{"id":3977,"date":"2025-06-05T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/?p=3977"},"modified":"2025-06-14T11:41:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-14T11:41:54","slug":"discrepancies-experienced-by-black-content-creators-new-data-expert-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/05\/discrepancies-experienced-by-black-content-creators-new-data-expert-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"Discrepancies experienced by Black content creators [new data + expert insights]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Welcome to<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/topic-learning-path\/breaking-the-blueprint\" style=\"background-color: #ffffff\">Breaking the Blueprint<\/a><br \/>\n<em> \u2014 a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they\u2019ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your success.<\/em><br \/>\n <\/p>\n<p><em>This piece is in collaboration with HubSpot Podcast Network\u2019s Amplifying Voices campaign partnership with<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/thegatheringspot.club\/\">The Gathering Spot<\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=aacfe6c7-71e6-4f49-979f-76099062afa0&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img \" style=\"height: auto !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;border-width: 0px;margin: 0 auto;margin-top: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px\" alt=\"Download Now: Free Marketing Plan Template [Get Your Copy]\" height=\"58\" width=\"564\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/aacfe6c7-71e6-4f49-979f-76099062afa0.png\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Black content creators, let&#8217;s take a walk down memory lane together.<\/p>\n<p>I remember it as if it were yesterday. (I bet you do, too.) It was 2020, and Charli D\u2019Amelio shared a video on TikTok doing the notorious Renegade dance. The video blew up and, to this day, it remains her claim to accelerated internet fame. Since then, Charli\u2019s amassed <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_most-followed_TikTok_accounts\">150M followers<\/a> on the app, has had various <a href=\"https:\/\/news.dunkindonuts.com\/news\/the-charli-dances-onto-the-dunkin-menu\">brand deals with household names<\/a> \u2014 her family even got an unscripted reality docuseries called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hulu.com\/series\/the-damelio-show-ad993806-7961-4eb3-9f92-e7b9a349ae22\">\u201cThe D\u2019Amelio Show.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After Charli went viral for her performances of the Renegade dance, thousands of TikTok users followed her lead, danced, and attributed its popularity solely to D\u2019Amelio. But she didn\u2019t create it \u2014 Jalaiah Harmon, a young Black girl from Atlanta \u2014 did. Thus, Harmon\u2019s erasure from her dance is attributed to racial bias as she\u2019s Black and D\u2019Amelio is White. It\u2019s a classic case of creation without credit \u2014 and a reminder that, as a Black content creator, going viral doesn\u2019t always mean being seen.<\/p>\n<p>Harmon\u2019s experience is just one of thousands, as many Black content creators face inequalities, from receiving credit for trends to late payments to algorithm biases.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, I\u2019ll delve deeper into some of these inequalities, share expert advice on overcoming these roadblocks from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shinewithnatasha\/\">Natasha Pierre<\/a>, Host of the <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-shine-online-podcast\/id1491553314\">Shine Online Podcast<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rosssimmonds\/\">Ross Simmonds<\/a>, Founder and CEO of Foundation Marketing and host of <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/ph\/podcast\/create-like-the-greats\/id1653650073\">Create Like The Greats Podcast<\/a>, and provide some suggestions for how you can navigate and challenge the disparities baked into the creator economy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#discrepancies-experienced-by-black-content-creators-key-stats-new-data\">Discrepancies Experienced By Black Content Creators \u2014 Key Stats [New Data]<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#discrepancies-experienced-by-black-content-creators-expert-thoughts\">Discrepancies Experienced By Black Content Creators (+ Expert Thoughts)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-can-black-content-creators-rise-above-discrepancies-expert-advice\">How can Black content creators rise above discrepancies? ( + Expert Advice)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Discrepancies Experienced By Black Content Creators \u2014 Key Stats [New Data]<\/h2>\n<p>As content creation through short-form social media platforms (primarily Instagram and TikTok) has become more prevalent over the past few years, Black (and Brown) creators haven\u2019t just propelled this space forward \u2014 in a lot of ways, they\u2019ve built it and continue to redefine it.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite making massive contributions to both the social media and content creation spaces, like setting viral trends on TikTok or innovating storytelling approaches through YouTube, Black content creators seem to receive the short end of the stick when it comes to things like compensation, brand partnerships, and overall visibility across platforms; this oversight doesn\u2019t go unnoticed. (I\u2019ll share more on this, along with some expert insight, later on.)