GLP-1, AI, and SaaS Sectors Aim to Reshape Creator Economy - But Not In The Same Way, Analysis of 22,000+ Brand Collaborations Reveals

The number of creators willing to work with brands grew by 160% in Q1 2026 compared to Q4 2025. New categories like AI and GLP-1 demand educators, scaling sectors such as SaaS are looking for high-performers, and mature markets such as beauty and skincare rely on consistency and long-term collaborations.

April 15, 2026. A new analysis of over 22,000 brand collaborations by Billo App, the largest creator marketing platform in the US, shows the creator economy is no longer operating as a single market. Instead, it is splitting into three distinct layers: emerging, scaling, and mature sectors. 

According to the analysis, some of the prominent emerging sectors are AI and GLP-1-related, and they are driving education-led content. Scaling sectors like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) are becoming performance-driven, and mature industries like beauty rely on long-term, repeat creator partnerships.

According to creator economy expert Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo App, these categories now require different marketing strategies.

“What we’re seeing is the creator economy reacting in real time to new categories forming almost overnight,” says Donatas Smailys. “GLP-1 didn’t exist last year, and now, together with AI, these sectors are growing fast, while consumer understanding is still catching up. That creates a clear role for creators: not just to promote, but to explain and educate.”

Currently, AI is becoming its own creator-driven space, particularly among B2B brands. At the same time, GLP-1, a class of drugs used for obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as general weight management, is rapidly expanding into consumer-facing ecosystems, with the market projected to grow from $73 billion in 2026 to $254 billion by 2034.

As these categories scale, brands face a gap: products are complex, but audiences are unfamiliar.

“We’re moving toward creators who act as educators,” says Smailys. “In AI, that means breaking down tools and use cases. In GLP-1, it’s about long-term experience, trust, and responsible storytelling.”

In practice, this creates different content models. Smailys shares that in AI, creators should focus on demonstrations and showing how tools work and where they fit.

“They act as translators between technical products and everyday users,” he says.

In GLP-1, content blends medical, lifestyle, and behavioral narratives. Creators are expected to balance personal experience with accuracy and trust, often over longer periods of time.

While new categories are still forming, more established sectors are scaling rapidly. SaaS and technology companies are increasing investment in creator partnerships.

Here, the role of creators changes again – from explaining products to driving directly measurable outcomes. According to Meta data, partnership ads (a format where both the creator’s and the brand’s handles appear on the same ad) deliver a 13% increase in click-through rates, a 19% decrease in cost per acquisition, and a 71% increase in brand lift, reinforcing the move toward performance-led creator strategies.

Smailys sees that Meta is actively pushing partnership ads in practice, making the collaboration explicit to audiences, and their effectiveness is driven by fit, not reach.

“Partnership ads work because of relatability and credibility,” says Smailys. “In categories like GLP-1 or AI, the creator often has to have direct experience or professional expertise. That relevance is what drives results, it’s not about the amount of followers anymore,” he adds.

In return, brands gravitate toward more deliberate creator-brand matchmaking, especially in complex or high-trust categories.

Billo data shows that creator applications grew by approximately 160% quarter-on-quarter in Q1, marking a sharp surge in creator supply.

At the other end of the spectrum, beauty remains the most mature category.

“Creator marketing here is embedded. Brands run always-on strategies, with repeat collaborations replacing one-off campaigns. Beauty has moved beyond testing,” says Smailys. “We’re seeing long-term creator relationships become the default.”

Even within this mature space, new subcategories are emerging. Haircare and scalp care are gaining traction, creating room for new creators within an otherwise saturated market. At the same time, repeat advertisers continue to dominate, reinforcing a shift toward consistency over one-off campaigns.

“Different categories now operate in fundamentally different ways,” says Smailys. “Overall, a note that marketers should take is that emerging sectors primarily need education-based content, scaling sectors need performance-driven solutions, while mature markets ask for consistency.”

This shift is also creating new opportunities, particularly for B2B and tech-focused creators, where demand is growing faster than supply.

About Billo App

Billo is the leading UGC marketplace founded in 2019 that connects brands with creators to produce high-performing social video ads. It is based in San Francisco, CA, and is led by the co-founder and CEO, Donatas Smailys. The platform combines the power of UGC content with a streamlined production process, helping brands increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and boost conversions with authentic creator videos on TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and other platforms.

Media contact:

Aivaras Vilutis
aivaras.v@sensuspr.com