The end of MrBeast? Why 100 micro‑influencers are more effective than one mega‑influencer

The revelation, delivered by media cartographer Evan Shapiro and What’s Trending founder/CEO Shira Lazar, upends almost every assumption about who truly matters in the creator economy. 

“We call it the Affinity 100 because it’s about the most impactful creators,” Shapiro said. “Not the most popular, not the best known. Not scale for scale’s sake. It’s the highest‑quality fandom, the highest engagement, the most affinity.” 

Lazar added that affinity reflects real‑world impact, not just online attention. 

“Bigger is no longer better,” she said. “We’re moving beyond followers and vanity metrics into something different.” 

The Affinity Score is built on publicly available data, combining engagement velocity, comments, reactions, and shares – with shares weighted twice because they represent active advocacy. Creators must meet a two‑factor qualification: ranking highly on major platforms and appearing on respected editorial lists such as Time, Rolling Stone or Forbes. 

From there, engagement is normalised across platforms and benchmarked against the top performer, Imani, who scores 100. 

Micro‑creators dominate 

Micro‑creators like Imani with under one million followers generate three times the engagement per post of mega‑creators, according to the data. Brands are already responding. 

The duo’s research showed agencies spend 40% less on micro‑influencer campaigns while achieving 44% better engagement. 

“Sometimes it’s more effective to hire a hundred micro‑influencers than one mega‑influencer,” Shapiro said. 

Lazar said the list proves the creator economy is maturing and diversifying. MrBeast and podcaster Steven Bartlett ranked in the 90s. These massive creators have now become studios. 

“What surprised me most was that it wasn’t the biggest creators, the ones on all the lists, that ended up at the top,” she said. “It shows how much the space is changing. You don’t need to be MrBeast to succeed. There are so many amazing creators who don’t get opportunities because they’re not in the headlines.” 

This shift is driven partly by the rise of AI‑generated content, which is flooding platforms with low‑quality content. As a result, authenticity, expertise, and trust are becoming more valuable than reach. 

“It’s not about eyeballs anymore,” Shapiro said. “Real engagement matters more, especially in a world where AI slop is competing with creators and professionally produced content.” 

Creators are becoming the new news media 

One of the most striking findings is how creators now rival mainstream media in trust. 56% of people worldwide get their news from social media before anywhere else. 

Creators like HugoDécrypte and Gaspard G in France are collaborating with major broadcasters including TF1 to create hybrid news formats that blend professional journalism with creator‑driven authenticity. 

“Mainstream media and creators are now collaborating to create a new form of trust,” Shapiro said. “Some of the biggest news organisations are working with relatively small influencers to gain trust with their audiences.” 

Lazar said the power dynamic has flipped. “Traditional media used to say, ‘You’re lucky to work with us,’” she said. “Now, they need creators more than creators need them. It’s changing the deals, the distribution, the community building.” 

Creators are becoming businesses 

The top 10 creators on the Affinity list include activists, historians, chefs, academics, and niche experts. Their primary revenue streams are not ads or platform payouts but products, books, courses, merchandise and public speaking. 

“Affinity allows you to launch your own products in a way pure scale does not,” Shapiro said. “These creators aren’t working with every brand. They choose carefully. They operate like small to medium‑sized businesses.” 

This is the future of the creator economy, according to Lazar. 

“You don’t need 400 million followers to have a real business. You can post weekly, even monthly, and still have real influence.” 

Why Blair Imani is number one 

Imani is a 32‑year‑old American author, historian, and educator who is also queer, Black, and Muslim. Since 2020, she has been known for creating and hosting the viral web series Smarter in Seconds. Her following is modest compared to the mega‑creators who dominate headlines, yet her audience engagement is unmatched. According to the Affinity Score, she is the most impactful creator on the planet. 

“Imani’s content is educational, values‑driven and deeply trusted,” Lazar said. “She tackles sensitive topics like parenting, identity, and social justice with clarity and courage. Her audience responds with active engagement, shares, and real‑world action. 

“She’s not built on clicks or impressions,” Shapiro added. “Her business is built on books, merchandise, public speaking. The biggest creators become mainstream, but the next generation rises from the indie layer. Affinity shows who truly matters, not who is simply loudest.”