The Creator Economy is Growing Rapidly
When you think of the content creator economy, obvious places like New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami spring to mind. For many years influencers, celebrities, and high-quality creators flooded those cities and created a marketplace that seemed destined to keep those who couldn’t relocate out. As we all know, though, the internet is a powerful place and finding opportunities is no longer a matter of where you live, as content creation has boomed into a lucrative national industry.
According to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau in 2025, the full-time equivalent of more than 1.5 million Americans work as digital creators. That number hasn’t been growing slowly either. Since 2020, it’s increased nearly eightfold and is showing no signs of stopping. That growth also is not happening solely in the traditional big markets. The IAB reports that digital employment has reached every single congressional district in the country. People from all over and all walks of life have embraced the creation and marketing potential of the creator economy.
Businesses Are Taking Notice of Creators
As more and more content creators pop up all over the country, brands are beginning to realize the power that these influencers and marketers truly have and are spending big money to tap into that market. By the end of 2026, it’s expected that creator ad spending will reach $44 billion, up 18% from 2025.
With that increase in spending also comes an increase in expectations. Advertisers no longer see digital creators only as a way to raise brand awareness to their large audiences. Brands expect creators to put in the work needed to drive sales and generate a return on investment for the company. In fact, IAB says that 40% of businesses list ROI as their most important KPI when investing in creator advertising. Measurable results are what businesses are purchasing now, and creators are delivering.
A 2026 study conducted by CreatorIQ found that eight out of ten brands surveyed were getting at least 2x ROI on their creator marketing campaigns. That success may bode well for the economy as a whole, since it shows potential investors a real path to tangible results in the digital space.
For smaller creators, this push for measurable results should be exciting. While a large audience is still intriguing to an advertiser, a creator with the right audience and the ability to produce actual results is far more appealing than one who simply has a high follower count. Creators willing to take advantage of that market could see huge growth in the coming months and years.
Shreveport Creators Are Central to Content Growth in Louisiana
As the third-largest city in the state, Shreveport obviously has a huge part to play in the growth of the Louisiana creator economy. Local creators have been connecting with audiences and proving that Shreveport is a creative and lucrative part of the national creator economy.
Leigh McClendon knows exactly what it’s like to build a successful following in Shreveport. The former elementary school teacher and viral TikTok star known online as Leigh McNasty grew up in Montgomery, Louisiana, but built his following while living in Caddo Parish. After joining TikTok in 2019, McClendon quickly found success with his chaotic humor and relatable content. By 2021, the Shreveport Times reported that he had amassed 2.2 million followers. By September of 2026, that number had grown to 6.4 million.
His appeal comes from the relatability of his humor. He draws from his own experiences as a teacher, creating characters and sketches that, while exaggerated for humor, are very familiar to teachers and parents.
Even the more traditional entertainment industry has taken notice of McClendon’s channel. In 2022, Taylor Swift used the viral “What I Do” sound in a video promoting special editions of her Midnights album, exposing McClendon to her tens of millions of followers. Leigh can also claim musician Josh Groban as a follower after one of his opera-style videos caught the singer’s attention.
Another Shreveport native who has found success as a creator is Chanell Sykes, a.k.a. lovechanellenje. Billing herself as a “beauty disruptor”, Sykes’ lifestyle and beauty content has generated substantial followings on both TikTok and Instagram where she boasts 542,000 and 687,000 followers, respectively.
Sykes also fully understands the “economy” side of the creator economy, being a business owner herself. While her Dainty Girl Beauty products are not the primary content drivers on her channels, which focus more on lifestyle tips and trends, her popularity still serves to drive business to her brand. The line between content creators and business owners has blurred in recent years, and creators like Sykes have seen the wisdom of using their online presence to boost their business.
Even professionals like realtors have begun to see the impact that content creation can have on their work. William Guffey, a Bossier City professional who can be found on TikTok as @williamguffeyrealtor, has amassed nearly 20,000 followers on the platform and uses his content creation to directly drive his business. However, Guffey seems to understand that being a professional and a creator at the same time works when you treat both as equally important. His content is far more than a tool to supplement his business. While he does promote his realty work through his channel, many of his videos have nothing to do with his realty profession. A large part of his content is focused on local dining reviews, which have focused on highlighting Shreveport-Bossier restaurants. The popularity of those reviews allows Guffey to generate more views on his realty content as well, turning his business and his content creation into a single entity that feeds itself.
The Room Is Bigger Than You Think
At SPK Creative Agency, this is the work we do every day. We help brands and creators outside the major markets build the strategy, social presence, and creator partnerships that turn the right audience into real results, because the right audience beats the biggest audience every time. If you're a brand ready to work with creators, or a creator ready to grow like a business, start the conversation with us here.
Disclosure: Dainty Girl Beauty is an SPK Creative Agency client.