Gen Z, AI, and the Power of Creator Marketing – InstantFollowerz

As AI reshapes marketing, the next generation of decision makers are placing more trust in creators than brands. Here’s how to use creative marketing strategies to keep your business relevant.

Marketing strategies evolve with each era’s technological advances, continuously redefining the way businesses connect with consumers.

In the early days of the Internet, outbound marketing tactics such as billboards and direct mail were the main approach. Then came Google and SOCIAL MEDIA, which led to inbound marketing platforms like HubSpot.

We are now entering a new and very disruptive cycle, this time driven by AI.

This early phase of ‘discovery’ — which Kieran and I expect to last 5-7 years before stabilizing — is characterized by rapid innovation and a huge influx of fragmented AI tools.

But the real challenge isn’t just keeping up with AI; it’s about understanding how to connect with the new generation of decision makers — especially Gen X and Gen Z — while everything else is changing. But how?

As discussed in a recent episode Marketing Against the Grainwe believe the answer lies in creator-driven marketing. Here’s why – and how you can get started today.

Why the new generation of decision makers trust creators over brands

As new generations step into key decision-making roles in companies, their approach to purchasing decisions differs significantly from that of their predecessors.

“Data shows that the new, younger generations rely primarily on social networks and interpersonal connections when evaluating software, solutions and other business needs,” explains Kieran.

They are not only interested in traditional brand propositions or product specifications; instead, they’re looking for raw insights, authentic voices, and a sense of community.

This shift underscores the need for brands to prioritize creator-centric content to connect with these new online decision makers—especially since AI, despite its advances, is not yet able to deliver the nuanced human-centric content that creators offer.

“People used to trust brands. Now creators have become the most trusted brands in our society.” So how do you pivot your marketing strategy?

Three ways to integrate creative marketing strategies into your marketing plan

Learn how to revamp your marketing plan by incorporating these three creator-driven approaches, along with resources from HubSpot Free Marketing Plan Template.

1. Transform employee expertise into content

One of the most underutilized, strategic assets in companies is the deep industry knowledge of their employees. These individuals not only understand the challenges customers face, but also the intricacies of the product—insights that external agencies or third-party influencers may not have.

Identifying who those experts are within your business and then putting them on camera is a high-impact way to turn critical knowledge into compelling, relevant video content. (Besides, the video harder to replicate with AI.)

Especially for audiences skeptical of overly polished brand messaging and AI-generated content, showcasing real, human expertise elevates your brand’s authority and trustworthiness. It also adds a nice personal touch by showing the ‘faces’ behind the business.

2. Hire in-house creators who are fully dedicated to content creation

In addition to using existing internal knowledge, another approach is to hire new employees exclusively dedicated to content creation. The key here, however, is to give these new hires the autonomy to focus exclusively on content creation, without interfering with daily operational tasks.

“Allow them to experiment at scale and function completely as independent creators,” says Kieran “This way, they can really learn what works—and what doesn’t—for your company experimenting, testing and repeating.”

By giving native creators the space to innovate and refine their ideas, you ensure your content stays fresh and relevant. This strategy also allows you to leverage the agility that defines successful independent creators while still benefiting from their understanding of your business goals and brand ethos.

3. Partner with influencers to expand access to walled gardens

Social networks are not moving eitherwalled gardensplatforms are increasingly restricting the ability to share external links, reducing your capacity to drive off-platform traffic.

“LinkedIn posts with external links are five to six times less effective,” says Kieran.

AX (formerly Twitter) introduced features like private likes, hinting at a broader strategy to retain users and their interactions within the platform.

Partnering with external influencers offers a strategic way to maintain – or even increase – your presence on these increasingly closed platforms. Influencers have already built trust and credibility within their communities, allowing them to organically integrate your product into their content.

This allows your brand to connect with a targeted, engaged audience and increase awareness where direct marketing efforts are otherwise limited.

To view our entire discussion on creator-driven marketing, view the full episodes of Marketing Against the Grain below:

This blog series is in partnership with Marketing Against the Grain, a video podcast. Dig deeper into the insights shared by marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Marketing at HubSpot) as they uncover growth strategies and learn from notable founders and peers.