The rise of the “creator economy” versus the end of ephemeral content

The “creator economy” in Mexico is a growing industry. This is how Jorge Taboada, director of operations for TikTok in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, describes it. And it is not a minor thing, since the global size of influencer marketing has tripled in five years. In 2020, a value of close to 10 billion dollars was estimated and by 2025 it is expected to be 33 billion dollars, according to Statista figures.

In addition, Taboada adds, year after year names are added to the ‘orange’ economy, which gives the manager a perspective of “complete health” and on “paths of development.” The Chinese platform has also experienced figures that demonstrate the rise: TikTok’s aggregate contribution to Mexico’s economy amounted to 45.24 billion pesos during 2024; at the same time TikTok Shop, the e-commerce solution integrated within the app, which in eight months of operation has seen an increase in the average daily sales that grew 34 times. On the other hand, the Rewards Program for Creators recently arrived in the country, which will allow them to obtain extra income for the videos they generate.

But how ephemeral can a content creator’s success be? Taboada explains that there are millions of creators who can remain current today within the microcosms or communities that exist on TikTok, which can be as specialized as they want, for example, for those who are interested in legal issues, cinema, vegetarian food, among others.

Now read: I am a full-time angel investor: Claudio Schlegel

“It is almost impossible to know everyone, yes there will be some who disappear, but it is not necessarily that, but rather we are choosing our communities and that is why, apparently, they stop being relevant,” says Taboada.

The manager tells Forbes Mexico what his strategy is for working with content creators, the challenges facing the creator economy and how this industry is on the path to maturation and professionalization.

Emerging talent: TikTok’s bet

TikTok’s strategy is committed to emerging content creators who can be promoted through educational events. “The ones we started working with a year ago, perhaps, were not yet so significant within the digital ecosystem; after a year we see them grow and move to another category or even those who are already in the top category are the ones who for me even become celebrities, they are people who influence not only on the cell phone screen, but in the social context and popular culture,” he comments.

But he does not hesitate to say that in this growing industry those who make quality content, with a sustainable narrative, with thematic consistency, where there is planning work and good production, will survive, while those who are more attached to trends are more at risk of being ephemeral.

You may be interested in: ‘I try to change people’s minds to open the world to them’: Money Albarrán, angel investor

And he advises those who have already built a relevant character to start diversifying the business. “In the end it is the achievement of having built a personal brand and taking it to other levels or to other business areas,” he comments.

Main trends in Mexico

Entertainment and sports are themes that are predominant in Mexico, however, the category of education is very high unlike other countries. “I’m not necessarily talking about academic content, but education such as how to’s, how to do things, your daily life problems, your challenges, it could be education in cooking, but also how to change the battery in a car,” explains the manager.

At the same time, there is a trend to move from ephemeral content to longer, horizontal content, something they see not only in those who consume it, but also in those who create it. Tiktok also seeks to remain current in the country by ensuring that the platform has an answer for everyone. They constantly carry out analysis to detect if there is any new category where there is no information provision, they look for content generators and work with them.

“(If) we detect that the platform does not have enough content creators in that category, we do work so that we meet the demands of our audience. And that is the strategy behind the growth, making sure that TikTok has an answer for everyone,” he says.

To be sustainable over time as a content creator, Jorge Taboada says that the biggest challenge is professionalization that will lead him to be more surgical about the topics he is going to talk about, knowing what his differentiator is compared to other creators and who is the audience he is going to talk to. “In this world, where many people copy other people, being unique, authentic, genuine, I think is an important challenge, which (also) is a characteristic that all the successful creators we work with share. When we ask them for advice, absolutely everyone tells you: be genuine, be authentic,” he mentions.

We recommend: The collector of experiences

For the Chinese platform, Mexico is one of the most solid markets worldwide and the second largest in the region after Brazil. He describes it as mature in terms of market penetration, users and screen time. “I think the challenge we have, talking about TikTok, is how we convert that entire audience into business,” he explains.