<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in getting a closer look at how Black and Brown creators are disproportionally impacted by the algorithms, biases, and structures of the creator economy, take a look at some recent data from <a href=\"https:\/\/influencermarketinghub.com\/dei-influencer-marketing-report\/\">Influencer Marketing Hub\u2019s 2025 Influencer Marketing Report<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>58%<\/strong> of influencers say they\u2019ve been discriminated against as an influencer on any social platform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/black-content-creators-2-20250528-8131610.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>77% <\/strong>of Black influencers fall into the nano and micro-influencer tiers, with compensation from brands averaging $27,000 annually, compared to <strong>59%<\/strong> of white influencers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/black-content-creators-3-20250528-8527133.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only <strong>23%<\/strong> of Black influencers, compared to <strong>41%<\/strong> of white influencers, make it into the macro-influencer tier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/black-content-creators-4-20250528-7801266.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nearly <strong>22%<\/strong> of influencers claim discrimination based on their physical features.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/black-content-creators-5-20250528-7614434.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width: 650px;height: auto;max-width: 100%\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Discrepancies Experienced By Black Content Creators (+ Expert Thoughts)<\/h2>\n<p>As I\u2019ve previously mentioned, Black creators have sustained the content creation community and social media landscape with their labor and visions, but are often met with unfair, unjust, and inequitable treatment, whether it be through a lack of acknowledgment of their creativity or being excluded from significant monetization opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>In short, Black content creators aren\u2019t just being undervalued; there are more serious attempts at quiet erasure looming about, and it\u2019s time folks start calling a spade a spade.<\/p>\n<p>However, as the world of influencing and content creation has grown, I will say that there has been a surge of folks \u2014 some Black, others not \u2014 speaking out and advocating for better treatment of creators of color, Black ones specifically.<\/p>\n<p>All of this said, I\u2019ve listed the three most common disparities experienced by Black content creators, supported by real experiences and recent data. Have a look:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Pay Disparities<\/h3>\n<p>Black influencers are paid <span style=\"font-weight: bold\">35%<\/span> less than White influencers. Most of the time, that means creators aren\u2019t getting paid what they\u2019re worth, and sometimes they\u2019re being paid late. There\u2019s also a lack of pay transparency, so Black creators don\u2019t know what others are getting paid if they\u2019re being shorted and what to negotiate for.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">92% <\/span>of influencers responding to MSL\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/msl-study-reveals-racial-pay-gap-in-influencer-marketing-301437451.html%20target=\">Time to Face the Influencer Pay Gap<\/a> research study said that pay transparency could be the single most crucial factor in eliminating the racial pay gap in the creator economy.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Constant Invalidation (from Brands and So-Called Fans)<\/h3>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@golloria%20target=\">Golloria George<\/a>, one of social media\u2019s resident Black girls in beauty, received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@golloria\/video\/7363386668264557867?lang%3Den\">Youthforia\u2019s Date Night Foundation<\/a> and shade-tested it against her own deep complexion for an ongoing content creation series she has on TikTok, the mass response was, to say the least, uncalled for and incredibly disheartening.<\/p>\n<p>After Golloria was sent a PR package of Youthforia\u2019s products, including the brand\u2019s \u201cupdated\u201d Date Night Foundation in deeper, dark skin-friendly tones, she took to her series \u201cThe Darkest Shade\u201d to truly test the brand\u2019s shade awareness and inclusivity.<\/p>\n<p>However, after applying what appeared to be entirely jet black facepaint (although Youthforia falsely advertised its Date Night Foundation as a diverse&nbsp;product) and proclaiming that Youthforia had more work to do in its shade development labs, the social media sphere took to her comments and their own platforms to discredit her experience \u2014 one that could have been completely avoided if Youthforia had done the proper work to design a product that was inclusive of darker skintones to begin with.<\/p>\n<p>After sharing this post, Youthforia received backlash, and its products were even removed from retailers IRL and online. While Golloria was scrutinized, bullied, and dismissed, had she not stood firm in her commitment to shade inclusivity in the beauty industry, Youthforia could have continued to profit from Black women and other women with more expansive expectations for its foundation range.<\/p>\n<p>The lesson here? Even when you\u2019re seen as a Black content creator, brands still fail to recognize the impact of your content, especially if it&#8217;s rooted in diversity and visibility of marginalized groups. If you ever find yourself in a situation similar to Golloria\u2019s, follow her playbook: Know your worth, choose peace over payment.