers for our partners. But we are more than just matchmakers; we are strategists who develop effective campaigns to delight, inspire, entertain, and meet business goals. From concept to seamless execution, we work with clients such as Adobe, FiatChrysler, L’Oreal, and Motorola, positioning them as pioneers in innovative influencer marketing and helping talent thrive in the creator economy.
