Global social media marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy has shared its new research, which reveals that 52% of creators quizzed have experienced career burnout and 37% considered quitting the industry because of it.
The research, which was undertaken in July 2025 by Censuswide and commissioned by Billion Dollar Boy, quizzed 1,000 senior marketing professionals; 1,000 content creators in the US and UK (500 per market); 2,000 US consumers; and 2,000 UK consumers, to gain a better understanding of the creator economy.
Why are beauty content creators experiencing burnout?
The leading causes of burnout cited were creative fatigue, financial strain, demanding workload and constant screen time.
When asked about the primary causes of burnout, creative fatigue was the most frequent reason (40%), followed by demanding workloads (31%) and constant screen time (27%). Yet when the influencers were asked to rank these reasons by severity, financial instability was as the number one factor (55%) among those who had suffered from burnout.
For UK creators, the screen time was a more significant stressor, while US creators said they were more affected by the pressure of ever-changing platform algorithms.
Three out of five creators (59%) also shared that they believed it was having a negative impact on their careers, as well as their mental health.
The research also highlighted that marketers were aware of the industry-wide issue: with 66% agreeing that burnout is a widespread challenge, and 56% acknowledging its career impact.
Both the influencers and marketers agreed that responsibility for addressing burnout is shared across the industry.
Three quarters (71%) of creators believed that brands and platforms have a responsibility to protect their welfare, and a similar number (68%) say the same for agencies. Among marketers, that number rises to 76% for brands and agencies, and 78% for platforms.
However, the reality of whether this support is actually given by brands shows a disagreement between both sides.
Only around half of the creators quizzed said they believed they received adequate support from brands (48%), agencies (49%) or platforms (49%), Whereas 60–63% of marketers believed that these groups are providing enough support.
“This suggests a gap between intention and impact - and highlights the importance of listening closely to creator feedback,” said the agency.
Becky Owen, who is CMO of Billion Dollar Boy highlighted that the challenges of burnout aren’t new to the creator economy but added that “in a relatively young industry, we’re learning on the fly about its impact and support structures are being built reactively.”
“Our research shows the urgent need for co-ordinated action, with burnout now reaching a level where it’s actively shaping the decisions creators make about their careers and their content,” she said.
“As the creator economy matures, so too must our approach to creator welfare.”
How can marketers at beauty brands prevent creator burnout?
When asked what could help to prevent or lessen the chances of experiencing burnout, creators gave the following feedback:
- 38% said they would benefit from setting work-life boundaries
- 34% said they would benefit from taking time off more regularly
- 32% said using AI and scheduling tools to reduce workload would release the burden.
According to Owen, the next step for agencies, platforms and brand partners is to act to create a more sustainable framework for the sector.
“That means valuing creative thinking over content volume, recognising human limits, and investing in long-term creator wellbeing,” she said. “If we get that right, we not only support the creators we work with – we strengthen the whole ecosystem.”