Jorge Taboada sees the future of the orange economy maturing, where all actors become professional. “Make the cost-benefit much clearer, what a brand does with a creator, what the specific benefit is, how I measure it, how it is purchased, who are the intermediaries that should be in that chain and who should not, how the content is professionalized,” he says. And this future will also be marked by the artificial intelligence revolution.

Forbes Mexico presents the second edition of the Top Creators 2025 list, which recognizes those who, through their authenticity, have managed to build solid communities in the digital environment. This editorial exercise had the support of the TikTok platform, which includes a series of profiles proposed through its own methodology.

Top Creators 2025 México

Jose Ramones

TikTok: 1.4M

YouTube: 46K

Instagram: 1.2M

Comedian, actor and content creator focused on parody sketches.

Herly RG

TikTok: 3.3M

YouTube: 84K

Instagram: 745K

Content creator focused on comedy. He has developed other podcast products. She is an actress and has participated in reality shows.

Isaiah Espinoza

TikTok: 13.9M

YouTube: +3M

Instagram: 4M

Best known as Chef in the Making, he has participated in reality shows and became a content creator when he began creating after-school practice videos.

Andrés Johnson

TikTok: 8.6M

YouTube: 63K

Instagram: 5.3M

Comedy-focused content creator. It started when I was 18 years old.

RENEE

TikTok: 806K

YouTube: 115K

Instagram: 224K

Mexican singer and songwriter. Twice nominated for the Latin Grammy.

Andres Garza

TikTok: 8.5M

YouTube: 5.3M

Instagram: 2M

Content creator focused on financial education.

Xcaret Lopez

TikTok: 1.6M

YouTube: 738

Instagram: 931K

Xcaret López, better known as Mama Mecanic, is a content creator about basic mechanics, driving, car inspection, maintenance, among others.

Jair Herrera

TikTok: 4M

YouTube: 45.9K

Instagram: 421K

Jair Herrera is a biologist passionate about the exploration of nature and scientific dissemination.

The Hysteria Ladies

TikTok: 2.4M

YouTube: 362K

Instagram: 1.8M

Comedy and reflection podcast on relationships and emotions hosted by Vero Monti and Bárbara Malacara.

Marcela Figueroa

TikTok: 3.8M

YouTube: 149K

Instagram: 515K

Communicator and content creator specialized in football, she shares parodies, analysis and comedy.

Eduardo Bates

TikTok: 1M

YouTube: 279K

Instagram: 59.8K

Share content about Lucha Libre and pop culture.

Carolina Treto

TikTok: 151K

YouTube: 669

Instagram: 17.4K

Content creator focused on topics about Formula 1.

Daniel Valle

TikTok: 8.6M

YouTube: 436K

Instagram: 6.1M

In 2021, he began creating comedy content imitating what a “godín” experiences inside the office. He was Top Creators 2024 by Forbes Mexico.

Mario Aguilar

TikTok: 20.8M

YouTube: 7.9M

Instagram: 6.1M

He has 10 years of experience in comedy, he is also a content creator and entrepreneur.

Jimena in Vigo

TikTok: 702K

Instagram: 10.1K

Create content related to cinema.

Charlie Carrillo

TikTok: 866K

YouTube: 99.2K

Instagram: 135K

Its content focuses on European football.

Alfredo Cantu

TikTok: 7.2M

YouTube: 3.1M

Instagram: 3.2M

Better known as Un tal Fredo, he is a content creator, influencer and podcaster who talks about entertainment and entertainment topics.

Mikephy

TikTok: 3M

YouTube: 304K

Instagram: 200K

Physicist and disseminator. Share science content with everyday, understandable and fun language.

Ivanova Manifacio

TikTok: 7.9M

YouTube: 6.1M

Instagram: 825K

Mexican content creator focused on makeup, visual storytelling and entertainment.

Methodology: The selection, carried out by TikTok’s operations team, prioritized the profiles that stood out this year in the content categories currently relevant to the platform (music and cinema; education and science; lifestyle, sports and humor). Quantitative factors were evaluated – number of publications, volume of views, number of followers – and qualitative factors – quality of content in terms of production, creativity and specialization, relevance achieved in the last year -.