A recent story in Marketing Brew captures a trend that’s quietly spreading across the industry: when marketing roles get cut, some marketers are turning to content creation as a backup plan, part income bridge, part visibility play, part “I refuse to disappear from the internet.”
The new safety net – “Build my own ship“
The most relatable takeaway is also the simplest: layoffs don’t just sting they change how people think about stability.
One marketer described it as a push to “build my own ship,” so their livelihood isn’t 100% dependent on a single paycheck. That mindset shift is showing up everywhere: LinkedIn posts, Substack essays, TikTok videos, and the occasional “here’s what I learned getting laid off” carousel that somehow gets 2,000 likes.
When the “layoff post” goes viral
One example from the piece: a marketer who had already been building an audience shared a raw video response after learning his social marketing role was being eliminated right after moving for work. The video took off: over 1.3M views and 100K likes on TikTok, plus significant engagement on Instagram too.
Two things happened here,
- People connected with the story
- The content created real-world outcomes: support, connections, referrals, even job conversations.
Content creation isn’t just “monetizing your personality.” Sometimes it’s career liquidity.
One creator in the story points to data suggesting that around 75% of creators earn under $10,000/year from content. That’s not “quit your job” money. That’s more like “pay for groceries and a tiny treat” money.
The underrated upside, proof-of-work in public
A big theme in the piece is that content creation can function like a living portfolio:
“You’re showing how you think. You’re demonstrating taste, strategy, and clarity.You’re building a track record that isn’t trapped inside a company Slack you no longer have access to”
An executive search leader quoted in the article put it plainly: what matters isn’t follower count—it’s whether your content shows you’re current, thoughtful, and strategic. Also: don’t assume numbers mean much; followers can be bots.
In other words, “see my 20k followers” is less compelling than:
“Here’s a sharp take on what’s changing in the industry, and here’s how I’d respond.”
If you’re a marketer in-between roles, here’s the non-cringey way to do it
- Pick one lane.
LinkedIn or TikTok or Substack. Start where your future employers (or clients) already are. - Post like a professional, not a motivational poster
- Keep it consistent-ish.
- You don’t need daily content. You need repeat appearances.
- Treat monetization as a bonus, and not as a business model .
The bigger shift, loyalty is changing
Companies are less loyal to people, and people are less loyal to companies so building something of your own feels like a rational response to a turbulent job market.
And honestly, let’s not be cynical.
Ref: https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2026/01/16/marketers-content-creation-layoffs-side-hustle