Social media used to reward the hustle of building a massive following. Not anymore.
As platforms double down on algorithmic curation, creators are learning a new truth: follower counts don’t guarantee reach, and engagement doesn’t mean visibility.
This article explores the shifting landscape of the creator economy, where algorithms, AI distrust, and fragmentation are forcing creators and marketers to rethink everything. From Discord-fueled clipping squads to trust-based monetization models, here’s how the most strategic players are adapting.
Short on time?
Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- The fall of the follower count
- Why trust is outperforming reach
- Inside the rise of Discord clipping squads
- How niche creators are winning the long game
- What marketers should know
Atikah Amalia
The fall of the follower count
In 2025, algorithms officially won. So says LTK CEO Amber Venz Box, who argues that follower counts now have little to no impact on content distribution. The feed is king, and it no longer cares who follows you.
This isn’t a new revelation for creators. Patreon CEO Jack Conte and others have long warned of the shift, but now the fallout is visible across platforms. Creators post, and their followers might never see it. As a result, creators are chasing new forms of engagement, often outside traditional social feeds.
Why trust is outperforming reach
The upside? Trust in creators is actually rising. A study by LTK and Northwestern University found that consumer trust in creators jumped 21% year-over-year, despite growing awareness of monetization tactics and platform manipulation.
Box credits this unexpected trust boost to AI fatigue. As algorithmic content floods feeds, audiences are gravitating toward creators they know, trust, and believe are still human.
“AI pushed people to rotate trust to real humans with real life experiences,” she said.
This shift is influencing marketing budgets too. The same study shows 97% of CMOs plan to increase investment in influencer marketing in 2026, betting that authenticity will cut through the algorithmic noise.
Inside the rise of Discord clipping squads
With social reach no longer tied to follower size, creators are getting scrappy. One standout tactic? Hiring teenage “clipping armies” on Discord to flood platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels with short, high-impact clips.
Patrecia Meliana
According to Karat Financial co-founder Eric Wei, major names like Drake and Kai Cenat already use this approach. Creators pay these teens to extract viral moments from their content and distribute them across algorithm-driven feeds, often from unrelated, random accounts that don’t need a following to gain traction.
“Clipping feels like an evolution of meme accounts,” said Glenn Ginsburg of QYOU Media. “It’s a race to get the most views on the same IP.” The virality is decentralized, but the benefits funnel back to the original creator.
Still, the model has limits. Night founder Reed Duchscher, who helped build MrBeast’s empire and now manages Kai Cenat, warns that scaling this tactic for broader media budgets is difficult. “There’s only so many clippers on the internet,” he noted.
Clipping may be a clever workaround, for now. But if it becomes too common, it risks becoming yet another form of algorithmic slop.
How niche creators are winning the long game
With macro creators struggling to maintain reach across fragmented feeds, niche creators are thriving. The more specific the audience, the better the algorithm can serve them.
LTK’s Box cites a broader trend: people are abandoning bloated feeds for real communities. Over half of social users are spending time on niche platforms like Strava, LinkedIn, or Substack, where interaction feels more personal and less performative.
Duchscher agrees. He predicts macro creators like MrBeast and Charli D’Amelio will become harder to replicate. Instead, creators with sharp, narrow focuses like Alix Earle or Outdoor Boys are poised to dominate their own corners of the internet.
Sean Atkins of Dhar Mann Studios puts it best: “The creator economy is like the internet or AI, it’s going to affect everything.” His example? Epic Gardening. The creator-led brand now owns the third-largest seed company in the US.
What marketers should know
This creator economy reset has major implications for marketers:
1. Stop optimizing for follower count
Social reach is now algorithmic. Focus on creators with engaged niche audiences, not inflated numbers.
2. Bet on trust-first creators
Creators who maintain credibility and authenticity are more valuable than ever, especially in an AI-drenched landscape.
3. Explore clipping partnerships
Some creators are building virality through Discord clipping squads. Partnering with these teams could be a smart distribution move, especially for video content.
4. Diversify beyond mainstream platforms
Niche communities on LinkedIn, Substack, and even vertical-specific platforms are becoming brand-safe havens for deeper engagement.
5. Prepare for content saturation
“Slop” content is becoming a real concern. Balance reach with resonance by supporting creators who produce intentional, high-quality content, even in short form.
The creator economy isn’t dying, it’s evolving. Marketers who cling to legacy metrics like follower counts risk missing the new playbook. Winning in 2026 means understanding the new content flows, betting on trust, and meeting audiences wherever authenticity still cuts through.
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