“Creators are increasingly teaching brands how to build effective social strategies,” said Ayush Guha, business head at Hypp, a creator management agency. “It’s becoming one of the most lucrative opportunities in the creator economy, accessible to both established and emerging talent.”
Guha cites the example of an Instagram influencer who does this regularly for large platforms, including a streaming giant. These consulting opportunities aren’t limited to mainstream influencers. Guha notes that niche creators with fewer than 200,000 followers are finding success with emerging D2C brands in retail and the food sector, commanding monthly fee ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh for social media and content strategy.
The trend reflects a shift in how brands perceive creator value.
Lakshmi Balasubramanian, CEO of Greenroom Network, an influencer marketing agency, notes that creator consultancy has grown, with brands recognising creators’ natural strengths in storytelling, viral content creation, and cultural fluency. “Creators are recognised for their skills that extend beyond being influencers alone,” she said. “They are good writers, understand a particular category very well and audience needs, so they are best fits for some of these roles.”
Balasubramanian points to two D2C beauty brands in her network that have enlisted skincare influencers not for traditional endorsements but as dedicated content consultants shaping brand messaging and strategy. Some creators are leveraging their digital portfolios to secure full-time corporate positions. Civil engineer Ripudaman Singh, 23, began reviewing tech products on X and Facebook in 2020. By 2024, his content caught the attention of ergonomic solutions company Frido, resulting in a full-time role as a product marketing specialist. “Content creators have a deep understanding of storytelling, audience engagement, and brand positioning, skills that are incredibly valuable in today’s digital landscape,” said Ganesh Sonawane, CEO of D2C brand Frido.
“When we hire a creator, we’re bringing in someone who knows how to build influence, craft narratives, and resonate with people,” according to Sonawane. The Frido CEO has made three such hires, including that of 33-year-old Ami Palan as a senior brand manager. Among the biggest successes has been Tanmay Bhat who, with his content studio Moonshot, has worked with top consumer brands like Cred, Subway and Meesho among others on ad campaigns.
The trajectory works in reverse as well. Marketing executive Aarti Samant has doubled business for her consulting firm Sorted Digital by showcasing her marketing expertise through Instagram handle @thesortedgirl, which boasts 240,000 followers. “There are numerous consultancy firms and agencies out there, but clients come to me because they see that I’m practicing what I preach. I’m not just theorising — I’m demonstrating how to create content and using those same hooks in my own work,” she said.
The same principle applies to successful creators consulting with brands. “When you create content yourself, you become incredibly attuned to audience feedback — understanding why certain scripts or reels work while others don’t,” she said. “This intuitive knowledge is something I can now apply to the brands we consult for and teach to my team.” Samant is now specifically recruiting marketers with content creation experience, believing that firsthand platform fluency translates directly to more effective client work.
In an industry where creators still depend heavily on brand deals for income stability, these strategic roles represent a promising evolution, though industry observers note the trend remains emerging rather than mainstream.
For creators themselves, the shift offers a potential answer to ongoing income challenges. “One of the biggest hurdles is the lack of consistent income since most work is freelance-based. As a beginner, it’s especially tough to sustain yourself financially. Having a stable job has been essential to support my content creation journey on the side,” said Singh, who now works at Frido.
