Originally published on Creativebrief September 16th 2025 – https://www.creativebrief.com/bite/trend/guest-trend/why-is-the-work-of-a-creator-still-viewed-as-a-side-hustle
I was in a conversation not that long ago, discussing a brand’s need to evolve, moving into influencer marketing, creator-led content, and adapting their output to better match how people actually consume and discover today. The response?
“Oh, that’s easy. Just get an intern to do it.”
I wish I was surprised. But that comment sums up a narrative that continues to grind my gears: the persistent, dismissive belief that anyone can do creator or influencer marketing. That it’s not a skilled role. That it’s just a nice-to-have. A side hustle. A “bit of content on the side.”
This mindset is outdated and it’s actively harming the way brands show up and grow in today’s media landscape.
Creator marketing has two extremes – and neither makes sense
What’s fascinating (and infuriating) about creator work is the paradox it sits in.
On one hand, it’s framed as casual. A hobby. A cute way to make some extra cash on TikTok Shop. The kind of thing you do “for fun” in your spare time. Not serious. Not strategic. Something that “anyone can do.”
On the other hand? We have brands briefing creators with detailed KPIs, expecting them to ideate original content, deliver flawless video, build engagement, stay culturally relevant, and embody a brand’s tone of voice to the letter – all while being underpaid or not paid at all.
And then we have audiences expecting those same creators to speak out on every social issue, lead movements, stay unproblematic, and carry the burden of visibility with grace and constant output.
It’s wild. Why would anyone treat that like a side hustle?
Let’s be clear: this is skilled, high-pressure, highly visible work. And yet the respect and resources still don’t match the results.
Creator marketing is a media channel
The data backs this up. In my work with clients at Charlie Oscar, we consistently see creator content outperforming brand-owned assets across social. On average, creator-led work drives 30%-50% more impact in feed.
Why? Because people trust people more than they trust brands. Because creators understand the nuance of platforms. Because influence is built, not bought.
And because creator content is media.
It should be part of your paid strategy.
It should be planned, measured, and scaled.
It should sit next to every other channel in your marketing mix.
Not beneath it.
If “anyone can do it,” why isn’t everyone winning?
The idea that anyone can do social or creator marketing fundamentally ignores what actually goes into it. It’s not just about making pretty content. It’s about:
● Understanding platform algorithms and format evolution
● Matching message to audience mindset
● Blending creative with performance marketing
● Tracking attribution and ROI
● Evolving strategy in real-time
If anyone could do that, every brand would be crushing it on TikTok, building community on Reddit, and activating perfect-fit creators to drive measurable growth. But they’re not.
Because while many are trying, few are getting it right.
Because it’s not easy.
Because it’s not cheap.
Because it’s not a job for an intern.
Brands still think too much about themselves
Too many brands still approach creator or influencer marketing with a “push” mindset. What we want to say. What we want to show. What we want the content to look like.
But the real value of creator work is that it pulls people in – through relevance, relatability, and reach. The best-performing creator content doesn’t just “mention” the brand. It reflects how the brand lives in culture, in community, in someone’s everyday reality.
With the rise of AI search and LLMs, how your brand is talked about off-platform is increasingly what determines whether you show up at all. If you’re not investing in creative and influencer marketing as a key part of your media strategy, you’re actively limiting your discoverability.
Because you can’t manufacture word of mouth anymore – you have to earn it.
Time to shift the narrative
We need to retire this tired, patronising idea that creator marketing is just a low-stakes side hustle, and start treating it with the respect it’s earned.
Yes, great creators can film from their bedrooms. That doesn’t mean the work is low-value. Yes, startup founders can make their own content. That doesn’t mean it scales. Yes, Gen Z can ride trends. That doesn’t mean they don’t understand media strategy.
Let’s stop undermining an entire discipline because it doesn’t look like traditional advertising. Let’s stop expecting creators to give us the world for free, and stop treating the people who work in this space like it’s “just content.”
And if anyone still thinks “an intern can do it,” ask them why their last campaign flopped.
