Australian creators are building empires from their social media clout, and charting the future of advertising, media and business.
Key Takeaways
- Around 200 million social media users are classified as “creators”
- Creatornomics: How the creator economy has caught the attention of investors
Rowi Singh
Famous for out-of-this-world make-up tutorials, Rowi Singh has more than half a million followers across social channels. Her creative style has seen her work with Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, Nike and Anastasia Beverly Hills. Singh launched her own facial accessory brand, Embellish, and co- hosts a podcast about the creator economy, It’s A Creator’s World.
Lillian Ahenkan
Lillian Ahenkan – better known by her stage name FlexMami – is an Australian content creator and media personality. She began her journey as a DJ, before branching out into TV presenting, radio hosting, writing and an e-commerce business, the Flex Factory. Ahenkan’s 160,000 Instagram followers hang on her pop culture commentary and critical-thinking Instagram posts.
Christian Hull
Christian Hull is an Australian comedian and content creator, best known for his character sketches where he dons a white-blonde wig to become his alter-ego, Trish. His videos have more than 670 million views, and he boasts nearly 2 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. He’s gone on to launch e-commerce store, The Fuck Off Shop, and even written a popular novel.
Tammy Hembrow
With 15.5 million followers on Instagram, Tammy Hembrow is one of Australia’s most successful creators. She built a strong brand in the fitness space, but her following skyrocketed when she began documenting her life into young motherhood. Fast forward to today, and Hembrow is the powerhouse behind two businesses: online fitness program, Tammy Hembrow Fitness, and activewear business, Saski Collection, which together boast nearly 1 million Instagram followers.
Marion Grasby
Marion Grasby burst onto the culinary scene in 2010 as a contestant on Australia’s MasterChef. She went on to start her own meal kit company called Marion’s Kitchen, which services Australia, New Zealand, the US and Malaysia. She has a tasty Instagram presence, showcasing her delicious Thai-Australian recipes to 657,000 followers.
Jimmy Rees
The star of ABC’s Giggle and Hoot, Jimmy Rees built a career in children’s entertainment. But when the show ended its 10-year stint in 2020, he became a content creating sensation. What started as a lockdown hobby quickly became a full-time gig. Rees’ unique ability to nail Australian stereotypes in his playful POV and ‘Meanwhile in Australia’ videos have earnt him more than 1 million followers across his social media platforms.
Elliott Watkins
Fortnite sensation Elliott Watkins, better known by his handle Muselk, made a name for himself in the gaming world, and has since turned his hobby into a business. Often live streaming for up to 14 hours a day, he’s amassed more than 9.3 million YouTube subscribers, and nearly 1 million on Instagram. He’s also the co-founder of Click Management, a talent agency for gamers and the like.
Nat
Nat is an Australian creator known for his comedic cooking tutorials that took off during the pandemic. His ‘End of Days Bolognese’ video has nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube, and he boasts more than 2 million followers across his social channels. Nat’s gone on to write a book, a cookbook, to launch a trivia game and even to create a wine range.
Jules Robinson
Jules Robinson was working her way up the salon ranks before looking for love on Australian reality TV show Married At First Sight in 2019. Post-show, she cemented herself as a powerful entrepreneur, both in and outside the beauty space. Now, she boasts about 750,000 followers on her own Instagram platform and more than 74,000 followers across her two businesses, shapewear brand FIGUR and inclusive clothing brand Moira Muse.
Samantha Harris
Samantha Harris is one of Australia’s most successful models. At 13, she won Girlfriend magazine’s modelling competition, and six years later, she became the second Indigenous model to grace the cover of Vogue Australia. Sam is now an ambassador for World Vision Australia and WWF, and champions Indigenous culture through her content.
