Creator costs went up. So why are brands adding more creators?

Rising creator costs are the #1 challenge brands report in 2026.

And that makes sense: when every creator costs more, the same budget covers fewer of them.

So, every creator now has to earn their place.

And that's pushing brands to rethink the mix.

Here's what it looks like:

Big creators open the conversation.

They make people notice a brand fast, and a lot of people hear the name at the same time.

That's how a brand gets known.

But the thing is, buying takes trust.

And trust usually comes from people who feel close to you.

That's where micro and nano creators come in.

They talk to smaller audiences that already listen to them, in their own niche and their own city, including the cities a big campaign never reaches.

And since one post only lives a week or two, many creators talking about the same brand keep it in the conversation much longer.

That's how trust gets built.

And it's why more than half of brands plan to add more micro and nano creators this year.

Because big creators make the brand famous.

But micro and nano creators make it familiar.

So brands are adding more voices around their big names, each with a clear objective.

That way, every result has something to be compared against.

When every creator has a job, every dollar has one too.