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Algorithm Biases<\/h3>\n<p>Although algorithm biases are unconfirmed, Black creators report feeling the effects anyway. Many say their content doesn\u2019t perform as well as other creators\u2019, even if it is the same quality. The creator below even made light of this reality, but simultaneously, also highlighted how demoralizing it is for Black folks trying to build a platform on social media:<\/p>\n<p>More notably, Black creators have noticed their content performs worse <a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.1145\/3706598.3713842\">when discussing racial equality (or related topics)<\/a>. Check out a testament from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/pariss-chandler\/\">Pariss Chandler<\/a>, Founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/blacktechpipeline.com\/\">Black Tech Pipeline<\/a>, about why this is likely happening across algorithms globally:<\/p>\n<p>In a February 2025 report titled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isdglobal.org\/isd-publications\/recommending-hate-how-tiktoks-search-engine-algorithms-reproduce-societal-bias\/\">\u201cRecommending Hate: How TikTok\u2019s Search Engine Algorithms Reproduce Societal Bias,\u201d<\/a> The Institute for Strategic Dialogue revealed that across almost two-thirds of the videos (197) in their analysis pool, \u201cTikTok\u2019s search engine and recommender algorithm perpetuated harmful stereotypes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study further emphasized, \u201cthis content systematically associated presumed members of marginalised groups with derogatory and violent search prompts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, algorithms probably won\u2019t stop being biased. However, Black content creators won\u2019t stop creating either. If it\u2019s any consolation, here\u2019s an empowering truth to believe as you push through the noise: Black creators and talent have always built culture \u2014 algorithms are just trying to keep up.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>How can Black content creators rise above discrepancies? (+ Expert Advice)<\/h2>\n<p>Black creators are often left to determine and experiment with how to gain visibility in the creator economy. Additionally, tons of essential resources for success are selfishly gatekept, making it even harder for them to permeate the creator economy.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re here, reading this article, you likely have many questions about how to grow your platform and receive equitable treatment as a Black (or Brown) creator. Lucky for you, I asked Ross and Natasha what they suggest you do, especially if you want to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Land meaningful brand partnerships<\/strong> without compromising your values.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create content that sparks impact<\/strong>, not just engagement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get paid fairly and consistently <\/strong>for the content you create.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check out their advice and words of wisdom below:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Build community with other Black creators.<\/h3>\n<p>A great way for Black creators to build themselves up is \u2014 you likely guessed it \u2014 to find and build community with other Black creators.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why: You\u2019ll get to know other people with the same experiences, and you can use your different backgrounds to help each other out. These days, you can make this happen in a variety of ways. Here\u2019s what I suggest to start nurturing intentional, empowering connections as a Black content creator:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Build through brand trips\/experiences<\/strong> (\u2018cause loyal followers <em>love<\/em> to see a good link-up between their favorite creators!)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build by using a personable social media engagement strategy <\/strong>(i.e., commenting on the posts of creator mutuals, collaborating with them across content, etc.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build by joining online communities, groups, or digital creator collectives that center Black and Brown voices<\/strong> (i.e., <a href=\"https:\/\/blackwomenphotographers.com\/\">Black Women Photographers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackgirlswhowrite.com\/\">Black Girls Who Write<\/a>, for example)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ross also adds, \u201cThe internet is an amazing place to find other people who are creators, and you can create some amazing relationships with people in a similar world as you.\u201d He adds, \u201cThere are a lot more people who are Black who are creating things online, so it\u2019s easier to find someone to look up to.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>2. Show up for people in your community.<\/h3>\n<p>Natasha says that the simple act of showing up for people in your same groups can truly, sincerely make all the difference. \u201cWe just need to be taking up space and building our own networks and continuing to show up for our communities and advocate for your own communities as well,\u201d she emphasizes.<\/p>\n<p>When you build community connections, you can bring people up with you. Ross, similarly to Natasha, says he enjoys creating a path for others: \u201cI want to be able to create content that helps other creators create great content and helps people see the opportunities and the potential to open doors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Natasha also says that if she\u2019s asked to participate in a campaign or speaker lineup, she makes the extra effort to find out who else is involved (and if the organizers need her to recommend other creators in the category).