Their influence is shifting rather than fading. Audiences have grown sceptical of obvious ads. Polished mass promotion works less well, while honest niche creators who keep their audience's trust still move decisions. The winners are relevance and authenticity, not raw follower counts.
Whether creator influence is genuinely fading or whether it is changing shape as audiences grow more discerning.
It is easy to read falling engagement on some big accounts as a decline. The more accurate story is a move toward trust. People still act on recommendations from creators they believe, they just tune out placements that feel bought. That rewards smaller, credible voices and punishes inflated audiences and scripted posts. For a brand, the takeaway is to vet harder: look at engagement quality and follower authenticity, not headline reach. A creator with a genuine, well-matched audience carries as much influence as ever. Flinque scores fake followers and shows audience data per creator, which is how you tell real influence from the appearance of it.