• Non-professional creators who monetize their work say holiday revenue represents over one-third (34%) of their annual creative income
• 71% of monetizing creators are partnering with brands this holiday season; 75% say a brand’s values are more important than their size and influence
• Over half of “monetizers” say they will earn more creative income in 2022 than 2021; over a quarter expect to earn at least 50% more than last year
• Of “monetizers” who use digital tools to create content, 87% use Adobe tools including Photoshop and Adobe Express, with 69% relying more heavily on digital tools during the holidays

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Dec. 22, 2022 — Today, Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) released new data and insights from the latest installment of Adobe’s “Future of Creativity” series, focusing on the holiday season’s monetization opportunities for non-professional creators. Adobe’s findings provide an in-depth look at how non-professional creators are evolving their content strategies to drive growth during this holiday season, boosting their income by partnering with brands, working with other creators, and increasing their creative output.

“Creators are at the forefront of driving trends during the holidays, creating new opportunities to engage with and grow their audiences,” said Ashley Still, senior vice president, digital media marketing, strategy & global partnerships at Adobe. “We are committed to fueling opportunities for creators to bring their stories to life and express themselves.  Adobe Express is a powerful and easy-to-use creative platform that makes it simple and fun for everyone to express their holiday spirit with seasonal templates – and much more.”

Holiday Season Brings Growth Opportunities

During the 2022 holiday season, creators are creating more, engaging more frequently with audiences and brands, and monetizing more content. Some of the study’s top findings include:

• Nearly three-quarters of monetizers (73%) indicated that the holidays are their most lucrative time of the year.
• On average, monetizers report that holiday revenue represents just over one-third (34%) of their annual creative income.
• Among creators who have been monetizing their work for a year or more, 51% anticipate significant growth in 2022 income over 2021, while 26% say they will earn at least 50% more year-over-year. 
• Over 8 in 10 (86%) monetizers will earn income this holiday season through selling directly to consumers, and almost two-thirds (63%) will earn income via promotional revenue.
• Despite uncertainty regarding social media platforms and the economic environment, 88% of creators expect to grow their audience this season, and nearly half (49%) named building brand awareness as a goal.
• Nearly half (47%) of creators, who have monetized for a year or more, expect to post content at least once a day, and 59% say they have increased their posting frequency since last year.

Brand Partnerships Offer Monetization Opportunities  

Brand partnerships are key to making money, but creators are selective with who they collaborate with.

• 71% of monetizers are partnering with brands this holiday season, and over one-third (36%) of brand-partnered monetizers say their creative income represents half or more of their total income. 
• 75% of monetizers say a brand’s values are more important than their size and influence; 74% say they’d rather partner with other creators than large brands.
• Half of monetizers who partner with five or more brands plan to proactively seek new brand partnerships, while most expect to increase the frequency of audience engagement (53%), create more video content (60%), create new types of content (61%), and create more content (66%).

Macroeconomic Environment Drives New Strategies  

As is the case in other industries, creators are aware of the uncertain macroeconomic environment, and nearly one-third (32%) of monetizers say they’re proactively shifting their strategies to engage with their audiences. 

• Of those who have changed their content and/or business strategies, 63% say they’re creating more content, 60% are creating new types of content, and 49% are engaging with their audiences more often.
• On average, monetizers will create and post four different types of content formats this holiday season including: photography (70%), videos (61%), art/graphics (47%), memes (31%).
• Monetizers’ most popular platforms for posting creative or social media content include Facebook (70%), Instagram (65%), and YouTube (57%), with TikTok more regularly used by Gen Z monetizers (60%) than with Millennial (47%) or Gen X (42%) monetizers.

The Future of Creativity Study also found that the vast majority (81%) of monetizers use apps, software, and digital tools to create their content – and of that group, 87% use Adobe products. Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Express – the leading all-in-one tool for creating social graphics, flyers, logos, and videos – empower individuals, solopreneurs, social influencers, small business owners, and enterprises around the world to tell their stories, enabling anyone to create professional-quality content with unprecedented speed and ease.

About the Future of Creativity Study

Adobe’s Future of Creativity study aims to understand how creativity is changing around the world, speaking directly with those at the forefront of online creativity: creators in the Creator Economy. The study examines the future of creativity from a variety of perspectives.

Methodology

In November 2022, the Future of Creativity study surveyed ~1,000 online non-professional creators aged 18 and up in the United States. “Creators” are defined as non-professionals having participated in creative activities (such as photography, creative writing, and original social media content creation) and posting, sharing, or promoting their work from these activities online at least monthly with the goal of growing their social presence. “Monetizers” are a subset of these creators who earn income through their creative activities, selling via websites or marketplaces, or generating revenue from partnerships, affiliate links, and/or ad revenue.