<\/p>\n<p>While these opportunities are meaningful and validating, she warns that the excitement of being invited or considered can make it easy to forget about the impact of creators\u2019 voices and how they can support others\u2019 careers. So if you can help someone else get into \u201cthe room where it happens,\u201d do it.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, you can\u2019t forget a very important bonus: Having a network of creators who support, uplift, and share each other\u2019s content can expose people to new audiences eager to follow people and consume new content. Despite what folks may argue, sometimes the biggest platform you\u2019ll build is the one you make together.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Learn from others and their experiences.<\/h3>\n<p>Meeting your first creator milestone can feel like a long, multi-faceted, drawn-out process, but learning from other awesome influencers of color can shorten the learning curve and expand your creative toolkit.<\/p>\n<p>Consume content from <em>all<\/em> different creators and learn ways to apply their strategies to your own. You\u2019ll get exposed to so many new ideas and inputs, and what you learn can help you come up with new, unique stories nobody has told yet.<\/p>\n<p>Ross says, \u201cI always try to say that everyone can learn from every creator, even if they have a thousand followers. I get inspired by a random mommy blogger; I get inspired by a random psychologist; I\u2019ll get inspired by a therapist on Instagram who puts up posts that are inspiring; I follow business folks \u2026 everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>4. Focus on what you can control, let go of what you can\u2019t.<\/h3>\n<p>Say it with me now: Sometimes, Black creators have to focus on what they can control to make progress with what\u2019s outside their control. For instance, while you may want to partner with larger brands, it might not be possible at the stage you\u2019re at in your creator career.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Natasha notes that small brands struggle to find opportunities just as small creators do. \u201cThere are so many small brands that are doing such great things. Of course, smaller brands are going to have less budget, but when there are opportunities to partner with those smaller brands, I think that\u2019s a way to show how things can be done differently,\u201d she explains. By partnering with a smaller brand, you\u2019re building your influence and community in a more attainable way.<\/p>\n<p>Focusing on what you can control also means recognizing when an opportunity doesn\u2019t align with your standards and abilities. Ross advises, \u201cYou have to focus on your circle of control \u2026 I can control the fact that I\u2019ll probably decline if I don\u2019t think something isn\u2019t fair \u2026 otherwise it becomes a very draining industry and a mental tax that I don\u2019t believe is oftentimes worth paying.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>5. Don\u2019t be afraid, ask for what you\u2019re worth.<\/h3>\n<p>For Black folks, asking for what we know we\u2019re worth can seem scary because of the potential for rejection. I know this all too well, but here\u2019s one piece of empowering advice that I can offer: You only know the possibilities you\u2019re unlocking if you ask.<\/p>\n<p>Ross says, \u201cI\u2019ve found that you will be pleasantly surprised if you do ask for what you deserve\u2026they\u2019re either going to say yes or no.\u201d If they say no, they probably aren\u2019t a brand you want to be associated with anyways. \u201cWalk away and be okay with that,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>Your community networks can also be helpful, especially as you can ask around and see what other people are getting paid for opportunities. Ross has no shame in his game; he shares that he\u2019s even asked before, noting, \u201cIf I know someone who\u2019s engaged in these organizations or is also working for them, I\u2019m not afraid to send a DM and ask people what they got paid before I give a quote, and I get clarity on what I should be offering.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Black Content Creators: Take Up Space, On Your Own Terms<\/h2>\n<p>The discrepancies that Black creators in the creator economy face can seem like a never-ending, discouraging battle, but it\u2019s not impossible to overcome.<\/p>\n<p>The more people who have honest conversations about these issues and hold brands and platforms accountable, the more pressure there is actually to shift the system. Change doesn\u2019t happen overnight, but it <em>does<\/em> happen when creators, communities, and allies commit to pushing forward together.<\/p>\n<p>So, to my Black content creators: keep asking the hard questions, making stellar content, showing up with excellence, and don\u2019t be afraid to take up space. Because if the system wasn\u2019t built for you, that just means it\u2019s time to build something better.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This post was originally published in April 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/track.hubspot.com\/__ptq.gif?a=53&amp;k=14&amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hubspot.com%2Fmarketing%2Fblack-content-creators&amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fblog.hubspot.com%252Fmarketing&amp;bvt=rss\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint \u2014 a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they\u2019ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3977"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3995,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3977\/revisions\/3995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}